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Jigoku (film)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox film

| name = Jigoku

| image = Jigokuposter.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Promotional release poster

| native_name =

| director = Nobuo Nakagawa

| producer = Mitsugu Okura

| writer =

| screenplay =

| story =

| based_on =

| starring = Utako Mitsuya

| music = Chumei Watanabe

| cinematography = Mamoru Morita

| editing = Toshio Goto

| studio = Shintoho

| distributor =

| released =

| runtime = 100 minutes

| country = Japan

| language =

| budget =

| gross =

}}

, also titled 'The Sinners of Hell', is a 1960 Japanese horror film directed by Nobuo Nakagawa and produced by Shintoho. The film stars Utako Mitsuya and Shigeru Amachi, and is notable for separating itself from other Japanese horror films of the era such as 'Kwaidan' or 'Onibaba' due to its graphic imagery of torment in Hell. It has gained a cult film status. Shintoho declared bankruptcy in 1961, its last production being 'Jigoku'.

Plot



A student, Shir, is set to marry his girlfriend, Yukiko, the daughter of his professor, Mr. Yajima. After announcing the engagement, Shir's colleague Tamura drives Shir home. Taking a side street at Shir's request, Tamura hits and kills yakuza gang leader, Kyichi. Though Shir wants to stop, Tamura keeps driving, feels no guilt and says that it is Shir's fault for asking him to drive down that street. Kyichi's mother, who witnessed the incident, resolves to find and kill them.

Though Tamura feels no guilt for the murder, Shir does and attempts to go to the police. After telling Yukiko of what happened, Shir insists that they take a taxi cab to the police station, despite Yukiko's pleas to walk instead. The vehicle crashes, killing Yukiko. After Yukiko's funeral, Shir meets strip bar worker and Kyichi's grieving girlfriend Yoko, who discovers Shir's culpability for the hit-and-run after sleeping with him and, with Kyichi's mother, plots revenge.

Shir learns that his mother, Ito, who lives in a retirement community run by his father, Gz, is dying. Shir arrives there and meets the other residents of the community, including a painter, Ensai, who is wanted for a crime in another city and is painting a portrait of Hell; a former reporter, Akagawa; a corrupt detective, Hariya; the community doctor, Dr. Kasuma; and Sachiko, a nurse and Ensai's daughter, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Yukiko. While Ito lies dying, Gz carries on an open affair with a mistress. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Yajima arrive by train. Ito dies, and Ensai (who was Ito's lover years prior to Ito and Gz's marriage) lambasts Gz for his activities with his mistress. Tamura appears and reveals that each resident has some complicity in a murder: Mr. Yajima caused the death of a fellow soldier during a war; both Hariya and Akagawa framed or slandered innocent men who then both died by suicide; and Dr. Kasuma knowingly misdiagnosed Ito's condition.

Yoko tracks Shir down and meets with him on a rope bridge. She reveals her identity and attempts to shoot him, but trips and falls to her death. Tamura appears, and after a struggle, Tamura also falls into the gorge. Shir returns in time for the community's tenth anniversary party, where Gz has allowed cheap, rancid fish to be served to the residents. As the partiers descend into insobriety, Mr. and Mrs. Yajima kill themselves by leaping in front of a train, and Gz's mistress falls to her death after an altercation. The residents die from consuming the tainted fish, and Kyichi's mother poisons the remaining residents' wine, killing them. Tamura, near death, stumbles into the party and shoots Sachiko. Enraged, Shiro strangles Tamura to death while Kyoichi's mother does the same to him.

In Limbo, Shir encounters Yukiko, who reveals that she was pregnant with their child when she died. Having sent the baby girl, whom she names Harumi, floating away on the Sanzu River, Yukiko begs Shir to save the child. Shir enters Hell and is sentenced to punishment by Lord Enma for his sins. While searching for his daughter in Hell, Shir witnesses those from his life suffering for their wrongdoingsbeing boiled and burned, flayed, or dismembered and beaten by 'oni', only to be revived to suffer anew. Tamura taunts Shir, saying there is no escape from Hell, before Tamura himself is tortured for his misdeeds. Shir finds Sachiko, but their reunion is interrupted by Ito, who reveals that Sachiko is his sister: Shir is actually Ensai's son, and Sachiko is actually Ito's daughter. While caught in a vortex of damned souls, Shir finds his baby daughter helplessly rotating on a large wheel. Lord Enma gives Shir one chance to save his daughter, otherwise she too will suffer eternally. As Yukiko, Sachiko, and his mother call to him, Shir leaps onto the wheel, but cannot reach his daughter.

In the realm of the living, everyone at the party is dead, including Ensai, who has hanged himself after completing his portrait of Hell and setting it on fire. Elsewhere, both Sachiko and Yukiko are seen standing and smiling, calling to Shir as sister and lover, respectively, with lotus petals falling around them, implying that Shir has success in saving his daughter, enabling the souls Sachiko, Yukiko and Shir to be purified to go to Heaven.

Cast



* Shigeru Amachi as Shir Shimizu, a young student who suffers guilt from his involvement in a hit-and-run on the night of his engagement to his girlfriend.

* Yichi Numata as Tamura, Shir's classmate, who inexplicably knows everyone's sinful past, and was driving the car during the hit and run.

* Utako Mitsuya in a dual role as:

** Yukiko Yajima, Shir's loving girlfriend.

** Sachiko Taniguchi, a young nurse who looks uncannily like Yukiko, and the daughter of a disgraced painter at a retirement community.

* Hiroshi Izumida as Kyichi "Tiger" Shiga, a drunken gangster hit and left for dead by Tamura and Shir.

* Kiyoko Tsuji as Kyichi's mother, who witnesses the accident and vows revenge.

* Akiko Ono as Yoko, Kyichi's girlfriend who swears revenge on Shir with Kyichi's Mother.

* Hiroshi Hayashi as Gz Shimizu, Shir's lecherous and greedy father who runs a dilapidated retirement center.

* Kimie Tokudaij as Ito Shimizu, Shir's sickly mother.

* Jun tomo as Ensai Taniguchi, an alcoholic painter, who is father to Sachiko. He is commissioned to paint a depiction of Hell.

* Akiko Yamashita as Kinuko, Gz's shameless mistress.

* Torahiko Nakamura as Professor Yajima, Shir's teacher and father to Yukiko.

* Fumiko Miyata as Mrs. Yajima, Yukiko's fragile mother.

* Tomohiko tani as Dr. Kusama, a negligent doctor of the retirement community.

* Kichi Miya as Journalist Akagawa, a resident of the community with a soiled past.

* Hiroshi Shinguji (as Hiroshi Shingji) as Detective Hariya, a corrupt detective who threatens to turn Ensai in unless he gives Sachiko to him for marriage.

* Sakutar Yamakawa as the Fisherman

* Kanjr Arashi (uncredited) as Lord Enma, the King of Hell

Production



Nobuo Nakagawa asked Ichir Miyagawa to write the script, which was originally supposed to be called 'Heaven and Hell', under order of producer Mitsugu Okura. Mitsugu Okura read the script and angrily said to Miyagawa that "Heaven is nowhere to be seen in this script!", to which Miyagawa jokingly replied that he would write about Heaven in the sequel. Actor Yoichi Numata played Tamura in the film, and expressed that he had tried to analyze the role, but couldn't find the best way to play it.

The film was not expected to be well received, as Shintoho studio was considered to be a maker of low-budget, gory films. 'Jigoku' was made in a hurry, and was the last Shintoho production. For the scenes which take place in hell, the cast and crew used Shintoho's largest soundstage and put dirt over it. In a recent documentary, a crew member said that normally it would be just the crew helping to build the sets, but because it was Shintoho's last production, all the extras were helping. Mamoru Morita said that Nobuo Nakagawa tried in many ways to make 'Jigoku' different from other horror films from the time.

Release



'Jigoku' was theatrically released in Japan on July 30, 1960.

Home media

The film was released on DVD in North America from the Criterion Collection on September 19, 2006.

Reception



Later reception

Later reviews of the film have been more positive, with many critics now recognizing it as a cornerstone for Nakagawas career.

Dennis Schwartz from 'Ozus' World Movie Reviews' awarded the film a grade "A", calling it "[a] disquieting morality tale based upon the Buddhist concept of an afterlife". Schwartz praised the film's performances, and visuals which he felt 'acted as a lurid study of sin without salvation'.

In an essay for the Criterion Collection, Chuck Stephens wrote, "Overflowing with brackish ponds of bubbling pus, brain-rattling disjunctions of sound and image, and at times almost dauntingly incomprehensible plot twists and eye-assaulting bouts of brutish montage, 'Jigoku' is more than merely a boundary-pummeling classic of the horror genreits as lurid a study of sin without salvation as the silver screen has ever seen."

Brett Gallman from 'Oh, the Horror!' praised the film, calling it "a masterpiece in visual and abstract horror". Gallman praised the film's performances, eerie score, Nakagawas direction, and "vivid color palette". 'HorrorNews.net' stated in their review of the film that, "Although this film contains effects that are outdated by modern standards, it is a very powerful story that is based upon the Buddhist belief that sins are atoned for in the afterlife."

The film has developed a cult following over the years and is now considered a cult classic.

Legacy



In 1979, the acclaimed Nikkatsu Roman Porno director Tatsumi Kumashiro remade 'Jigoku' for Toei.

References



Sources



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