The lead character, Wakizaka, a teacher, murders a man who has raped his young female student, Shoko, at the request of her wealthy family. Wakizaka is in love with and covets Shoko (as expressed early in the film by his highly sexualized and possessive gaze over her) but cannot have her because of his poor social and economic standing. A public official who has just embezzled 30 million yen witnesses this murder, and on knowing that he is on his way to prison, makes a deal with Wakizaka that the latter will protect the money until the public official's sentence is up or else be turned into the police for the murder. Shoko having married someone else (the wedding is the opening scene of the film), Wakizaka decides to experience "the pleasures of the flesh" for one year: he will spend the entirety of the 30 million and then take his own life before the embezzler is released. He spends the money mostly on insufficient but living substitutes for his original love Shoko (long-term prostitutes who look like her), as he slowly deteriorates further and further into guilt and obsession. Because of the stern, bold-faced warning on this form about spoilers, I won't say anymore about the plot.
A highly stylized, highly subjective film -- the narration never strays far from the main character's point of view. Complex temporal and spatial structure. Wonderful, intense, thrilling, apocalyptic and, as always with Oshima, beautifully edited and shot.
Since it is a rare film and I had the chance to see it, I'd be happy to answer any other questions via e-mail.
A highly stylized, highly subjective film -- the narration never strays far from the main character's point of view. Complex temporal and spatial structure. Wonderful, intense, thrilling, apocalyptic and, as always with Oshima, beautifully edited and shot.
Since it is a rare film and I had the chance to see it, I'd be happy to answer any other questions via e-mail.