Movielogr
The Fang in the Hole (1979)
Directed by Seijun Suzuki
Twitter Facebook Google+Overview
A police detective tries to investigate the mystery of a victim who was shot in the head, but no bullet was found.
Length 46 minutes
Actors
Yoshio Harada | Eizô Kitamura | Fuyukichi Maki | Makoto Fujita | Yasuyo Matsumura
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/11/2018 | Computer | Broadcast | Other | 7.5 stars |
| (Average) 7.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
Was very happy that DKU-TV programmed this today having not seen it before (and not really knowing how it can be seen legally). The IMDb synopsis really doesn’t explain this premise other than the first 10 minutes or so. Basically a cop shoots a yakuza in a head and the bullet goes missing. The cop then becomes obsessed with the yakuza’s mistress and starts hanging around her. She’s having visions of the dead yakuza as tho he were still alive; as the cop gets more involved with her he becomes to have nightmares of the bloody yakuza visiting him.
It’s feverish and minimal (it literally looks like the hospital and bar share the same space w/the same green walls). In fact this could be a stage production with its few locations and focus on characters.
Without reading anything about it my take is that this was initially produced as a pink film (writer Atsushi Yamatoya has penned several in his time). But the studio wanting to bank on Suzuki’s name (I’m sure he still had a little clout left after his blackballing and eventual return - before getting his footing back w/the Taisho Trilogy) decided to strip the “pink” elements - likely trimming 12-15 minutes - and released the film w/the primary narrative intact, which explains the weird 46 minute runtime.
Of course I’m just spitballing here based on just viewing the movie for the first time. I’ll do some reading to learn more but it seems the most logical thing as the film feels like a pink eiga minus the software porn. Given the already present female nudity and sexual implications, the actual sex is all that’s missing here.
Anyways, this is one I’d love to own because it’s just so goddamn weird and yet hauntingly beautiful. A very good Seijun Suzuki film.
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