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Akai Tenshi
Red Angel
Japan 1966
produced by
Ikuo Kubodera for Daiei
directed by Yasuzo Masumura
starring Ayako Wakao, Shinsuke Ashida, Yusuke Kawazu, Ranko Akagi, Jotaro Senba, Daihachi Kita, Jun Osanai, Daigo Inoue, Takashi Nakamura, Kenichi Tani, Kisao Tobita, Naomasa Kawashima, Ayako Ikegami, Kyosuke Shiho, Shin Minatsu, Ken Nakahara, Shinji Sayama, Kenji Ohba, Takehiko Goto, Yasuo Araki, Keiichiro Yamane, Masaki Nando, Ikuji Oka, Isamu Saeki, Saburo Shinoda, Mitsuko Takesato, Wakayo Matsumura, Keiko Arijima, Michiko Masugi, Junko Ichijo, Chikako Fujino, Yoshimi Oki, Hiroko Nishi, Chiduru Ko, Takako Onishi, Yaeko Nakagawa, Reiko Kasahara, Yukiko Tsuyama, Michiko Sudo, Masako Mizuki, Yoko Okada, Keiichi Noda
screenplay by Ryozo Kasahara, based on the novel by Yoriyoshi Arima, music by Sei Ikeno
review by
Mike Haberfelner
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1939: Japanese nurse Nishi (Ayako Wakao) is sent to a field hospital in
China, where she has to treat the wounded - but for some of them, the usual
treatment is not enough, and before long, she is raped by a patient,
private Sakamoto (Jotaro Senba). The next day, Nishi complains
about him and as a result, he is sent back to the frontline, to his death
as he puts it. A few weeks later, Nishi is relocated to a frontline hospital, where
her main function is to keep patients still while head surgeon Okabe
(Shinsuke Ashida) amputates their arms and legs. Eventually, Nishi bumps
into her rapist, Sakamoto, who's hardly alive anymore, and Okabe has
already given up on him. Now Nishi is overcome by guilt as in her mind
it's because of her he's been sent to the front, and thus she persuades
Okabe to try and save his life, even if she has to promise to come to
Okabe's room that night. Sakamoto tries anyhow, but Nishi keeps her
promise to Okabe -
but to her surprise he doesn't demand sex but merely wants someone to
drink with and talk to, and someone who gives him a morphine injection ...
and somehow, Nishi falls in love with Okabe.
Eventually, Nishi is ordered back to the field hospital, where she
meets private Orihara (Yusuke Kawazu), a soldier who has lost his arms but
is not sent back to Japan because seeing armless veterans might turn the
populace against the war. Nishi feels sorry enough for Orihara that she
agrees to
have sex with him ... but the very next day, he commits suicide - and Nishi
feels responsible for his death as well.
Ordered back to the frontline hospital, Nishi finds the
situation has worsened drastically ... but still she has Okabe, who soon also falls in love with her
- but unfortunately he's impotent and addicted to morphine.
When Okabe is transferred to a frontline village, Nishi decides to go
with him out of love - but the village though is worse than anything else since cholera has broken
out among the relief women (the prostitutes reserved for Japanese
soldiers),
so the soldiers also try to rape the nurses. Plus the Chinese are closing
in by the minute. But what's worse Okabe can't get his regular morphine-shot and seems
to gradually go crazy
...
Now this is not an uplifting movie in any sense of the word - and it
hasn't set out to be, it's a strong anti-war film that shows little
interest in heroisms and even winners and losers but puts its focus on the
real terrors of war, which cripples or kills people, turns men into
animals, and women into prey, where lives are intentionally thrown away
for strategic importance. But this isn't a mere message movie, it tells an
engaging story about people who should never be thrown into the situations
they are in, with a focus on storytelling that than messaging, and thanks
to a very impressive directorial effort and a strong cast, the thing comes
to life rather beautifully.
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amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
find Red Angel at adultvideouniverse.com
