Description

One of the earliest existing full-colour pink films, this outrageous title details a young woman’s attempts to blackmail the corrupt banker who caused the death of her parents. Directed by Kan Mukai, one of the unsung heroes of the industry, and shot in psychedelic hues against a backdrop of Tokyo in the swinging ’60s, BLUE FILM WOMAN has much to offer to the jaded modern viewer, including a lysergically-inspired opening credit sequence, a perverted mutant hidden in the attic, and a shocking climactic scene that is particularly enjoyable in today’s economic climate.

Without the resources of the major film studios, the early pink film companies were forced to shoot their films in black and white, gradually adopting the “part colour” format in 1964 with Kinya Ogawa’s now-lost film MISTRESS (MEKAKE), in which screen would burst into colour during the sex scenes. This part-colour format persisted all the way up until Nikkatsu launched its higher-budgeted widescreen Roman Porno range in 1971, although by this time the pink film industry had already begun releasing their first full colour works in 1967, with a handful of titles including Osamu Yamashita’s NEW CHRONICLE OF AN AFFAIR (SHIN: JOJI NO RIREKISHO), an unofficial sequel to Koji Wakamatsu’s groundbreaking CHRONICLE OF AN AFFAIR (1965), Kinya Ogawa’s FORBIDDEN GARDEN (JOSHI DAISEI NO KINJIRARETA HANAZONO) and Satoru Kobayashi’s PLEASURES OF A HUSSY (ABAZURE NO ETSURAKU). However, the full-colour format pushed budgets way higher than the ¥3.5 million (approx. $35,000) mark typical for productions of the time, and was not adopted wholesale for several years.

Born October 16, 1937, Kan Mukai began his career in PR and educational documentaries, making his debut in 1962 with TWO BOYS (FUTARI NO SHONEN) before entering the pink industry with FLESH (NIKU) in 1965. He founded his own production companies Mukai Productions and Shishi Pro, through which he directed several hundred pink films and launched the careers of younger directors, including Yojiro Takita, Hisayasu Sato and Takahisa Zeze. With several hundred films to his name, Mukai’s work in the erotic filmmaking genre includes CONTINUING CHRONICLE OF AN AFFAIR (ZOKU: JOJI NO RIREKISHO, 1966), FLESH 2 (ZOKU: NIKU, 1968), DEEP THROAT IN TOKYO (TOKYO DIIPU SUROTO FUJIN, 1975) and CATHOLIC NUN: SECRET (SHUDOJO: HIMEGOTO, 1978). He also directed several mainstream films including GOING WEST (NISHI E, 1997) and HOMETOWN (FURUSATO, 1999). He died on June 9, 2008.

—Jasper Sharp, MIDNIGHT EYE