Il fiore e il serpente

Takashi (ANGEL GUTS series, EVIL DEAD TRAP) Ishii has succeeded in making an extremely sexy and interesting film. Apparently an adaptation of some Japanese S&M novel (I don't have time to read anymore - too much sleaze to watch...) which has been made into film several times - FLOWER AND SNAKE has more sexy rope-bondage and humiliation action than you can shake your dong at...and get this...even has a pretty decent storyline.

Shizuko is a famous Japanese tango dancer whose husband sells her out to the Yakuza. Seems the 95 year old Yakuza leader has a thing for the beautiful rug-cutter, and will do anything necessary to possess her. The leader's henchmen hatch a plan with the begrudging help of Shizuko's husband - who agree to cancel his debt if he gives up his wife. Kidnapped, along with her sexy female bodyguard and her driver, Shizuko and crew are taken to a place called The Coliseum, where rape and snuff torture shows are played out for high-class clientelle. The driver is killed early on (no big deal - I'm here for the rope-bondage, not a sausage party...) and Shizuko and her hot bodyguard are repeatedly bound, raped, and humiliated for the pleasure of the ancient Yakuza boss for pretty much the rest of the film. There is more to the "story" then that, but I don't wanna give away too much - plus honestly - who cares? I'm on this one to see smokin' Japanese chicks get brutally molested...

But seriously, FLOWER AND SNAKE starts off pretty tame and really gets going after the first half-hour or so. The bondage and humiliation scenes are more sexy than "rough" as Shizuko and her bodyguard are bound with ropes and contorted into a bunch of wood-inducing positions. There's lots of protracted close-ups on various female body parts, tons of nekkidness, and one of the highlights: an "intersting" dildo mask double-penetration rape sequence that ends in a forced golden-shower. There's even a decent amount of full-frontal for a Japanese feature (guess they're starting to relax their "no-bush on film" laws...) and tons of tits-n'-ass. I pray for the day that Japan starts allowing film-makers to "show-all" - cuz if FLOWER AND SNAKE would have been a little more explicit - it would have gotten an 11. That being said, I'm surprised at how "tasteful" and professional the film is for the subject matter. It really doesn't come off as a fetish film, though 70% of the films run-time is basically watching chicks being bound and humiliated. Ishii somehow deftly weaves a story of obsession, betrayal, despair, and strength out of a bunch of nudie shots. The ending leaves a bit to be desired (as most Japanese films these days do...) and knocks it down just a bit for me. Overall, I would recommend FLOWER AND SNAKE for sleaze fans who would like to see something a little more "artistically" sexy than your average fetish film - but still wanna see some goods. 8.5/10 (would have been 20/10 if there would have been some explicit snatch shots...)

Superb, brutal, erotic, handsomely produced sado-masochistic masterpiece from director Takeshi Ishii. It could have been titled "Wife To Be Sacrificed" because Shizuko (Aya Sugimoto), the wife of a wealthy businessman, is sacrificed in order to pay off her husband's debts.

Everything "Eyes Wide Shut" pretended to be this is. It does not cower from its powerful subject matter or merely titillate. It is the work of an incendiary artist with a firm grip on the material and the material's ability to emotionally resonate.

Sugimto, who is one of the strongest, most stunning, most beautiful creatures ever to ignite the cinema screen, is totally convincing as a woman plunged into a cruel, nihilistic, carnal hell referred to only as The Coliseum. It is a stadium-like space where the rich and powerful get their kicks watching beautiful women raped, beaten, bound and, in some cases, murdered, in a pretentious, circus-style setting.

This is a big budget extravaganza of ravishing perversion and beauty mixed with a violent white collar crime plot. Ishii's direction of both the violent confrontations and sado-masochistic set pieces is stunning. His camera dives, swirls, caresses and illuminates the provocative tableaux.

Goro Yasukawa's score is beautiful, and artfully enriches every aspect of this sensational production. It took three cinematographers to fully realize the striking visual style that brings Ishii's original vision to life.

The Oniroku Dan novel, 'Flower and Snake', has been filmed before, but this is the definitive version and the most sincere, a hardcore smack to the chops of conservative culture.

I don't know who writes these parents guides but they must have seen a different movie than I did! Mostly breasts are just shown and a few shots of thick pubic hair. No genitals ever shown, which is ok, just really tired of the morons who write the parents guide. They will write an entire essay describing every kiss or low cut dress! They even include when a guy is shirtless now!! It is however a torture/bondage film and not too bad in that respect.

A rich businessman is blackmailed & given a choice by the Yakuza. Either pay then basically all his money or give his wife for the amusement of their 95 year old leader. He gives up his wife. She is then subjected to bondage, some torture & rape.

This is a reboot of the 1974 movie Flower and Snake which was based on a novel. Yet, this uses almost none of the story from the original movie & novel.

The story starts out very interesting. Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on your expectations) it then just becomes an hour of scenes of nude women, bondage, torture & sex. That wouldn't be bad except the torture (sadomasochism) after all for the Flower and Snake original stories and movies it was a central theme, is extremely mild, often dumb. A vibrator to a women's torso is torture? Sadomasochism involves pain and there really (yes I know fake) isn't any. No whipping, paddling or administering pain.

Aya Sugimoto who plays the lead is nude (according to Japanese law) through most of the movie. She is one of the most beautiful woman in the world so seeing her adds some points. Plus she gives an excellent performance.

The other faults lie in the movie itself. There's a number of short (30-90 second) clips that are unrelated to the previous or later scene. Just excuses to show nudity of bondage. Plus there are several continuity issues and a few things that are unexplained. I guess some other reviewers here don't care.

I am a fan of the Flower and Snake films of the 1970's & 1980's but not this one.

This is what Eyes Wide Shut should have been. This is Zalman King eroticism with a sharp story line and excellent acting. Super erotic without blatant pornography; that would seem to be the test of great acting/directing/storytelling. I'd give it 10 but the ending seems subject to much interpretation. Although much of the movie is involved in bondage and forms of S&M, I get easily bored if THAT'S all that is going on. There's much more to this, the sequences do not feel contrived, and the reaction of the actors seems very genuine. This is not a slasher/blood splatter flick. In many respects, this is more erotic than what an actual porn flick would be. Overall, a very well done movie!