Ori no naka no yôsei

Despite the fantastic setting and above average cast this Japanese exploitation flick fails on every level.

Simply not sexual enough to be a true movie of it's genre but not serious or entertaining enough to be an actual dramatic piece.

Plodding along at a poor pace and building to an absolute mess of a finale Fairy In A Cage is an odd piece of world cinema that is hard to categorize and even harder to watch.

This features the amazing Naomi Tani, so seems unlikely to disappoint but however beautifully this is shot there does seem something missing. Or maybe its a personal thing, such films as the Flower and Snake series, Wife To Be Sacrificed, Woods Are Wet and Star of David: Beautiful Girl Hunter are difficult enough with all the nakedness combined with extreme bondage and violence but the military background to this seems to take off some of the shine. Ms Tani looks so very good and apparently enjoyed her bondage scenes but where the perpetrator is some deranged obsessive rather than some torture mad military man, I find all this easier. Also this seems to have a more soft core sex agenda than most of this genre and again this sits a little uneasy with the ever present gun toting militia. That aside the film is very watchable and even makes a break for the outside towards the end before a surprising and gory ending.

Fairy In A Cage is the third Koyu Ohara joint I've seen so far and I think on the whole it may be my favorite. Judge Muraryama heads up the Japanese secret police during WW2 and he uses his position to get whatever he wants, and whatever he wants means women, guilty or not. To fulfil his sadistic desires he connives to get the lovely Lady Kikushima arrested along with her young protégée Inoue along for the ride, then its torture and abuse a-plenty for the both of them, and thusly entertainment a-plenty for the viewer. Things like plot and characterisation are lain by the wayside for this exercise in the joy of torture but all is underpinned by the interest inherent in the situation and its treatment, that is to say the unflinching gaze at the horror of history coupled with exploitative sexuality. Japanese films rarely fail to interest me when dealing with their past and this is no exception, it seems as if the post war era draws their film-makers to self flagellation but they can never quite get away from pure exploitation, its a tension that paints a fascinating picture of guilt and warped desire above and beyond anything on screen. Happily Fairy In A Cage delivers on screen as well, although it lacks the brutality of some later entries in the field and the depravity is not always the most inventive (couple of classic scenes though including one absolute ripsnorter which was echoed the next year in more graphic but less effective fashion in Jess Franco's notable Women In Cellblock 9), there's still a good deal of it including plenty of fun beating/flogging and classy rope work. Pink veteran Naomi Tani is excellent is Lady Kikushima, the role was apparently genuinely physically demanding with at least one scene performed for real and she is deeply compelling and sympathetic throughout, especially in one standout scene of rope bound urination humiliation. Tatsuya Hamaguchi is similarly convincing as the unfortunate Inoue, while Minoru Okochi makes for a quality upper class slimeball as Judge Muraryama and Kazuo Satake is a decent moral balance as a new recruit who isn't really down with the whole sexual torture for chits and giggles thing. Ohara handles it all in slick fashion with a decent enough budget allowing for generally good looking sets and period costumes, the compositions are pretty decent and the whole affair has a neato sleazy flair. Arguably the premise could have allowed for more commentary on the abuse of power and perhaps a twist or two, its pretty predictable stuff but the lack didn't really bother me and unless you're really discerning about this sort of thing it shouldn't bother you. Well recommended, 8/10.

This takes place during World War 2 in Japan. A Judge along with his eager female assistant enjoys using sadomasochism games to interrogate possible criminals. An army officer along with his subordinate assists the judge in the games as well as procuring the victims which in this case is the affluent wife of a businessman and a Kabuki actor. The wife and actor are subjected to bondage including yes in a cage as well as other S&M games. Of course the two caged victims want to escape.

This is not a complicated story. That both works for and against the movie as a whole. Much of the film is focused on the interrogation and sadomasochism games. If that doesn't interest you then this film is not for you. I found it interesting myself.

The acting by the entire cast is very good. Naomi Tani is as usual excellent. It should be said that Rei Okamoto who plays Kayo the Judge's assistant is fantastic. She shows realistic enthusiasm especially when she is administering her own sadomasochism games.

This is a Roman Porno/Pink Eiga which means nudity (Naomi Tani is naked thru 75% of the film) and sex scenes. Nothing very explicit as this is 1970's Japanese cinema.

Yes I thought it was a good movie but not great. One extended scene was boring but other than that it kept moving forward. For fans of the Roman Porno genre you will enjoy it. If not a fan you should skip this one.

Koyu Ohara,who directed hilarious nunsploitation flick "Wet and Rope" and shocking "Zoom Up:Rape Site",made also this softcore torture film.Naomi Tani and Rei Okamoto play victims of the Japanese military's World War II Inquisition division,the Kempe.Sadistic Judge Murayama (Hirokazu Inoue)captures both and brings them to his private torture chamber for some sado-sexual humiliation."Fairy in a Cage" is a stylish S&M oriented pink with plenty of sleaze and depraved Sadean atmosphere to boost.The direction by Koyu Ohara is crisp and the acting is great."Fairy in a Cage" was followed one year later by slightly inferior and less interesting "Rope Hell".Recommended.