I piaceri della tortura

Shogun's Joy of Torture sees a change in direction for director Teruo Ishii, who leaves his previous cinematic worlds of gritty crime drama and cheesy sci-fi for more exploitative territory, where the order of the day is bondage, sadism, sex and tattoos. Yes... tattoos.

The film - which is set during the Edo period - opens with some truly eye-opening violence: a woman is hung from a tree, beheaded, and her body cut in half by a swordsman; another victim is burnt alive; and a lady is torn to pieces by horses. All of this before the opening credits have even finished. The rest of the film comprises of three tales of cruel punishment meted out for different crimes, while a Shogunate assistant weighs up the pros and cons of such extreme discipline.

The first story sees pretty 18-year-old Mitsu (Masumi Tachibana) forced to accept financial help from Minosuke (Kichijirô Ueda), master of the local kimono shop, after a log falls on her brother Shinzô, leaving him in need of expensive medical care. Indebted to Minosuke, Mitsu is forced to comply with his sexual demands, which leaves Shinzô distraught, for he has long harboured incestuous desires for his sister. Unable to bear it any longer, Shinzô declares his love for Mitsu, and is happy to learn that she feels the same way. The siblings begin a sexual relationship, but their taboo trysts are soon rumbled by Minosuke, who rapes Mitsu, knowing that they dare not report him. When Shinzô commits suicide in order to put an end to his shameful life, Mitsu loses her temper and attacks Minosuke, who finally reports the girl to the authorities. In order to get Mitsu to confess, she is stripped, bound, and beaten with bamboo. Mitsu doesn't break, and is given the option of exile instead of death, but the young woman ultimately decides that she would rather be reunited with her dead brother and confesses. Her punishment is to be crucified on an inverted cross in the surf as the tide comes in. Glub, glub, glub! Mitsu's fate is made all the more harrowing after we learn that Minosuke was responsible for Shinzô's injuries in the first place, having arranged for the accident so that he could have his way with Mitsu. Naughty naughty.

The next chapter is called 'The Beheading of an Abbess in the Juko Temple'. Mother Reiho (Yukie Kagawa) takes a fancy to bald priest Syunkai (Shin'ichirô Hayashi), who she discovers is having a secret affair with pretty (but equally as bald) nun Myôshin (Miki Obana). After watching the couple going at it in the woods, Reiho approaches Syunkai and orders him to strip and purify himself under a waterfall. While the young priest is repenting for his sins, Reiho slips out of her habit and joins him and they have sex. Afterwards, Syunkai tells Reiho he only jumped her to save Myôshin, for now she is just as guilty. His ploy doesn't work: Reiho has Myôshin tied up and tortured, using loaches and a red hot chili pepper to bring tears to her eyes (and I'm not talking about Flea wearing nothing but a sock - that would be way too cruel!). Syunkai turns up demanding to see Myôshin, and stupidly agrees to be tied up beforehand, which ultimately leads to the guy having his head hacked off by the now certifiably insane Reiho. The Shogunate officials turn up to find the crazy nun carrying the priest's head. She commits harakiri, but that doesn't stop the authorities crucifying her dead body and piercing it with spears, along with a handful of other, very much alive nuns.

The third story is the murder case of tattoo artist Horicho (Asao Koike), who is committed to producing a masterpiece depicting the agony of torture. When his latest work is mocked by a Shogunate lord for its lack of realism, Horicho finds a new canvas - a woman named Hana (Reiko Mikasa) who he kidnaps for her perfect skin - and sets about creating his finest work of art. Horicho requests if he can attend the torture of prisoners, so he can accurately capture their expressions, as well as using the sadistic lord as his model for a hellish ogre. However, the tattooist's real aim is to give the torturer a taste of his own medicine.

All three stories feature copious scenes of torture and misogyny which undeniably push the boundaries for the time, but never quite live up to the promise of the amazingly gory opening credits executions. However, those who think that this one doesn't go far enough should definitely check out the 1976 unofficial sequel, The Joy of Torture 2: Oxen Split Torturing, which goes all out to shock with its nasty graphic violence.

Three separate approximately 30 minute stories. Each story is just a normal story but will involve torture at some point. Each story stands on their own tho they are connected by a magistrate that is going through the records of three incidents.

The tortures are the glue that binds each individual story. The tortures shown are historically accurate. The special effects and editing are mostly very good with a couple of exceptions. This is a Ero Guro film, not a Pink Eiga. There is some nudity but it's often subdued. At times when nudity would have fit, they instead covered up. Any sex scenes are definitely not erotic or explicit.

The first story kind of drags a little although still interesting. The second and third are really done well. The sets and acting are above average. Seems like there was a decent budget for this film.

This movie wasn't well received originally but since then has become a well respected classic. It will not be for everyone. For those it is, they will enjoy watching.

Teruo Ishii's extremely provocative movie set in the 1600 in feudal Japan. 3 short stories dealing with punishment and torture. The first deals with incest where a woman is beaten and tortured to death for having an affair with her dying brother. The second is about lesbian nuns and the third story shows a crazy tattoo artist who kidnaps a woman to use as his canvas. Even though this movie is over 35 years old, the effects and the gore are amazing! Humans burned at barbeques, decapitations and more torture than you could possibly wish for makes this classic videonasty a must have for all fans of good and gory movies!

Don't miss out on the even more extreme sequel; The Joys of Torture 2: Oxen Split Torturing!

I recently watched the Japanese film 🇯🇵 Shogun's Joy of Torture (1968) on Tubi. The story follows a young woman whose brother is accused of horrific crimes and killed. In an effort to clear his name, she assumes both the blame and the brutal consequences that follow.

Directed by Teruo Ishii (Blind Woman's Curse), the film stars Teruo Yoshida (Goke, Bodysnatcher from Hell), Masumi Tachibana (Yakuza Law), Fumio Watanabe (Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance), and Mie Hanabusa (Horrors of Malformed Men).

As with many of Ishii's works, the film does a strong job immersing you in its world. The acting, period attire, sets, and props all contribute to a sense of gritty realism. The female leads-particularly Mitsu and a blonde who appears later-are strikingly beautiful, and the camera certainly doesn't ignore that. However, the torture scenes, while intense and stylized, are handled with a seriousness that keeps them from feeling purely exploitative.

The plot develops in a fairly grounded way, holding your attention even if it doesn't quite break new ground.

In the end, Shogun's Joy of Torture isn't a standout in the genre, but it offers enough to make it worth a watch for fans of vintage Japanese exploitation cinema. I'd give it a 6/10.

"Shogun's Joy Of Torture" is the first part in Teruo Ishii's so-called "Tokugawa Series".This episode is set in seventeenth century Japan,when members of the Tokugawa clan ruled the country with fear and terror.Punishment for those who broke the rules set by the Shogunate was brutal and severe."Shogun's Joy Of Torture" tells three terrifying stories about guilt,crime,and punishment.The film is loaded with some truly shocking torture scenes,so some unprepared viewers will be offended.Women are decapitated,burned alive,beaten,whipped or torn in two by oxen.The production values are high,the cinematography is polished and the soundtrack is moody and sad."Joy of Torture" spawned seven sequels from Teruo Ishii.All of them are truly sadistic spectacles of violence and misogyny,so fans of Japanese exploitation should check them out.9 out of 10.