I strongly disagree with the previous reviewer's glowing review. This is an exploitation film cobbled together from the home movies of a disturbed rich Japanese (Hara), who is stalking/exploiting a mentally ill woman, Takeda, with whom he has a child.
Clearly, Takeda wants nothing to do with Hara, but allows Hara and his camera back into her life in exchange for money. There is a fine line between exploitation and controversial art, but Hara doesn't seem to know the difference. The exploitation is hidden here under the guise of love.
Ignoring her obvious mental condition, Hara encourages Takeda to give birth alone without the assistance of qualified people. BEWARE: There are graphic scenes of childbirth that leave nothing to the imagination. You witness a real human birth. Luckily it's in black in white because there is blood everywhere.
While giving birth, Takeda asks Hara for help, but Hara ignores her and continues filming. Encouraging someone with a fairly obvious mental condition to give birth alone without any experienced persons around is reckless and irresponsible. Hara could have easily killed her and the child.
In my view, Hara is an insensitive exploiter of the most vulnerable people, not the self-appointed "maverick of Japanese cinema" as his own pompous biography tries to claim.
I had hoped this film would be something worth watching, unfortunately it wasn't.
Clearly, Takeda wants nothing to do with Hara, but allows Hara and his camera back into her life in exchange for money. There is a fine line between exploitation and controversial art, but Hara doesn't seem to know the difference. The exploitation is hidden here under the guise of love.
Ignoring her obvious mental condition, Hara encourages Takeda to give birth alone without the assistance of qualified people. BEWARE: There are graphic scenes of childbirth that leave nothing to the imagination. You witness a real human birth. Luckily it's in black in white because there is blood everywhere.
While giving birth, Takeda asks Hara for help, but Hara ignores her and continues filming. Encouraging someone with a fairly obvious mental condition to give birth alone without any experienced persons around is reckless and irresponsible. Hara could have easily killed her and the child.
In my view, Hara is an insensitive exploiter of the most vulnerable people, not the self-appointed "maverick of Japanese cinema" as his own pompous biography tries to claim.
I had hoped this film would be something worth watching, unfortunately it wasn't.