Tokyo Decadence (1992) Topâzu (original title)

Director:

Ryû Murakami

Writers:

Ryû Murakami (book)
Ryû Murakami (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Erotic sex or dangerous fantasy?

Plot:

A submissive hooker goes about her trade, suffering abuse at the hands of Japanese salarymen and Yakuza types...

Plot Keywords:

Yakuza | Black Bra | Female Nudity | Strap On Dildo | Blindfold

Cast

Miho Nikaido	...	Ai
Sayoko Amano
Tenmei Kano
Kan Mikami
Masahiko Shimada	...	Mr. Ishioka (Mr. Satoh)
Yayoi Kusama
Chie Sema
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hiroshi Mikami	...	Young Client (uncredited)

Directed by
Ryû Murakami

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ryû Murakami		book
Ryû Murakami		screenplay

Produced by
Chosei Funahara	....	producer
Tadanobu Hirao	....	producer: JVD/Jei Bui Dii
Yousuke Nagata	....	producer
Akiuh Suzuki	....	producer
Hank Blumenthal	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ryûichi Sakamoto

Cinematography by
Tadashi Aoki

Film Editing by
Kazuki Katashima

Other crew
Peter Fernandez	....	voice director: English version
Michael Charles Hill	....	distribution and marketing coordinator
Tom Hughes	....	translator
Masahiro Yoshikawa	....	translator

Production Companies

• Cinemabrain
• Japan Video Distribution (JVD) Co. Ltd.
• Melsat Inc.
• Ryu Murakami Office

Distributors

• Films sans Frontières (France) (theatrical)
• América Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Another World Entertainment (2007) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Cinema Epoch (2008) (USA) (all media)
• Firebox (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Northern Arts Entertainment (1993) (USA) (subtitled)
• SBP (Argentina) (video)
• Transmission Films Ltd. (2002) (worldwide) (internet)
• Triboro Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Topâzu" - Japan (original title)
"Sex Dreams of Topaz" - Hong Kong (English title) (X-rated version)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for strong, explicit, sado-masochistic sexuality

Runtime:

135 min | USA:112 min | Italy:92 min (heavily cut) | Germany:85 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM18 | South Korea:18 (re-rating) (cut) | South Korea:Limited (original rating) | Finland:K-18 (self applied) (2007) | Argentina:18 | Australia:(Banned) | Canada:R | France:-16 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Cinemabrain

Quotes:

Mr. Ishioka:Bend down, your face means nothing to me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dark Angel: Boo (#2.5)" (2001)

subtlety is the power of this film!

Most films dealing with prostitution that I've seen have been very straight forward. In other words, the characters have been very loud, and to the point about what's going on in their heads. However, the lead character in Tokyo Decadence comes out differently than you might expect . In most films that portray prostitution as a hard and unsettling life, ( Whore, Leaving Las Vegas...) the main character is trying real hard to act like they enjoy what they're doing. But in Tokyo Decadence, it's quite the contrary, the lead character hardly says a word through the whole film. But you still learn so much from her expressions and way of dealing with the many different wack-job clients she has. (These include dominatrix, sadists, and necrophiles to name a few.) This is the first film like this where I've actually felt sympathy for the main character. She obviously has big dreams, presses forward to improve her situation in life constantly, only to be brought down by the degrating clientel she encounters every night. Overall, the acting is superb! As far as story is concerned, there is a serious lack of information given toward the middle of the movie. She keeps carrying around a picture of her with this guy, even going as far as buying expensive jewelry as good luck charms to get him back, ....but we don't know who he is, how she knows him, ..nothing. But despite, minor holes in the plot, the film never loses sight of the point it's trying to make. And as I said, subtlety is what makes this film powerful. It's what the characters aren't saying and showing that brings you closer to the film. One last note, the film DOES live up to it's NC-17 rating. But then again, most asian films do.