Description
Title: Flower & Snake (2004)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot Synopsis:
Shizuko, a renowned tango dancer, finds herself in a distant marriage with her husband, Tôyama, a businessman entangled in debts to the Yakuza. To settle his obligations, Tôyama agrees to let the gangsters kidnap Shizuko, subjecting her to a series of s&xual ordeals orchestrated by a 95-year-old voyeuristic crime lord. As Shizuko endures these trials, she confronts her own desires and the boundaries of submission and autonomy.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Takashi Ishii
- Writers: Takashi Ishii (screenplay), Oniroku Dan (novel)
- Cast:
- Aya Sugimoto as Shizuko Tôyama
- Renji Ishibashi as Ippei Tashiro
- Ken’ichi Endô as Kanzô Morita
- Misaki Mori as Kyôko Nojima
- Yôzaburô Itô as Clown man
IMDb Link: Flower & Snake (2004)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
-
Outrage – ★★★★☆
“Already been compared to Eyes Wide Shut, so I’m just gonna come out and say that it felt like a p0rn0graphic Mulholland Drive to me! Way better than Konuma’s Flower and Snake; they are not even comparable.” -
Gregor Kreyca – ★★★½☆
“In 1974, director Masaru Konuma made what would become the defining Nikkatsu Roman P0rn0 ‘Hana to hebi’. Released 30 years later, Takashi Ishii’s ‘Flower & Snake’ is a ‘remake’ only in a spiritual and thematic sense. There are quite a few things here that work very well and some that don’t.”
Meta Description:
“Flower & Snake” (2004), directed by Takashi Ishii, is a Japanese drama-thriller that follows Shizuko, a celebrated tango dancer, who becomes ensnared in her husband’s dealings with the Yakuza, leading her into a world of b&ndage and self-discovery.
Title: Flower & Snake II (2005)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi 2: Pari/Shizuko
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
Plot Synopsis:
Shizuko, the young wife of aging art critic Takayoshi Tooyama, is sent to Paris to evaluate the work of Ryoosuke Ikegami, an artist her husband sponsors. In Paris, Shizuko becomes intrigued by Ikegami’s exploration of sad0mas0chism and soon becomes his muse and object of b*ndage. This journey leads her into a shadowy world of wealthy patrons indulging in r0pes, humiliation, and sl@very. As Shizuko delves deeper, she must navigate her desires and the complexities of her relationships.
Cast and Crew:
Director: Takashi Ishii
Writers: Takashi Ishii (screenplay), Oniroku Dan (novel)
Cast:
- Aya Sugimoto as Shizuko Tooyama
- Ken’ichi Endô as Ryoosuke Ikegami
- Fujiko as Sayoko Ikegami
- Mieko Arai as Takako
- Jô Shishido as Takayoshi Tooyama
IMDb Link:
Flower & Snake II (2005)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
-
edil – ★★★★☆
“Aya Sugimoto returns for yet another escapade into an Eyes Wide Shut-themed fever dream filled with sad0mas0chism. The Parisian art scene forms a backdrop for tracing the lines of difference and singularity between art and nudity as they dissolve into an individual’s carnal expression.” -
TheWhiteDoll – ★★½☆☆
“The husband deserves credit for having such a convoluted fantasy. B*DSM and hotwifing surely do not require this many layers of scheming. Impossible not to burst out laughing at the dramatic reveal of the discarded Vi@gr@ packaging.” -
Christian – ★★★½☆
“Immediate boost over Ishii’s first installment by jumping back from digital to film, a medium which he commands with much more confidence. His trademark lens flares/flashbulbs glinting off rain look as good as ever, and if his lighting is a little more muted than usual (heartbreaking lack of neons) it at least benefits another advantage this has over the first one, that the er0tic stuff feels a little more grounded in some kind of reasonable interiority for its characters.”
Meta Description:
“Flower & Snake II” (2005), directed by Takashi Ishii, is a Japanese drama-thriller that follows Shizuko, a young wife drawn into a world of sad0mas0chism and er0tic art in Paris, exploring themes of desire, submission, and the complexities of human relationships.
Title: Flower & Snake 3 (2010)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi 3
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller, Horror
Plot Synopsis:
A ruthless businessman’s adversaries, after being driven out of business, kidnap his wife, Shizuko Toyama, a rising cellist who has returned to Japan from Italy. They subject her to a series of humiliating and torturous acts, training her to become a p0rn star, particularly in the S&M/bondage genre, as a means of revenge. The film explores themes of power, submission, and the dark facets of human desire.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Yusuke Narita
- Writers: Oniroku Dan (novel), Masayoshi Azuma (screenplay)
- Cast:
- Minako Komukai as Shizuko Toyama
- Yasukaze Motomiya as Takayoshi Toyama
- Shōhei Hino as Genichi Onimura (Izawa)
- Mari Komatsuzaki as Kyoko Nojima
- Kei Mizutani as Tamae Orihara
IMDb Link:
Flower & Snake 3 (2010)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
-
Gregor Kreyca – ★★☆☆☆
“Flower & Snake 3, this time not directed by Takashi Ishii, has one slight advantage and one major disadvantage compared to its direct predecessors. The good thing is, it’s shorter, but unfortunately still too long. The bad news is, that with director Ishii the movie also lost leading actress Aya Sugimoto. And that’s a big loss. To be fair, Minako Komukai is a beautiful woman and does a decent job here. But she lacks the stunning charisma and screen presence Sugimoto had. All in all, I think I prefer it slightly to part two, but still think it’s far from required viewing, even for fans.” -
Chris Underwood – ★★★★☆
“Another Nishimura telling of the Dan Oniroku tale first filmed by Masaru Konuma in 1974. This movie does not seem to appear on IMDb listings and seems to have switched series numbers with No.4 according to the Weissers’ book, but then I don’t agree with their descriptive scenario either! Anyway, it’s a very decently made film, astonishing that such an effort has been put into something so sleazy. Begins conventionally with family setting and the lady of the house teaching her student the art of calligraphy. Well, one thing leads to another and the lady gets bound up, humiliated and worse and ends up practising calligraphy naked alongside her student, their paint brushes stuffed up a most unusual place. This extraordinary film reaches its climatic ending and then goes even further to leave you open-mouthed.” -
Colin Hexr – ★☆☆☆☆
“Probably doesn’t help that the subs were furiously out of sync, but hey, I doubt that the plot is important in this film.”
Meta Description:
“Flower & Snake 3” (2010), directed by Yusuke Narita, is a Japanese erotic thriller that follows Shizuko Toyama, a cellist who becomes the victim of her husband’s rivals. They kidnap and subject her to a series of humiliating acts, training her for the p0rn industry as a form of revenge, exploring themes of power and submission.
Title: Flower & Snake: Zero (2014)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi: Zero
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Plot Synopsis:
Assistant Inspector Misaki Amemiya of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Community Safety Bureau becomes ensnared in a trap while investigating a mysterious illegal video website called “Babylon.” Her investigation unveils dark truths surrounding the notorious website and its sinister implications for society.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Hajime Hashimoto
- Writer: Takehiko Minato
- Cast:
- Maiko Amano as Misaki Amamiya
- Noriko Hamada as Shizuko Toyama
- Rina Sakuragi as Ruri
- Kanji Tsuda as Keisuke Toyama
- Naoki Kawano as Hiroki
IMDb Link:
Flower & Snake: Zero (2014)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
-
Gregor Kreyca – ★★★★½
“I immediately fell in love with Flower & Snake: Zero the first time I watched it over a year ago. This is just an absolute bonkers movie with some unbelievable scenes that I have never seen anywhere before or since.” -
Björn – ★★★★
“This malafide crime thriller sets up its exploitative plot through violent shock value, lots of sweaty, naked skin and grotesque s&xual setpieces, but gains artistic value due to a gorgeous look and a genuinely tense investigation story.” -
PenguinBoss – ★★★★
“Legitimately succeeds as a crime mystery and delivers on the exploitation in spades. This modern pinku comes very close to matching the visual panache of the old days.”
Meta Description:
“Flower & Snake: Zero” (2014), directed by Hajime Hashimoto, is a Japanese thriller that follows Assistant Inspector Misaki Amemiya as she investigates a sinister illegal video website called “Babylon,” uncovering dark truths about society’s underbelly.
