Hana to hebi 2: Pari/Shizuko

It's difficult to imagine that cute Aya Sugimoto who was the bikini idol of the '80s have matured to play this role. But I'm impressed with the professionalism that she's nurtured over the years, and she's definitely not just an actress that can be watched, but an actress worth watching as an actor.

The combination of Oniroku Dan, and Takashi Ishii (who's a comic artist asides from being a movie director, and probably drew the artwork shown in the computer at the beginning of the movie) carried over from part 1, and (imo) have created a better visual drama than part 1.

Oniroku Dan of course was Japan's preeminent S&M novel writer, and his style shows in the way Sugimoto is bondaged, but compared to part 1 which he wrote in his 30s, this one seems to be a more modern creation. His classic style of woman (usually two of them) being abducted, taken to a secret place, and bondaged, and raped by multiple men (usually delinquents, or gangs) is also included in this story.

If all the nude scenes are taken out, this movie still could be viewed as a good drama, and a well produced movie. The visuals are very beautiful in this movie also.

This is the best movie I've seen made by Oniroku Dan or Takashi Ishii, and although I'm not a fan of either of them, if there's one movie to watch made by them, this one is it.

Aging critic and patron of the arts Takayoshi Tooyama (Jô Shishido) sends his drop-dead gorgeous young wife Shizuko (Aya Sugimoto) to Paris to report on the progress of painter Ikegami (Ken'ichi Endô), whom he has sponsored for the past ten years. To her consternation, Shizuko discovers that Ikegami has been less than prolific, having completed none of his paintings. Things change, however, when the artist adopts Shizuko as his muse, convincing her to pose for an erotic piece based on sado-masochism; soon, the pair become lovers, their passion fuelled by tight ropes and intricate knots.

On completion of the first work, Shizuko is convinced by Ikegami's sister to try and sell the painting to a secret society who deal in erotic art, bondage, humiliation, and human slavery. Unsurprisingly, the arrangement goes terribly wrong and Shizuko is subjected to a series of terrifying sexual ordeals, under the watchful eyes of a familiar-looking grey-haired man in the audience.

Like an idiot, I watched this sequel before the original film, despite also having that in my collection; on the strength of part two, though, I'll definitely be checking out the first one, if only to see more of the incredible Aya Sugimoto, who is unfeasibly sexy and makes Flower and Snake II a pleasure to behold even when the going is very slow.

As erotic Japanese cinema goes, this one is a grade-A trouser-stirrer, with the scrummy Sugimoto happily submitting herself to all kinds of degradation in order to satisfy the viewer's cravings for perversion. Of course, director Takashi Ishii makes everything look as artful as possible to give proceedings an undeniable air of class (his film even resembling Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut towards the end), but when it all comes down to it, Ishii is out to arouse his audience, and does so effortlessly, with endless shots of his naked star in all manner of awkward poses, with only a slip of cloth, a carefully positioned leg, or a bright spotlight preventing the viewer from becoming REALLY well acquainted with her nether regions.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.