Available on physical media from 88 Films on June 24th, 2025
A gang of women attempt to create their own Paradise in occupied post-war Tokyo.
Written by Kazuo Kasahara based on the novel by Taijirô Tamura, and directed by Hideo Gosha, this version of Gate of Flesh is a third (maybe more, different titles make it unclear) and one that is entertaining, touching at times, and makes good points on the fate of women in warzone back in the day, but also today. These ladies are not all as well-written as could be, but a few characters are well-done and given something to do. Of course, with a film showcasing a gang, not all characters will be fully fleshed out. The direction here works well, not particularly flashing but appropriate for the material.
The cast here works quite well with the ladies doing the best they can with their roles, fleshing them out, giving them nuance, and making them human. This cast is solid here, not perfect, but definitely solid. A few stand outs here are Rino Katase, Yûko Natori, and Miyuki Kanô. The cast, outside of the ladies, gets less to do, but everyone seems to be giving it their best.
Something that stands out in Gate of Flesh is the set dressing with the décor. There is something about how each scene has little details, how Paradise looks like nothing but when looking at its bones, but the way the ladies made it home through the set dressing, it works in a beautiful melancholy sort of way. The décor in most scenes looks good with a few scenes looking like sets more than others, but with these sets having their own charm.
The cinematography by Yuko Morita is beautiful and makes great use of the locations and decor, giving the viewer time to see what is happening and framing the characters in ways that allow them to evolve in the story and be the center of their respective scenes.
Gate of Flesh is an interesting film with good performances, great décor and set dressing, cinematography and direction that work while the story is kept interesting throughout. There is something more here, something that makes viewer come back again and again and that is not necessarily the fact that is it part of the Pink Cinema of Japan. The Pink Cinema aspect is minimal and not too invasive for those who aren’t particularly into it, but it should be known that it is there.
This new release of Gate of Flesh from Radiance Films looks great, the image quality is fantastic, the high-definition Blu-ray looks great. The sound is in mono but does well with its resources. The newly translated subtitles are great here. There is the classic stills gallery, trailer, and tease, as well as a booklet, new art by Ilan Sheady, the new introduction from Earl Jackson is interesting, the audio commentary is decently interesting, and the packaging is good.
