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6.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Shunkinsho: Okoto to Sasuke remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like stories where people are fundamentally broken in ways that don't get 'fixed' by a happy ending, then yes. It's for the crowd that likes classic melodrama with a sharp, jagged edge. If you prefer your romances to be sweet or straightforward, stay far away.
The whole thing feels like it’s vibrating on a weird frequency. It’s not just a love story, it’s a study in how much pain two people can inflict on each other while calling it 'devotion.'
There’s this moment where Sasuke just stares at Okoto, and the air in the room feels thick, almost like you can’t breathe. It’s not subtle. It’s not trying to be. It’s like watching someone hold a lit match under their own skin just to feel something.
The pacing is… well, it’s not for the TikTok generation. It takes its sweet time getting to the parts that will make your stomach turn. When the disfigurement finally happens, the movie doesn't look away, and neither do you. It’s brutal.
I couldn't help but think about how different this is from the lighter fare like Peggy's Putters. It’s not trying to charm you. It’s trying to haunt you.
There’s a scene about halfway through where a servant is just… standing in the background. Doing nothing. For like, a full minute. It’s distracting, but it adds this weird, grounded quality to the house. Like real life, where people are just loitering while drama explodes in the next room.
Some of the acting feels a bit stagey, especially compared to the grit of The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, but it works here. The melodrama needs that extra push. It’s almost operatic in its misery.
I don't know if I liked watching it. But I definitely couldn't stop. It’s one of those films that leaves a weird film over your brain for a few hours afterward. 👁️