A Snake Of June Review 2002 Japan

This is what 50 Shades of Grey wishes it was

Third Window Films is the one of the leading distributors in Asian Cinema in the UK. Some of their greatest releases have been the Shinya Tsukamoto Blu-rays. Some of which haven't been released anywhere else in the world in High Definition. And even better, Tsukamoto works with Third Window Films and supervises the brand new digital restorations.

Most people will have heard of or seen Tetsuo The Iron Man. Well if you have seen Tetsuo you will know exactly how wild amd strange a Tsukamoto film can be. Well, you haven't seen anything yet!

Rinko (Asuka Kurosawa from Cold Fish) and Shigehiko (novelist Yuji Kotari) are a strange couple, whose physical mismatch (she a lithe beauty, he an overweight, balding, obsessive-compulsive neurotic) is reflected in the complete lack of intimacy between them. They connect as human beings, but they live more like friends than as lovers and lead nearly independent lives. Both seem comfortable with this coexistence, but the desires that lurk beneath its surface are brought out with the introduction of a third element into the equation. When Rinko receives a package of candid photographs of herself masturbating and the sender (played by Tsukamoto himself) contacts her with the threat of exposing them to her husband, she submits herself to the anonymous voyeur's sexual games. If she wishes to get hold of all the negatives and prints, Rinko is to comply with a set of assignments that place her constantly on the borderline between humiliation and pleasure - the voyeur knows exactly what Rinko's personal erotic fantasies are and makes her act them out one by one. (Taken from Amazon.co.uk)

Japanese auteur Shinya Tsukamoto delivers a stunning, thought provoking, erotic thriller... Unlike anything you have ever seen. This is what 50 Shades of Grey wishes it was.

 50 Shades of Blu

A Snake Of June really looks stunning on Blu-ray, I can't emphasize that enough. The blue tint monochrome filter gives the film original and stand out cinematography. It is beautiful to look at! This film has only been released on DVD for years, so it's great to see it finally get the treatment it deserves. Restored video, audio, and some great special features.

There is a highly informative and interesting audio commentary with Tom Mes who is an acclaimed writer on Japanese cinema. This is a great insight in to the film and director Tsukamoto. There is also a brand new sit down interview with the director himself.

Another fantastic release for Third Window Films. A must have for Japanese cinema collections.

8/10

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