Black Snow

The Tale of Genji

An eroticized adaptation of Murasaki Shikibu's classic novel, written over 1000 years ago. Genji, the son of the emperor, has gained renown among the nobility of Kyoto for his charm and good looks, yet he cannot stop himself from pursuing the one object of desire he must never obtain: his father's young and beautiful bride. Following the tragic consequences of his obsession, Genji wanders from one affair to another, always seeking some sort of completion to his life.

Assassination

In 1863, when American warships approach Japan, an enigmatic ronin becomes an important figure in a complex game of power between the Shogunate and the empire.

The Mass Violation

The sad story of Toshiko Ono, an innocent woman who turned into a prostitute after being sexually assaulted by American soldiers.

Mother

A divorced woman enters a marriage arranged by her mother in exchange for money to save the life of her seriously ill son.

Hymn

The story tells of the adoration of Sasuke for his mistress, the blind samisen-teacher Shunkin, who treats him imperiously and subjects him to cruel beatings.

Ukiyoe Cruel Story

Made after Takechi had won an obscenity trial over Black Snow (1965), the film has been called "Takechi's personal message to Eirin."

Daydream

While under sedation in a dentist's office, a young art student has sex fantasies about naked women, vampires and a beautiful patient he saw in the office.

Oiran

Ayame, a courtesan, attracts the attention of street vendor Kisuke and decides to run away with him to America. Unfortunately, a crazed tattoo artist is obsessed with Ayame's perfect skin as a potential canvas, so he kills Kisuke to keep Ayame in Japan. Later, Ayame is sold to a brothel in Yokohama. Kisuke's ghost possesses her, causing his image to appear tattoo-like on her skin whenever she has sex.

Day Dream

Loosely based on a 1926 short story by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, the film opens as an artist and a young woman are in a dentist's waiting room. Though he is attracted to the woman, he says nothing to her. They are later in the same examining room. When he is given an anesthetic, he begins to imagine a series of scenes in which the woman undergoes various forms of sexual abuse, including rape and torture. When the artist recovers from the anesthetic, he finds clues showing that he may not have been hallucinating.

Daydream 2

A girl, Sakae, who is looking for a dentist for a pain in a tooth, meets Shinkichi along the way, a guy that gives her a ride. The dentist, a woman, starts to visit her, anesthetizes her and abuses her. Sakae and then Shikichi, are drawn into a nightmare of sex and perversion ... But is this all real?

Crimson Dream

Tetsuji Takechi's third film is based on two short stories by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. The film depicts the lurid and violently erotic dreams of a writer, his wife and his sister, after having spent a night out drinking and visiting sex shows. It underwent extensive censorship before the government would allow it to be released. About 20% of the film's original content was cut and this footage is now considered lost.

Women... Oh, Women!

A sex-documentary focusing on the women of Japan, with particular emphasis on participants in the country's night-life. The film is a series of scenes visiting a variety of women such as female wrestlers, strippers, and geisha. Nuns and sea divers are also shown, along with scenes of transvestism and drug addiction.

Genjitsu

Noh mask maker is unable to carve the young Noh masks he has ordered, and when a beautiful woman invites him to join her in town for a change of pace, he has a mysterious experience, which may be a dream or reality. The film "Genjitsu" (幻日) was completed in the autumn of 1966, but has not been shown to the public. Adapted from Soseki Natsume's novel "Ten Nights of Dreams" with experimental music by Joji Yuasa, the film was long considered lost but re-surfaced in 2017 and was shown for the first time at Kobe Planet Film Archive.

Sacred Koya

A young priest is on a personal pilgrimage for enlightenment through the snow covered trails of Mt. Koya in Wakayama prefecture, Japan. He is headed towards one of the many sacred gates/temples that are there. Misdirected by a local postman, the priest is sent straying off of the main road and onto the back roads which lead to a small secluded cottage. There he meets a beautiful but bewitching woman whose raw sexuality seems utterly impossible to resist. The woman subjects the priest to numerous carnal temptations in the hopes of breaking his sacred vows of celibacy. Over the next days, the priest's will is put to the test until eventually it breaks. His faith shattered, the priest goes mad when he discovers that the temptress that seduced him was the tortured spirit of a young woman who died horrifically with her lover in the Hiroshima atomic bomb attack.

Breathless

Jesse, a small-time criminal, high-tails it to Los Angeles to rendezvous with a French exchange student. Stealing a car and accidentally killing a highway patrolman, he becomes the most wanted fugitive in L.A.

Lonely Hearts

In the late 1940s, a murderous couple known as the 'The Lonely Hearts Killers' kills close to a dozen people. Two detectives try to nab the duo who find their targets via the personals in the paper.

Little Children

The lives of two lovelorn spouses from separate marriages, a registered sex offender, and a disgraced ex-police officer intersect as they struggle to resist their vulnerabilities and temptations.

Touch of Evil

A border-town bombing draws Mexican investigator Miguel Vargas into a corruption-ridden police investigation led by crooked captain Hank Quinlan, setting off a deadly struggle over power, justice, and truth.

Shortbus

In post-9/11 New York City, an eclectic group of citizens find their lives entangled, personally, romantically, and sexually, at Shortbus, an underground Brooklyn salon infamous for its blend of art, music, politics, and carnality.

The Rapture

A lonely telephone operator leading an empty, amoral life finds God – only to have her faith continually tested in ways beyond what she could have imagined.

Down by Law

A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.

Funeral Parade of Roses

In 1960s Tokyo, Gonda owns a bar in which the gay, cross-dresser, and trans scenes meet. Gonda is in a relationship with the madam of the bar, Leda. As the younger Eddie starts a passionate affair with Gonda, she ignites the jealousy of Leda, unaware of another kind of history between them.

Singapore Sling

Singapore Sling is chasing after Laura, a romantic memory from his past. One night he finds himself in a mysterious villa, watching two women bury a body. He falls into their trap and, in an atmosphere of isolation and decadence, the trio act out insane pleasure games and a ritual of blood and murder.

Raging Bull

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

It's a Wonderful Life

George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.

Shoot the Piano Player

Charlie is a former classical pianist who has changed his name and now plays jazz in a grimy Paris bar. When Charlie's brothers, Richard and Chico, surface and ask for Charlie's help while on the run from gangsters they have scammed, he aids their escape. Soon Charlie and Lena, a waitress at the same bar, face trouble when the gangsters arrive, looking for his brothers.

Lord of War

Yuri Orlov is a globetrotting arms dealer and, through some of the deadliest war zones, he struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent, his business rivals and even some of his customers who include many of the world's most notorious dictators. Finally, he must also face his own conscience.