Special Series

Eros + Massacre

エロス＋虐殺

Directed by: Yoshishige Yoshida
1970 / 167 minutes / Unclassified 15+ (under 15s must be accompanied by an adult)

日本語の解説は映画.comへ

Anarchy, free love and socio-political unrest during 1910s and 1960s Japan

This biopic follows the life of Sakae Ōsugi, a Taishō Era (1912-1926) anarchist known as a proponent of sexual freedom and for living the ideals he preaches. His three lovers aren’t all as enamoured with his flouting of the customary monogamous sexual mores of the time, which, when combined with his detractors’ distaste for his non-traditional lifestyle, leads to his tragic downfall after the Great Kantō Earthquake in 1923. Ōsugi’s story intertwines with that of Eiko, a 1960s university student who sympathises with Ōsugi’s anarchical philosophies on free love and radicalism.

Director Yoshishige Yoshida’s quintessential arthouse film, Eros + Massacre examines the political and romantic radicalism of Japan in the 1910s and 1960s through non-linear, parallel storytelling. Similar to many Japanese New Wave films, its true brilliance shines through within the context of the social and political issues of the time. Nonetheless, the film stands on its own as an exquisite masterpiece of cinematography with an indulgent, ravishing style.