Is this erotic anime one of the most beautiful… | Little White Lies

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Is this erotic animé one of the most beautiful films ever made?

08 Apr 2016

Words by David Jenkins

Colourful surreal landscape with flowing red and orange forms, abstract figures, and symbolic shapes in the background.
Colourful surreal landscape with flowing red and orange forms, abstract figures, and symbolic shapes in the background.
Look out for Eiichi Yamamoto’s transgressive epic from 1973, Belladonna of Sadness.

There’s no better feeling that when film archivists and restorers choose to unearth a little seen gem from the ground rather than direct their considerable skills towards giving some canonical classic its 17th service wash. Belladonna of Sadness is a strange, swirling, psychedelic and transgressive epic from Japanese director Eiichi Yamamoto working with alongside one of the high-priests of modern animé, Osamu Tezuka. As you can see from the stills below, the artwork used to build the film is insanely intricate and detailed, and it’s all enveloped in an woozy jazz-rock soundtrack from Masahiko Satoh. This vital new restoration was undertaken by US distributor Cinelicious Pics who are releasing the film in the US in mid-May. We’ve got fingers, toes and everything else crossed that it’s not long before it makes its way to UK screens. For now, check out these amazing stills (courtesy of Cinelicious Pics) and the trailer for the cleaned up new version…

Watercolour illustration of 2 figures in white against a vibrant background of pink, red, and green floral shapes.
Illustration of a woman with long, wavy purple hair and a pensive expression. Soft, pastel colours are used, with an ethereal, dreamlike quality to the composition.
Watercolour illustration of a colourful hummingbird-like creature held in a hand. Vibrant pink, purple, and green shapes form the bird's body, with a slender beak.
Illustration of a person reclining on a dark, textured background with abstract patterns and swirls of pink, orange, and blue.
White silhouetted figure against bright red background, with black areas creating contrast.
Vibrant abstract painting depicting a woman's face with floral elements, comprising vibrant hues of green, blue, yellow, and red.
Surreal gathering of fantastical figures in vivid colours, shapes, and patterns; striking visual composition with unusual elements.
A stylised illustration of a woman's face with long, wavy hair framing her and a large green leaf-like shape in the background.

Belladonna of Sadness is released in the US on 16 May, 2016. Visit Cinelicious Pics for more details.

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