Flower and Snake (花と蛇 - Hana to Hebi) (1974) is a Japanese soft-core S/M film starring Naomi Tani, directed by Masaru Konuma and produced by Nikkatsu.
| Flower and Snake | |
|---|---|
 Poster to the Nikkatsu Roman porno film, Flower and Snake | |
| Directed by | Masaru Konuma |
| Written by | Oniroku Dan (novel) Yôzô Tanaka |
| Starring | Naomi Tani Nagatoshi Sakamoto |
| Cinematography | Shohei Ando |
| Music by | Riichiro Manabe |
| Distributed by | Nikkatsu |
Release dates | June 22, 1974 (Japan) |
Running time | 74 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Background
Based on a novel by Dan Oniroku (b. 1931), Japan's best-known author of S&M fiction, Flower and Snake was the first of Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno films to deal with an S&M theme. Together with the later Wife to be Sacrificed (also 1974, and starring the same female and male leads) this film is credited with starting the S&M Roman Porno series which helped save Nikkatsu from collapse during the 1970s. [1]
Synopsis
Naomi Tani plays the role of Shizuka, the aristocratic wife of the president of a large company. When she wants to divorce her domineering husband, he orders his employee Yoshi, the son of an adult toy store owner, to train his wife to become sexually submissive. Makoto has been rendered impotent due to a childhood trauma resulting from his killing a black American soldier who had been having sexual relations with his mother. During the course of his training of the masochist Shizuka, Yoshi recovers from his affliction. [2]
Critical appraisal
Flower and Snake is considered important more from a historical standpoint than for its artistic merits. The later Wife to be Sacrificed is more highly-regarded by the critics. Dan Oniroku was not happy with the film, but was able to reconcile with Nikkatsu to continue making many more films from his novels, including Wife to be Sacrificed. Izumi Evers notes that "Nikkatsu's somewhat innocent approach inadvertently adds comedy," but sums up her review of Flower and Snake with, "The heroine, who was masochistically trained by men, was actually controlling them the whole time. To me, despite all the humiliations suffered by heroines like Naomi, this is the fundamental truth behind seventies-era Japanese sex films." [3] The Weisser's call it "Well-made garbage," but add that it is one of the best of Nikkatsu's films in this genre. [4]
References
- ^ Macias, Patrick. (2001). TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion. (Review of Flower and Snake by Izumi Evers). Cadence Books, San Francisco. ISBN 1-56931-681-3, p.183.
- ^ * Macias, p.183.
* Weisser, Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser. (1998). Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. Miami. (ISBN 1889288527), p.155.
* Hana to Hebi Plot Synopsis at All Movie Guide - ^ Macias, p.183.
- ^ Weisser, p.155
Sources
- Macias, Patrick. (2001). TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion. (Review of Flower and Snake by Izumi Evers). Cadence Books, San Francisco. ISBN 1-56931-681-3, p.183.
- Weisser, Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser. (1998). Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. Miami. (ISBN 1889288527), p.155.
External links
- Hana to hebi at IMDb