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Shogun's Joy of Torture
徳川女刑罰史
1968 96 min Japan 18+
★6.7
Horror, Drama
Director: Teruo Ishii
Trailers
Description
A young magistrate recalls three tales of heinous crimes committed by women, and the brutal punishments that ensued.
Starring
Teruo Yoshida
Actor
Masumi Tachibana
Actor
Fumio Watanabe
Actor
Key opinion
This film functions more as a series of melodramatic historical vignettes than a traditional horror feature. While the performances effectively anchor the character-driven segments, the overall narrative lacks the substance to leave a lasting impact.
| Acting | The lead actors, particularly those portraying the Shogun and the tattoo artist, deliver compelling performances that effectively convey psychological instability. | |
| Originality | The film prioritizes lyrical melodrama and character-focused storytelling over visceral horror, rendering the titular torture scenes secondary to the plot. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography is technically proficient but suffers from cramped framing that struggles to effectively manage the spatial composition of scenes. | |
| Screenplay | Viewers are split on the narrative quality: some appreciate the unique structure of the historical vignettes, while others find the film to be hollow and lacking in substance. |