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IMDbPro

Shabondama Elegy

  • 19991999
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
4.2/10
238
YOUR RATING
Shabondama Elegy (1999)
  • Romance
  • Thriller
A man condemned to death and on the run has a last intense sexual relationship with a porn actress.A man condemned to death and on the run has a last intense sexual relationship with a porn actress.A man condemned to death and on the run has a last intense sexual relationship with a porn actress.
IMDb RATING
4.2/10
238
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Aryan Kaganof
  • Writer
    • Aryan Kaganof
  • Stars
    • Thom Hoffman
    • Mai Hoshino
    • Kiyomi Itô
Top credits
  • Director
    • Aryan Kaganof
  • Writer
    • Aryan Kaganof
  • Stars
    • Thom Hoffman
    • Mai Hoshino
    • Kiyomi Itô
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos

    Shabondama Elegy (1999)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Thom Hoffman
    Thom Hoffman
    • Jackas Jack
    Mai Hoshino
    • Keikoas Keiko
    Kiyomi Itô
    • Reikoas Reiko
    • (as Kiyomi Ito)
    Yôji Tanaka
    • Yakuza Bossas Yakuza Boss
    • (as Yohji Tanaka)
    Hisayasu Satô
    Hisayasu Satô
    • Detectiveas Detective
    • (as Hisayasu Sato)
    Tôru Kamei
    • Pizza Deliveryas Pizza Delivery
    • (as Toru Kamei)
    Tomoyuki Yamazaki
    • Daddyas Daddy
    • (as Thomoyuki Yamazaki)
    Hiroshi
    • Bodyguardas Bodyguard
    Kozo Matsumoto
    • Psychiatristas Psychiatrist
    • (as Kozo Mashumoto)
    Terunori Miyazaki
    • Hit manas Hit man
    Yuuji Kitano
    • Pornographeras Pornographer
    • (as Yuji Kitano)
    Nozomi Shitara
    • Keiko as little girlas Keiko as little girl
    • (as Nozomi Shidara)
    Hidenori Ina
    • Policemanas Policeman
    Akihiro Suzuki
    • Policemanas Policeman
    Kazunao Sakaguchi
    • Koan agentas Koan agent
    Mai Itô
    • Candle artistas Candle artist
    • (as Mai Ito)
    Masahiro Shinohara
    • Bassistas Bassist
    Hideaki Sasaki
    • Stretcher beareras Stretcher bearer
    • Director
      • Aryan Kaganof
    • Writer
      • Aryan Kaganof
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • 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
      Water In The Fuel
      from Lipstick, Lies & Gasoline

      Performed by Fred Eaglesmith

      Written by Fred Eaglesmith

      (P) 1997 Bash music (ASCAP)

      Courtesy of Razor & Tie Entertainment LLC

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    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.
    helpful•0
    0
    • samxxxul
    • Nov 27, 2020

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 9, 1999 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • Netherlands
      • Japan
    • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • Dutch
      • Japanese
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tokyo Elegy
    • Production companies
      • Kuki
      • Stance Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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