Trailers
Description
Otsuya, the daughter of a rich merchant, elopes with her lover Shinsuke, an employee of her father's. During their flight, Otsuya's beauty attracts the gaze of Seikichi, a mysterious master tattooist who sees her pristine white skin as the perfect canvas for his art. The image of the large demonic spider that he emblazons across Otsuya's back marks her as the property of another man, radically altering her relationships with all around her as her personality seems to transform under its influence.
Starring
Key opinion
Yasuzo Masumura’s adaptation of Tanizaki’s work is recognized as a visually striking but narratively thin exploration of the femme fatale archetype. While the film is praised for its commitment to a brutal, violent aesthetic, critics find it limited by underdeveloped character work and a departure from the literary depth of the source material.
| Originality | The film functions as a bold, visually driven fable that prioritizes aesthetic impact over psychological exploration. | |
| Acting | Ayako Wakao delivers a vivid, powerful performance that anchors the film’s focus on the heroine's transformation. | |
| Adaptation | The narrative significantly alters the original short story, replacing literary abstraction with a more literal and expanded plot. | |
| Screenplay | The storytelling suffers from a lack of dramatic depth, with underdeveloped character backstories and a rigid focus that makes the film feel like a primitive fable. | |
| Direction | The director's approach is divisive; some find the focus on violence and fate effective, while others view the unnatural restraint as a limitation that makes the film feel dated. |