Rape! 13th Hour (1977) User Reviews

Ultimately Unsatisfying Violent-Pink Entry

[EVOL666 · 6/10 · 17 June 2006]

Of Hasebe's films, I've so far only seen the twisted (and spectacular) ASSAULT! JACK THE RIPPER, and now RAPE! 13TH HOUR. After the sleazy-goodness of ASSAULT! - I was hoping for another strong violent-pink exploit entry, and I got it - sorta...

The story surrounds Crimson - a serial rapist who takes on as an accomplice/attendant a young gas-station attendant. The two commit several rapes together as the gas-guy learns the ropes of raping women into submission. Meanwhile, a gang is on Crimson's tail (for reasons that were never made clear...) - and the gang's gay leader tries to extort sex out of Crimson in order to keep hush-hush about his "extra-carricular activities". Crimson ain't havin' it and knocks around the gang leader - causing a most unpleasant retaliation...

After watching both ASSAULT! and 13TH HOUR - I've come to the conclusion that Hasebe is a pretty weak director with some strong ideas. At least ASSAULT! has enough "nasty" content to keep ya interested - whereas 13TH HOUR proved pretty dull to me. The rape scenes are neither particularly erotic nor particularly nasty, the cinematography as a whole is amateurish, and there just wasn't enough happening (except for a lot of soft-core simulated rape-action) for me to care. That said - it's not a horrible film, and the ending is suitably strong - I just feel that this film didn't live up to it's "shocking" reputation to me, and I feel that it's "rare" status may have more to do with the stigma of the film, then the contents themselves. Worth a look to the exploit-completist...6.5/10

Worth Checking It Out

[ebiros2 · 6/10 · 9 April 2013]

I saw this movie as part of a double feature in a movie theater I believe in Itabashi area of Tokyo around 1978. The other movie I think was Momojiri Musume, and that was the movie I actually wanted to see.

I was amazed at the audacity of the character to climb up the wall of a condo to rape a woman. Then after that it was non-stop sexually themed violence throughout the movie. The movie left an impression on me that I haven't forgotten through the years.

I couldn't remember the title of the movie, but I've seen it recently again. The ballerina girl I thought was Izumi Shima, but it wasn't. Each of the movie's character has a shabby poetic- ness to them. Nikkatsu's Roman Poruno series movies usually has a happy go lucky style to them, but this movie is unusually dark for this series.

One of a kind sex movie that goes beyond mere porn due to its audacity. It's definitely worth checking out if you can find it.

Nasty and mean pink rape film.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 2 August 2006]

"Rape!13th Hour" tells the story of a brutal gangster and rapist named Crimson.He is stalked by a trio of gay vigilantes.One night Crimson rapes a ballerina with the help of a young gas station worker.Crimson's accomplice can't climax,but his thoughts about rape are overwhelming.Soon the series of brutal rapes is set in motion..."Rape!13th Hour" by Yasuharu Hasebe is not as disturbing as 1976's "Assault!Jack the Ripper",however it features lots of rape and hard misogyny.This controversial pink film is perhaps one of the most extreme Nikkatsu rape movies.The climax which takes place in an empty swimming pool is truly nihilistic and evil.The acting is solid,the women are attractive and there are some tense moments.A must-see for fans of depraved exploitation cinema,but despite of its nasty reputation "Rape!25-ji bokan" is nothing in comparison to many pinku eiga movies which would follow.8 out of 10.

With a title like this, expect to be shocked

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 16 December 2014]

Rape has long been a staple ingredient of exploitation cinema, but very few films have dealt with the understandably touchy subject in such a blatantly un-PC and misogynistic manner as Rape! 13th Hour from Yasuharu Hasebe, the director of Assault! Jack the Ripper.

Not only does this film feature repeated violent sex attacks on innocent Japanese cuties by a pair of depraved maniacs, but it actually shows the victims enjoying the experience to such a degree that they willingly return for more abuse, offering cold, hard cash for another round of the same; for that reason, sensitive viewers should approach this film with caution.

OK, now that you've been warned, I can get on with describing this decidedly dodgy slice of deviant filth in detail....

Rape! 13th Hour opens at a gas station where the attendant on duty (Yudai Ishiyama) conceals a red-jacketed stranger from a gang of homosexual thugs seeking to do him harm. After this incident, the grateful fugitive—known only as Crimson—takes his new-found friend on a little jaunt—to rape a ballerina!!! Crimson's accomplice enjoys his experience so much that, in-between further excursions with his pal, he ventures out to sample the delights of forced sex on his own.

Although not quite as graphic as the aforementioned Assault! Jack the Ripper, particularly in regards to the gore, Rape! 13th Hour is easily as nasty in tone and certainly packs as powerful a punch. Crimson and his cohort are thoroughly reprehensible fellows and their extremely disturbing assaults are made all the more repulsive by the fact that the women appear to enjoy their ordeal. Director Hasebe is no doubt appealing to an audience that harbours rape fantasies, and this makes the film uneasy viewing to say the least.

Towards the end of the film, Hasebe has Crimson suffer the indignity of rape himself (by his gay pursuers, who not only bugger him but also bash out his teeth in order to violate his mouth), but this does little to excuse the movie's unrelenting mysogeny and general mean-spiritedness. A brutal finalé sees the garage attendant exacting revenge on his friend's attackers by bashing their skulls in with a wrench, before paying another visit to his favourite victim: the sexy ballerina.

Whatever your views on the film's dubious subject matter, there is no denying that Rape! 13th Hour is a technically well made movie and an emotive piece of cinema: the cinematography is superb (lovely use of widescreen) and the soundtrack—a mixture of classical and baroque—works extremely well with the visuals.

I'm not going to pass judgement on this film based on its moral turpitude—after all, I actively seek out potentially offensive films—so I'll award Rape! 13th Hour a rating of 8/10 for its technical prowess and ability to shock.

Has to be seen to be believed

[fertilecelluloid · 8/10 · 28 February 2006]

Another impactful Japanese thriller from Yasaharu Hasebe, this mean-spirited rape/revenge flick pushed the sexual violence boundaries so far (even for Nikkatsu) that that they voluntarily put the brakes on the genre. However, it was briefly revived ten years later by Ohara's "Zoom Up: Rape Site". In this exercise in grimy nihilism, a rapist named 'Crimson' stalks and rapes a dancer with the help of an "apprentice". A final assault scene in an empty swimming pool (of a male) has to be seen to be believed, and echoes the homosexual biker rape in the same director's incendiary "Raping!". The blood and guts quotient is high and, technically, this is the most straightforward installment (stylistically) of the bunch, but is a confronting, unique pleasure.

Violent pink mastery from Hasebe

[Bloodwank · 8/10 · 1 September 2011]

Watching Rape! 13th Hour, I was truly shocked and appalled that it wasn't a serious minded and compassionate treatment of the disturbing subject of sexual violation. Actually I'm lying, it was top entertainment. Sometimes the diktats of morality, social responsibility and the like are nothing but a drear suffocation upon the soul, and Rape 13th Hour slices through them to blissful effect, smile on its face all the while. The plot is scant, we follow a young gas station attendant who falls under the wing of the suave and well dressed Crimson, a gentleman committed to the pursuit of rape. Together they rape various lovely young women, the while watched by a trio of gay vigilantes whose attentions lead to a shockingly aggressive finale. This is only the second film I've seen from Yasuharu Hasebe and probably the better of the two (the first being Attacked!), albeit slightly lacking in the same substance. But with such dedication to showing its two heroes on their spree without conscience or mercy, who needs thematic weight? The film is quite simply shameless, it cares not for victims in any fashion beyond their beautiful bodies, indeed the reaction of one rapee seems to outright mock the conventional wisdom regarding such things, instead appealing directly to sexual fantasy. Having more or less discarded the notion of victimisation or indeed morality outright, the focus is on Crimson and his pal, treating their exploits as hardly anything out of the ordinary, often attractive and even amusing. Crimson comes across as a rape flavoured equivalent of any number of engaging amoral heroes of Japanese cult cinema, as played by Akira Takahashi in a natty red leather jacket he exudes laconic cool, whilst the young gas station attendant is seduced immediately into the joys of rape and is charmingly portrayed by Yudai Ishiyama as an enthusiastic novice with a great new hobby. As far as the women go, only Yuri Yamashina stands out as a ballerina, first and last rapee and something of a catalyst, she suits the abuse well. Hasebe directs with flair, rapes carry a cruelly erotic charge, the violence is brutal and frenetic and there are some nifty visuals including a funny stop/start woodland chase, evocative sheet tearing and great use of feathers in the final scene. Nice scoring too, classical and baroque stuff with Swan Lake making a memorable appearance. All in all this one was a real winner, though it should be noted both that it is arguably highly offencive and that as far as the nastier minded pinkus go this is relatively tame (though plenty arousing for ambush love enthusiasts). Still bags of fun with solid rewatch value though, 8/10 from me.