IMDb > Irezumi (1966)

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   187 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Yasuzo Masumura

Writers:

Kaneto Shindô (writer)
Junichirô Tanizaki (novel)

Contact:

View company contact information for Irezumi on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

15 January 1966 (Japan) more

Genre:

Drama more

User Comments:

Lady Revenge more (5 total)


Cast

  (Credited cast)
Ayako Wakao ... Otsuya
Akio Hasegawa ... Shinsuke
Gaku Yamamoto ... Tattoo artist Seikichi
Kei Satô ... Hatamoto Serizawa
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Reiko Fujiwara ... Otaki
Kikue Môri ... Shinsuke's mother
Fujio Suga ... Kenji
Asao Uchida ... Tokubei
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 15 people found the following comment useful.
Lady Revenge, 27 August 2006
8/10
Author: GrandeMarguerite from Lille, France

"Irezumi" (which means "tattoo" in Japanese) is an erotic costume film from one of the bad boys of '60s Japanese cinema. Director Masumura used a full palette of primary colors (with very vivid reds) to tell us about the story of Otsuya, a beautiful young woman from a middle-class merchant family who is abducted into geisha work, and who catches one day the eye of Seikichi, a tattoo master who marks her back with a huge, monstrous spider. From that moment on, Otsuya will take her revenge with every man who shared her bed.

If you have an appetite for perverse stories, try this one. To play Otsuya, Masumura used beautiful actress Ayako Wakao, best remembered in the West for her part in Mizoguchi's "Street of Shame" (1956), where she was Yasumi, the cold-hearted and money-greedy prostitute. She inspired Masumura throughout the '60s, and "Irezumi" is one of their best collaborations. Adapted to the screen by Kaneto Shindo (the internationally acclaimed director of "The Naked Island" and "Onibaba"), the script goes far beyond Junichiro Tanizaki's original short story. In Tanizaki's work, a sadistic tattoo artist searches for his ultimate canvas, a beautiful girl, to create his masterpiece. The girl is innocent until the tattooer finishes "pouring his soul" into her tattoo, which represents a huge tarantula (it is better to know that "tarantula" in Japanese is "jorôgumo" and "jorô" stands for "prostitute", as both attract men to suck their blood). She becomes thus the "femme fatale" of his dreams. In "Irezumi", we never know if Otsuya is evil by nature or if the tattoo is the cause of her misconduct and bad manners, and that's the most fascinating aspect of the film. As it is a "pinku eiga" of the '60s, don't expect graphic sexual scenes but highly suggestive shots (which are more than enough) and enjoy this shameless film. As for me, I still haven't decided yet whether it is a misogynous film or its complete opposite. And what about the spider ? It's a... uh, very special piece of art.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (5 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Irezumi (1966)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Yabu no naka no kuroneko The Pillow Book Furyô anego den: Inoshika Ochô In Cold Blood Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Drama section IMDb Japan section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.