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| Images courtesy of 88 Films |
“In a society full of vice, virtue will never be useful.”
― Marquis de Sade, Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue
Woods Are Wet (1973) asks the question: what if all the rules and laws of society were thrown out the window, and the only thing left was desire? The narrative is loosely based on Marquis de Sade's 1791 novel Justine, which follows the misadventures of a young woman who continually finds herself in situations where she is tortured and abused. In this version, Sachiko (Hiroko Isayama) is on the run, having been accused of murdering her former mistress. As she travels the countryside, she is picked up by Yoko (Rie Nakagawa), a seemingly demure woman with an air of aristocracy about her. She whisks Sachiko back to a secluded hotel in the mountains owned by herself and her husband, Ryûnosuke (Hatsuo Yamaya). However, the hotel hides terrible secrets in its darkened rooms and dusty corners, and Sachiko might be staying longer than she anticipates, perhaps forever. The visuals of the film reflect this encroaching darkness, with much of it shot in dimly lit rooms, where the characters sometimes seem as if they are being swallowed by the gloom.
Right off the bat, the pacing deviates from the usual Roman Porno formula, with the first act slowly building the tension and the mystery. While Yoko keeps up her pleasant façade for quite a while, Ryûnosuke immediately goes "mask off" and shows his vicious brutality and libertine nature. He takes great pleasure in telling Sachiko the terrible things he will do to her and the two young men who have just checked into the hotel as guests. Sachiko is sent unwillingly to have sex with the two men and instructed to tell them that Ryûnosuke plans to murder them as well.
After this point, the tone shifts abruptly from an enigmatic mystery to a shocking and transgressive sexploitation film. Not only is Sachiko raped by the men, she tries to warn them about the upcoming murder spree, and they don't believe her. Ryûnosuke cages all of them up in a basement room and tells the men to have sex with Sachiko and Yoko; if they fail to please them, he will kill them. In an incredibly subversive move, as the men are having sex with the women, Ryûnosuke sexually assaults the men as well, turning the tables on them. Like all rape, it's not entirely about sexual pleasure; it's more about control, the complete disregard for morality, and the rush it brings to the senses, which is one of the central tenants of Libertine ideology. Eventually, as the night goes on, the participants are covered in blood, sweat, and other body fluids, and the woods are wet, indeed. Gender roles have no meaning in anarchy; they are just vessels to be used for pleasure and nothing else, almost like cattle for slaughter.
There is an undercurrent of nihilism running through the film, and there is no lesson to be learned. At one point, Sachiko stares off into the distance, disassociating, as Ryûnosuke welcomes her to her new "family." Her innocence has left her soul; all that is left is a shell.
Extras:
The commentary by Jaspar Sharp and Lindsay Hallam is fascinating as they have two separate areas of expertise. Sharp is knowledgeable of Japanese history and films and Hallam of the works of Marquis de Sade. They bounce off of one another, trading information back and forth, contextualizing the film as both an adaptation of Justine and its role in the Roman Porno pantheon. Mio Hatokai also has a short interview, and she goes through the background of the film, the actors, and the director and explains some concepts specific to Japanese culture. Dr. Virginie Selavy's booklet essay goes into depth about the literary influences of various Roman Porno films as well as comparing the movie to the novel version of Justine.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
High Definition Blu-Ray Presentation In 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Original Mono 2.0 Audio With New English Subtitles
Audio Commentary By Jasper Sharp & Lindsay Hallam
Pleasure And Pain: Mio Hatokai On Woods Are Wet
Booklet Essay by Dr. Virginie Selavy
Stills Gallery
Trailer
Original And Newly Commissioned Artwork By Silver Ferox
--Michelle Kisner