The Woman (Za ûman)

This very colorful and beautiful Japanese print is set in classic Edo (now Tokyo) and Is inspired by the libertine stories from the public baths of the time that greatly shocked the establishment at the time. The main character is Oden Takemoto. a young woman who became legendary for her beauty and ... her hot-bloodedness. The quantity of lovers she has had is so astronomical that people have tried to make a directory of them. This film is obviously erotic by virtue of its subject matter but it would be false and unjust to settle "The Woman" into a particular genre. By the way, the director has tried somewhere, through sophisticated photography, to evoke the refined lifestyle of the Japanese - also in their sexual practices. Something he has succeeded in with brio! "The Woman" is a film that in many ways will be compared to the unfortunately banned "Empire des Sens" in Belgium. Takabayashi's film is however less focused on the sexual activities of the main character, not only because of the director's approach, but also because of the photography, which sometimes reminds of classic Japanese prints.