Review: Blind Beast
Blu-ray: Blind Beast (1969)
Adapted from a short story by Rampo Edogawa, Blind Beast is a Japanese erotic horror story that delves ever deeper into the human psyche, culminating in a finale that will linger long in your memory.
Aki (Mako Midori) is an artists model who is kidnapped by blind sculptor Michio (Eiji Funakoshi) and his mother (Noriko Sengoku), with the intention of Michio using her as his model to create the perfect sculpture.
Trapped in a large dimly lit warehouse decorated with the sculpts of oversized human parts (eyes, mouths, legs, breasts, etc), Aki’s early attempts to escape are thwarted and she reluctantly comes to terms with being trapped there until Michio completes his work.
As her time in the warehouse becomes ever longer, Aki seems to start showing signs of Stockholm syndrome, but these early feelings towards her captor are just the beginning of a dark emotional and physical journey for her and Michio. One which has an ending that neither can avoid.
Director/screenwriter Yasuzô Masumura shows us a microcosm of humanity where all feelings, both emotional and physical, have been diluted down to the pure ecstasy of touch and the effect it has on ones psyche.
Mako Midori and Eiji Funakoshi are captivating as the 2 lead actors, pulling you into their world and leaving you in a constant state of astonishment as their actions spiral ever more out of control. All of this playing out in one of the most bizarre sets ever put onto film.
This is definitely one of those movies to go into knowing as little as possible, hence why I shall give no more away about it. Suffice it to say, once the end credits have rolled, the actions preceding them will be locked into your mind for a very long time.
Visually captivating, narratively fascinating, Blind Beast is a movie that must be seen.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new audio commentary by Asian cinema scholar Earl Jackson
- Newly filmed introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns
- Blind Beast: Masumura the Supersensualist, a brand new visual essay by Japanese literature and visual studies scholar Seth Jacobowitz
- Original Trailer
- Image Gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing by Virginie Sélavy.
Blind Beast is released 23rd August 2021.
Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Arrow Films via Fetch Publicity.