Shûdôjo Runa no kokuhaku

This is the only the second film I have seen by Masaru Konuma, so I have no idea of whether or not it is one of his best. It was certainly better than XX: Utsukushiki karyuudo (Beautiful Hunter).

One goes into a nunsploitation film expecting a good bit of nun-sex, and there was some in the beginning, including a rape by the rector, and one nun on nun incident, but that wasn't what this movie was all about.

It was a story of revenge, and double crossing - maybe even triple-crossing. Runa was out to get back at her fiancé and sister for an act of betrayal. She managed an elaborate con to do it. In the middle, sis is doing a bit of conning of her own that results in a huge payback by the men she duped. Those doing the conning with Runa get conned in the end in a delicious twist that has you rooting.

As to the sex, I can imagine there is another film out there called "Cloistered Nun: Runa's Obsession," as the sex was just short of XXX. It just seems that judicious editing was made to a porn film.

Nun-sex, lesbian sex, rape, and gang bangs, and an unusual form of Japanese calligraphy: this film has it all, but it had a great story, too.

Granted, I had never actually heard about this 1976 Japanese nunsploitation movie titled "Shûdôjo Runa No Kokuhaku" (aka Cloistered Nun: Runa's Confession") before stumbling upon it here in 2023. And I must admit that I had zero expectations to the movie, as it didn't really seem like a genre of movies that would be all that interesting to me. But still, since I hadn't already seen the movie, of course I opted to give it the benefit of the doubt, and thus, I sat down to watch it.

Writer Toshio Ashizawa didn't exactly deliver anything close to rocket science here with the script for this movie. And truth be told, I wasn't even particularly entertained by the storyline. It just offered nothing worthwhile watching, aside from some semi-lewd scenes if you have a nun fetish.

The acting performances in "Shûdôjo Runa No Kokuhaku" weren't impressive. But then again, the actresses and actors in the movie didn't really have all that much to work with in terms of script, dialogue and characters.

I gave up on the movie about 30 minutes into the ordeal. By then I just had enough of the pointless storyline as it trotted on and on. Director Masaru Konuma delivered a very boring and ridiculous movie. But I am sure that there is an audience out there for a movie such as this. I just happened to not be a part of that particular target audience. And I am sure that the movie was a sensation back in 1976.

Needless to say that I am not attempting to watch the rest of Masaru Konuma's "Shûdôjo Runa No Kokuhaku", simply because I didn't find anything entertaining here.

My rating of "Shûdôjo Runa No Kokuhaku" lands on a two out of ten stars.

Shûdôjo Runa no kokuhaku is a quietly disturbing blend of psychological drama and softcore exploitation that struggles to find a steady emotional pulse. It attempts to cloak itself in introspection and subtle moral questioning, yet never fully delivers on its premise, settling instead into a rhythm of repetitive imagery and half-formed ideas. There is a haunting atmosphere tucked within the film's quieter moments, especially in its early scenes, where Konuma's restrained camera movement and a cool, almost clinical use of lighting hint at deeper emotional terrain. But the promise of insight is quickly diluted by tonal inconsistency and a script that feels more like a scaffold than a story.

Visually, the cinematography flirts with elegance but rarely commits. There are a few arresting compositions, particularly those involving mirrors and enclosed spaces, which seem to reflect the protagonist's internal conflict. However, these moments are too infrequent to elevate the film. Much of the framing feels perfunctory, and lighting choices often lean flat, especially in emotionally charged scenes where shadow and depth could have reinforced the underlying tension. It's as if the film keeps reaching for beauty and then backing away at the last moment.

As for performances, Miyuki Kojima carries the lead role with quiet restraint, delivering a performance that feels emotionally guarded yet believable. Her portrayal of Runa is layered with just enough ambiguity to keep the viewer guessing, though the script gives her little room to grow. Unfortunately, the supporting cast is uneven. Some veer into caricature, and others seem emotionally disengaged, which undermines the credibility of the story. There is a notable exception in a brief appearance by a veteran actor whose subdued performance injects a much-needed jolt of realism, but it's not enough to salvage the whole.

At its best, the film tries to meditate on guilt, shame, and the blurry boundary between confession and control. But too often, it veers into erotic cliché, undercutting any serious psychological or moral inquiry it might hope to explore. The result is a film that feels like it's watching itself in the mirror, admiring its own mood without fully understanding its subject.

I've sometimes wondered why a country like Japan, in which maybe 1 percent of the population is Catholic, would have gotten involved in the notorious "nunsploitation" genre when many countries with much larger Catholic populations (like the US) have not. This movie does give you some insight on the appeal of "nunsploitation" for the Japanese. Only two scenes actually show life inside the convent--the opening scene where the heroine "Runa" is being sexually assaulted by the (non-Japanese) priest while she rings (and rings and rings. . .) the convent bell, and a flashback scene where as a novice she is assaulted for the first time by the same priest. Most of the movie, however, is about "Runa" returning to her hometown. She had apparently entered the convent after her slutty sister had stolen her boyfriend. She has apparently forgiven them though and has come to offer them a chance to buy and re-sell some convent land so they can afford to get married. Unbeknownst to her, they are no longer a couple (although the boyfriend does sexually assault the sister on a pool table for old times sake), but the greedy pair are willing to work together to get their hands on the valuable land.

Your enjoyment of this movie will no doubt depend on how much you are able to get around the typically cavalier Japanese attitude towards rape. Japanese films treat rape in the titillating and rather non-serious manner that Hollywood films treat murder. The slutty sister, for instance, gets the money to buy the land by promising to marry a half a dozen rich guys (and giving each a print of an intimate part of her anatomy). When they find out about her deception, they lure her to a warehouse to take their revenge.But in this movie even gang rape seems to be only a minor inconvenience for the woman involved, and they actually seem to enjoy individual rape, especially if it involves a bi-sexual three-way and a shotgun. . .

All in all, this a typical Japanese "pink" film. It's VERY politically incorrect, but much better made than any kind of American porn product. There's plenty of softcore sex scenes and the plot generally holds together pretty well. The acting is fairly competent, even if the characters are all completely ridiculous and the whole thing is virtually impossible to take seriously. This certainly isn't for everybody, but the people who would want to watch it know who they are.

Well directed and beautifully photographed, the slightly bumpy editing is the only fault I can find in this super little gem of a pink film. The credit sequence comprises still shots of the countryside including the nunnery and two consecutive shots are so similar that it gives the impression someone has bumped the camera, a most unfortunate edit and there are others but hey, there are more interesting things to describe. This is not my first Japanese nunsploitation and although this is probably my favourite, the nation certainly has a way with them. They certainly appreciate the potency of the religious paraphernalia, sex in front of an alter, crucifix bouncing on bared chest and such like but also seem to have no hang ups at all with regard to what is depicted. Obviously this is not a religion many in Japan feel too much about and there may be added potency here by laying waste to the 'foreigner's religion'. Certainly the rape of Runa in ripped habit by her American speaking rector seems to be highly symbolic. Only the first scenes are in the religious establishment but there are flashbacks to illustrate what Runa describes as finding God, and also the devil. I found this bright and bold sex and violence fun all the way through. I liked the story development and the humour. This has great style and panache and the ending had me grinning from ear to ear and barely able to resist pressing 'play' once more.