Over the last six weeks I’ve been lucky enough to discover three new Japanese films that have been restored and released by Radiance Films that were not previously on my radar. Having spent years constantly agonising over what film to watch next, there’s something refreshing about trusting a company like Radiance to simply point you in the right direction. Having loved Elegant Beast and I, the Executioner, I couldn’t wait to watch their latest release The Sting of Death. The film is adapted from the Toshio Shimao novel, directed by Kohei Oguri and won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival.
Set on the island of Amami Oshima in the aftermath of World War 2, Miho (Keiko Matsuzaka) confronts her husband Toshio (Ittoku Kishibe) after she discovers that he has been having a longstanding affair. Toshio pleads for forgiveness and aims to make amends with Miho, who seems to be in crisis having grown mad with jealousy. The two work to reconcile their marriage and provide a stable household to raise their two young children, but their relationship cannot recover from Toshio’s betrayal and the couple routinely sit in silence, argue or try to self harm. The stress causes Miho to have a nervous breakdown, which leads to Toshio taking drastic action.
Oguri’s adaptation of The Sting of Death captures the horror of a relationship unravelling and the bleak reality of how infidelity can destroy the foundations of a couple. While there are dark, humorous undertones to provide surprising moments of relief, it is painful to watch the film unfold in such miserably truthful fashion. Miho cannot move past Toshio’s betrayal and she is plagued with jealousy and distrust, which in turn makes Toshio’s life unbearable. The magnificent set design forces the couple to be on top of each other at home, smothering one another as the marriage becomes increasingly claustrophobic. The idyllic surrounding scenery on the island provides the mirage of escape. At one point, while on a scenic walk, Toshio flees from Miho, but at breaking point and with nowhere to go, he tries to run onto nearby tracks in hope of being hit by a train.
Oguri will hold on Miho and Toshio sat in silence, framed solemnly in a wide shot, and then they’ll erupt into brief moments of spitting violence. It creates a feeling of discombobulation, like watching a painting explode into life.
In the Special Features, film scholar Hideki Maeda notes that Oguri wanted to transform the novel into cinematic expression, which is evident through The Sting of Death’s visual language. Oguri’s compositions are beautifully composed and he often holds fixed-camera long takes and lets the action play out within them. His interiors are basked in shadow, his exteriors are flooded with colour and stunning landscape shots are imbued with a haze of loneliness. The film also leans into the gothic in the third act at the psychiatric hospital, with haunting wide shots that add a ghostly visual dimension to the very real horror depicted.
The cinematic language, and also how we understand Miho and Tohsio’s relationship, is furthered by Oguri’s ingenious blocking. He explores the increasing distance between his characters by showing them physically separated in small interiors — you can see and feel the space between them. I was also struck by the way Oguri would contrast a carefully composed long take with venomous, chaotic performances from Kishibe and Matsuzaka. Oguri will hold on Miho and Toshio sat in silence, framed solemnly in a wide shot, and then they’ll erupt into brief moments of spitting violence. It creates a feeling of discombobulation, like watching a painting explode into life.
I was blown away by the restoration work on The Sting of Death and I’ll be referring back to its dazzling imagery again and again. On a first viewing I didn’t fully crack the emotional heart of this film but I am in full admiration for its craft and I am already looking forward to re-visiting this visual marvel in the future. The Special Features include an illuminating appraisal of the film by film scholar Hideki Maeda, and a 57 minute documentary by Hubert Niogret which looks at the revival of Japanese Cinema during the 1990’s, featuring interviews with Kohei Oguri, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Kaneto Shindo and others.
The Sting of Death is out now on Radiance Films Blu-Ray (LE)
