Production Design
시작하자마자 피가 폭포수처럼 치솟아 쏟아지는 "머신 걸"은 농담 같은 영화다. 단지 만화 같은 상상력, 이라는 식의 수사로는 온전한 표현이 불가하다. "데드 얼라이브"류의 전형적인 스플래터 장르 자장 안에 들어가 있되 피 한 바가지와 덴푸라 국물을 섞어놓은 듯 질퍽하게 엉뚱하다. "철남" 부터 "텍사스 전기톱 살인마", "이블데드" 까지 종횡무진 인용하고 베끼다가 심지어 쇼브라더스 쿵푸 복수극과 레즈비언 영화, 일본식 특수촬영 전대물의 관습까지 버무리는 데는 도무지 당해낼 재간이 없다. 온갖 B 문화 텍스트의 혼재라 할 만한 "그라인드 하우스" 마저 "머신 걸" 이 차용한 리스트에 포함돼있다. 신체훼손의 박력도 어지간한데, 이를테면 “가루를 내주마”라고 말한 뒤 정말 실제 가루를 내버리는 식이다. 영화는 기본적으로 동생을 잃은 누나의 복수를 다루고 있다. 이야기에 관성을 주는 요소 역시 복수라는 주제다. 이 세계 안에선 모두가 복수를 하려 한다. 복수심에 잠식되고 분노에 치를 떨어 팔을 튀기고 목을 자르고 얼굴을 박살낸다. 영화는 복수의 무의미함을 역설해내지만, 그렇다고 그 내연이 진솔해보이지는 않는다. 완성도 높은 특수효과와 기승전결이 뚜렷한 드라마를 원하는 관객이라면 실의에 빠질 수도 있을 만큼 거대한 농담이지만, 거부하기 힘든 매력이 있는 것도 사실이다. (허지웅)
Production Design
Junko and Kohei were each other's first relationship, and got married. A white apartment, a white blouse, and white underwear; their relationship was pure. But then Junko put on conspicuous lingerie and a black dress, and went to attend a class reunion. Suspicious, Kohei followed behind her until she disappeared into a hotel with Okada, a former junior high school classmate. Kohei had learned from his mother to obsessively despise `filth,' and vowed to make Junko utterly filthy. So, he presented his own wife to a gang rape club...
Production Design
Oda is a cowardly and boring man, his only redeeming feature being his diligence. He continues to live with his wife, Ayane, but they can't seem to produce children and are troubled as to whether their relationship will survive. One evening Oda returns home to find a pair of blue toy handcuffs hanging on the doorknocker. Using them, Oda humiliates Ayane. Although bewildered at first, Ayane begins to respond, and Oda becomes increasing excited as he sexually assaults her. In truth, the blue handcuffs were Ayane's contrivance. There was a time in the past when she used to reach climax...
Production Design
Yoko is an ordinary housewife living in an ordinary apartment block. She has no real complaints as she goes about her tedious days, although her husband, Shinichi, is rather predictable in bed. They have one son, Junichi, and Yoko feels at a loss regarding his recently-acquired adolescent interest in sex and his secret stash of erotic magazines. Junichi is about to write his junior high school entrance exams, so he’s heading off to cram school camp for New Year’s. Before going, he makes a surprising suggestion, “Why don’t you guys go somewhere for New Year’s?” Yoko and Shinichi are suddenly faced with the prospect of New Year’s apart from their son. How will this couple, who’ve already lived half of their lives, change their behavior when it’s just the two of them?
Production Design
Only a fool loves their body more than their soul! Masayuki and Kyoko's bodies had both started to age to the point where they no longer experienced sexual passion. They are a couple that shares the same bed while finding separate pleasures with their own sex toys. Masayuki was always reminded that his true understanding of love came from his high school ethics teacher and that teacher's wife. The incident occurred when Masayuki was only 17. When he became alone with her he impulsively craved her body, only to notice that on the other side of the sliding paper screen...
Art Direction
A non-prolific writer, Takayama Osamu and his wife, Yoshiko, though not blessed with children, live happily together. They should have had peaceful twilight years, but instead, Yoshiko suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, and Osamu also falls ill. Yoshiko, who cannot cope with daily life any longer, goes into a care home, and Osamu is admitted to a hospital, resulting in them living their remaining lives separately. One day, after some time, the couple who have kept battling their illnesses, manage to meet each other. Osamu breathes his last breath on the following day. People around Yoshiko find it difficult to inform her, but she seems to sense Osamu's death.
