Fascinating movie from Yasuzo Masumura. A perverse little story about a headstrong girl tricked into becoming a high class geisha. A crazed tattoo artist puts a stunning spider tattoo on her back and insists it takes over her soul. She relentlessly devours the men in her path - but is it the spider, or is she evil anyway? Or is she gaining just revenge on the men who see her as property? The movie doesn't give answers, but fascinates all the same.
It is by no means perfect as a movie - the characters are not well fleshed out, and the story is excessively melodramatic, even by the standards of the genre. Some of the characters motivations just don't make much sense. But it is superbly shot and staged making it far more than just a cheap exploitation pic. Masumura was a terrific film maker who knew how to make the most of any script, and this one is no exception. Its certainly not the best of his movies, or the among the very best Japanese movies of the period, but it still holds a creepy power and is often beautiful and sensual to watch, so I'd certainly recommend it.
It is by no means perfect as a movie - the characters are not well fleshed out, and the story is excessively melodramatic, even by the standards of the genre. Some of the characters motivations just don't make much sense. But it is superbly shot and staged making it far more than just a cheap exploitation pic. Masumura was a terrific film maker who knew how to make the most of any script, and this one is no exception. Its certainly not the best of his movies, or the among the very best Japanese movies of the period, but it still holds a creepy power and is often beautiful and sensual to watch, so I'd certainly recommend it.