Shabondama Elegy (1999)

A man condemned to death and on the run has a last intense sexual relationship with a porn actress.

Director:

Aryan Kaganof (as Ian Kerkhof)

Writer:

Aryan Kaganof (as Ian Kerkhof)

Stars:

Thom Hoffman, Mai Hoshino, Kiyomi Itô

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thom Hoffman	...	Jack
Mai Hoshino	...	Keiko
Kiyomi Itô	...	Reiko (as Kiyomi Ito)
Yoji Tanaka	...	Yakuza Boss (as Yohji Tanaka)
Hisayasu Satô	...	Detective (as Hisayasu Sato)
Tôru Kamei	...	Pizza Delivery (as Toru Kamei)
Tomoyuki Yamazaki	...	Daddy (as Thomoyuki Yamazaki)
Hiroshi	...	Bodyguard
Kozo Matsumoto	...	Psychiatrist (as Kozo Mashumoto)
Terunori Miyazaki	...	Hit man
Yuuji Kitano	...	Pornographer (as Yuji Kitano)
Nozomi Shitara	...	Keiko as little girl (as Nozomi Shidara)
Hidenori Ina	...	Policeman
Akihiro Suzuki	...	Policeman
Kazunao Sakaguchi	...	Koan agent

Storyline

Escaping from the Japanese police, Jack stumbles into a bar, where he meets Keiko, a money-hungry 20-year-old adult film actress and the younger sister of his ex-wife. He takes refuge in her flat and soon they fall in love. He is unable to leave her apartment because he quickly learns that both the police and the dreaded yakuza are after him. He grows distraught and despondent, spending hour upon hour alone as she works long hours on the set. At one point, she visits the yakuza don who placed the hit on Jack and agrees to hand him over in exchange for a pile of cash. But she has one stipulation: she wants spend three days with her soon-to-be deceased lover. The boss agrees only if she engages in kinky sex with him. The deal seems set until unforeseen events occur.

---

Plot Keywords:

unsimulated blow job | female full rear nudity | erect penis | brother in law sister in law sex | female full frontal nudity | 

---

Genres:

Romance | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Alternate Versions

When finally released in Japan in 2004, optical blurring was applied to genitalia in explicit scenes, as is common in Japanese Adult Video.

---

Connections

Features Fingered (1988)

---

Soundtracks

Seven Shells
from Lipstick, Lies & Gasoline
Performed by Fred Eaglesmith
Written by Fred Eaglesmith
(P) 1997 Bash music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Razor & Tie Entertainment LLC

User Reviews

A visceral challenge to your psyche!

This is an intensely provocative experiment filled with avant-garde tone, wacky black humor, philosophical conversations, perverse behaviour, and plenty more bizarre sequences. It is artistically extreme which will evoke a love it or hate it feeling. It is set in Tokyo and portrays a bizarre real/reel life relationship of Jack, a convict on the run from the Yakuza and police. Under pressure, with only few days left to live, Jack moves in with Keiko, a porn star with a mysterious abusive past. They begin a relationship that pushes boundaries to extreme limits and conditions. There's no point in telling the plot further as it gets more bizarre and kinkier with a pinch of Christopher Doyle (Cinematographer of Wong Kar-Wai) like settings and camera work. Aryan Kaganof succeeds in creating a disorientating atmosphere and he maintains it from the opening credits featuring a cameo appearance by exploitation legend Hisayasu Satô's till the climax of the film. Like I said in the start, there is no middle ground and there is no room to fit this or call this "Okay" experience. Decent performance, mental direction, crazy soundtrack, and a plot that weaves into itself to get graphic and upsetting. This is not an easy watch, but I would recommend to those who have a strong stomach for twisted cinema and respect an acute vision, do not skip this piece of experiMENTAL piece of filmmaking.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Netherlands Japan

Language:

Dutch Japanese English

Release Date:

9 September 1999 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Tokyo Elegy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kuki, Stance Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1