Eros + Ruins

Shuji, an unemployed young man, has been living a haphazard and lethargic life, cheating on his wife with his girlfriends and constantly asking his best friend for loans. Then one day, Shuji takes a train and arrives at a country town. There, he meets Sachiko, a woman who never smiles, and starts working as a live-in employee at the printing house where she works. Shuji has a lot of emotionless sex with Sachiko.

Ryo Masuda is a washed up adult video director without a leading actress. Now, he has to find someone to re-place her quick, so he can produce his latest low budget S&M video. When the young Yukie appears to turn the production into an unexpected hit, Ryo becomes drawn to the world of sadomasochism and his newfound star.

Softcore pink film by Shoji Tanaka.

The opening bust-shot, with its frequent use of cut-away shots and blurred dialogue, is like a campus version of Ozu's films. As the story progresses, however, the film itself breaks away from a style that was as borrowed (but still very fitting) as the protagonist. The way the film acquires its own rhythm and flavour is more than just a pleasurable experience, it is a cinematic pleasure.