Jokôsei: tenshi no harawata (1978)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Chusei Sone

Writers:

Toshiharu Ikeda (screenplay)
Takashi Ishii (manga series Tenshi no harawata)

Release Date:

22 July 1978 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Brother Sister Relationship | Knife | Rape Scene | Japanese Schoolgirl

Cast

Tatsuma Higuchi	...	Sadakuni
Tsutomu Hori		(as Ben Hori)
Shin Kagayama
Kenji Kasai	...	Kajima
Megu Kawashima	...	Megu, Tetsurô's sister
Ken Kazama
Kazuyuki Komiya
Maya Kudou		(as Maya Kudô)
Toshihiko Oda
Machiko Ohtani	...	Nami Tsuchiya
Ryuusaku Shinsui	...	Police Detective A
Sanshô Shinsui	...	Tetsurô Kawashima (as Sanshô Shinsui)
Yoshimasa Tôma
Tokuko Watanabe
Tomoko Yamanoue
Hiroyasu Yoshida	...	Police Detective B

Also Known As:

Angel Guts: High School Coed (USA) (DVD title)
Tenshi no harawata 1 (Japan) (series title)

Runtime:

Japan:79 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Nikkatsu

Movie Connections:

Followed by Tenshi no harawata: Akai inga (1981)

Disturbing, thought provoking and excellent

It is becoming clear that all around the world about this time films featuring rape were becoming more acceptable. The degree to how explicit depending perhaps more on a particular country's censorship laws or whether the film was intended for mainstream audiences rather than on any particular national differences. Here, of course, any hint of pubic hair is blocked by a leaning motorcycle or image fogging. It is suggested that Japanese movies of this time may have become far more sexually violent than some because a simple sex film without showing any of the genital area left audiences a little bored. With it's origins in manga, this is the first of a series and features rape from the opening frames. Three bikers spend their time riding, laughing, paying their dues to the jakuza and seeking out rape. At least two of them do, there seems to be a suggestion that one of them is gay but this is passed over in the action. Extremely well shot, believable dialogue and fast moving. A little confusing now and again and a rather oblique ending but I seem to have said this before about Japanese films so it seems to go with the territory. Certainly the Japanese seem not to have much notion of the Western idea of how a film should finish leaving the customer smiling etc. Disturbing, thought provoking and excellent