Ten women have had enough of one man’s philandering and decide to put an end to it in Kon Ichikawa’s 1961 dramedy Ten Women in Black; now on Blu-ray from Radiance Films.
The Film
Ten women, a wife and nine mistresses, all realize the duplicity (dec-licity?) of a television producer and decide something has to be done in Kon Ichikawa’s Ten Women in Black (also known as Ten Dark Women on IMDb, but Radiance uses this title). Written by Ichikawa’s wife and frequent collaborator Natto Wada, it has enough plot and concept to carry it, but I found it a little lacking. But I blame myself.
The 1961 drama, tinged with comedy, is a solid piece of cinema with a lot going for it, but it didn’t completely work for me. However, I defer to something I often say: it may be time and culture. The gender politics, personalities, history, and culture of Japan in the early 60s are ones I can read about or watch films about, but will never be as steeped in them as those who would watch 10 Women in Black upon release or, even Japanese today, would get more out of it.
But I can see how it works. There’s something inherently drawing about a darkly drawn film; I’m reticent to call it full-on dark comedy (although texts around it do), but there are bits where I thought, “I think this is supposed to be funny, but again, cultural separation keeps the comedy away.” Ten women sick of one guy’s shameless polygamy and deciding to kill him, but finding it harder than expected, is a great idea. I love murder plots gone awry. Ultimately, it comes down to a lot of talking it out, debating, and turning. Whether it’s the women in groups, the whole group, or the man and a few of them on their own, it’s more about back-and-forth.
I adore the ending though; the ultimate fate of the cheat is wonderful. Like the recently posted, and released on the same day by Radiance The Magnificent Cuckhold (perhaps planned this way; another Ichikawa film is also released this week, double connection!), there’s a reversal of fortune for the toxic masculine as a man gets his life turned around after philandering. The lead in the other learns and grows, and our man here refuses, and it’s delicious. I might be iffy about the lead-up; the climactic conversation and its result make it all come together.
Ichikawa shoots the film fantastically. In stark black-and-white, cinematographer Setsuo Kobayashi uses the monochrome to its best use, playing with light and shadow. The shot choices are magnificent and set the tone and character, earning a wry smile from me. Like the aforementioned Italian film, it is prone to fits of fantasy where the style changes. Those wanting a more active film with women directly working through their discussion will be drawn more to these bits where the murder can be done in a multitude of ways and means.
The Packaging and Presentation
Radiance puts Ten Women in Black on a single-disc Blu-ray; it’s the first in the format worldwide. The disc image is the title in black on a yellow backdrop. It fits into the clear, thick Blu-ray case. Radiance gives a double-sided sleeve with artwork based on the original poster art. One side is a cleaner image, and the other has the information, along with the removable Obi slip. A booklet fits inside. Spine number 190. The transfer looks solid, using black-and-white to great effect, with a deliberately stark look in the scene and costume designs. It’s sharp, detailed with depth. In Japanese with new English Subtitles.
The Features
Yasuharu Knoishi
The musician offers a thoughtful appreciation of the film: how he found it and headed up a 1997 re-release that brought it to public consciousness.(21m)
The Kon Ichikawa Story
A full-length documentary, directed by Sunji Iwai, about director Ichikawa and his wife and screenwriter of the film Natto Wada. It’s a very interestingly presented documentary. It features on-screen text (in Japanese) followed by a clip or photo related to the text. No talking heads or variations on this method. It’s odd and stilted, but somehow works and draws in. Learned a great deal about a filmmaker I had heard of but not known much about (and more to come in the other Radiance release of his this week, review forthcoming). (79m)
Booklet
A 22-page stapled booklet with the norms plus a new essay by Yuka Kimbara. A lengthy (16-page) and detailed discussion of the lives of Ichikawa and Wada, and how their history and relationship informed their work in the Japanese film industry. Fascinating and well written.
Final Thoughts
Ten Women in Black is another I appreciate, even if I don’t fully connect with it. The process is solid, and the technical craft is astounding. I can see where Wada and Ichikawa are coming from and run with that, even though I found the film a tad bit flat. Maybe a second watch will hit better. The features give a better appreciation of the film and the filmmakers, which I really appreciated.