Hebi ni piasu (2008)

Hebi ni piasu: Directed by Yukio Ninagawa. With Yuriko Yoshitaka, Kengo Kôra, Arata Iura, Yû Abiru. 19 year old Rui finds life deeply disappointing until she falls in love with Ama in Shibuya, Tokyo. She was attracted by his piercings so decided to have her tongue pierced too. Pain is the only way that she can feel she is alive. The tatoo designer, Shiba, is also getting curious about Rui due to his sadist split. Ama protects Rui with violence and Shiba is using violence to love her. A strange love triangle of violence and sex and Rui’s body changed with a tatoo and a large piercing.

“Young Rui feels nothing until Ama chats her up at a bar in Tokyo. Fascinated by his numerous piercings and his split tongue, she begins a relationship with him and body art. Upon meeting Amau0026#39;s cold friend and artist, Shiba, she slips into a love traingle thatu0026#39;s more a square: Ama (kind and needy), Shiba (cold and powerful) and the various piercings and tatoos she collects on her body.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe plot is nothing new, but perhaps the added factor of BDSM as a womanu0026#39;s sexual awakening is new? While on the street and in public, Ama is violent towards those who would hurt her (and u0026quot;niceu0026quot; under the sheets), she allows Shiba to love her only through violence and degradation. She also enjoys torturing herself and dreams of splitting her tongue to please Ama.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLove, sex, life and pain are all explored throughout. What does it mean to live a life? More importantly, what does it mean to live a life with a lover? How do we seperate desire from necessity? Is pain a marker of a life lived? All three main characters are struggling to find a meaning and connection. A revelation towards the end suggests even Ama was insecure about his place in the world, forcing Rui to confront her actions, and the relationships she has with both men.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe acting, mainly from the young cast, is fine, but nothing amazing. Shiba and Ama donu0026#39;t get enough time to develop more than the different facets of Rui they represent, as the movie is played through her eyes. Yuriko Yoshitaka (Rui), does well as the conflicted protagonist, but dips into the hysterical well too often towards climax (a common trait in Japanese performance) that may be off putting for many western viewers. Still, if youu0026#39;re a fan of body art and the lives of young Japanese Yankee, youu0026#39;ll probably have a blast with this.”