Slave Widow (1967) User Reviews

impressionistic eroticism

[goblinhairedguy · 7/10 · 7 October 2005]

The plot is pure soap-opera (a young widow is forced to become the mistress of her late husband's creditor), but this picture is quite haunting thanks to its skillful, artistic handling. The inky chiaroscuro lighting and the impressionistic soundtrack (chamber music and natural sounds) beautifully complement the languid pace. Obviously, its main selling points are the erotic scenes, which are successfully intense not because of any explicitness (the nudity is very tame), but thanks to their focus on the woman's ecstasy (surprising even herself) and the shadowy closeups of merging flesh. An interesting Eastern counterpoint to Joe Sarno's American contributions to the genre of the same era.

lyrical and quite beautiful

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 20 March 2009]

Far better than its English title, Slave Widow, or its clichéd scenario, old fellow gets younger woman, would suggest. Indeed this early b/w outing from Mr Watanabe is fairly lyrical and quite beautiful at times. The mood is much helped by the mellow, classical soundtrack but also by the remarkable camera-work. Partly, of course, much has to be done to avoid the sex scenes being too explicit but here the ingenious use of intense close-up or focus upon silken sheets and clothing do much to make for some surprisingly erotic moments. Featuring Naomi Tani in an early role and her body seems not to have yet developed in anything like the way that she would later be displayed within ropes in the 70s. Here, Noriko Tatsumi is the splendid and voluptuous lead and around whom the movie revolves. Interesting shifts of power in this one.