Akai Tenshi (Red Angel)

See, this is the kind of movie I wanted to quit wasting my time on.  I have nothing bad to say about it… it’s harrowing, tragic, and well-made.  Nurse Nishi has a complex sexuality and she’s not merely a figure of exploitation (once again we’ve got rape in a Japanese movie, but here it doesn’t seem to be played for kinky kicks).  However, it didn’t move me in any way.  I just didn’t see much point to it.  Ichikawa’s anti-war messages are stronger, Mizoguchi’s work is more elegant, Suzuki is more subversive.  Not a bad film, but not a great one, and certainly not as distinctive as Blind Beast.  Rating: 7

IMDb