Seijin Suzuki is one of The Criterion Collection’s darling directors. With his deep body of work, there are plenty of examples classic films that can be culled for high-quality releases. With Tokyo Drifter, Branded to Kill, Youth of the Beast, and Fighting Elegy all previously available, two more are now added to the mix with the release of Story of a Prostitute and Gate of Flesh. While Story is an important film in its own right, Gate of Flesh marks an early entry in the pinku eiga genre, which is essentially soft-core porn with an emphasis towards sado-masochism.

THE MOVIE
Gate of Flesh tells the story of a band of prostitutes seeking out a living in post-war Japan. Maya (Yumiko Nogawa) and her story is the apparent focus, though her sisters in depravity are equally prominent. This is especially so with regards to the ringleader, Sen (Satoko Kasai), whose rule about the girls not giving away any free rides is cruelly enforced and monumentally important to the story’s arc. This is not a place where love is allowed or even considered; such emotions are a weakness and only get in the way of keeping the prostitutes alive and well-fed. The relatively stable existence carved out by Sen and her girls is thrown into an uproar when they take in Shintaro Ibuki (Jo Shishido), an injured street criminal and war veteran who is wanted for the stabbing of an American soldier. Though the story culminates in a love triangle of sorts, the relationship that builds between Shin and the girls is mostly in the background until the third act. At its heart, Gate of Flesh is an exploration of the living conditions in post-war Japan and the impact they can have on a battered populace.

While the explosively colorful Gate of Flesh is miles away from the blown-out black & white landscapes of Story of a Prostitute, the two films have more in common than first impressions would suggest. Both are adapted from Tajiro Tamura novels and both consider the difficulties that arise when one is involved in a brotherhood/sisterhood with a rigid boundaries and stiff penalties. Both are tragic love stories, albeit with a lesser focus on that angle in Gate of Flesh as opposed to Story of a Prostitute. However, where Story is an indictment of war and the military, Gate of Flesh is more a focus on the devastating effect war can have on civilian populations. The prostitutes in Gate are driven to a life of squalor and depravity simply for living in a country on the losing side of a war. Suzuki is unsparing in his commentary when it comes to the soldiers as well. Japanese ‘returnees’ like Shin are met with derision and driven to crime while American soldiers walk around freely and without fear.

Suzuki’s visual sense is allowed to shine here, as Gate of Flesh is a color feature. These are the beginnings of the pinku eiga genre; the film maintains an intense eroticism (especially in the more surreal segments) without being overtly pornographic. Sen’s girls all wear dresses in their own trademark color, making for easy distinction and no small amount of symbolism with regards to each one’s personality. Suzuki also uses super-imposed images to draw connections between characters and to explain with one image what could normally come across over the length of an entire scene. While important for its social commentary, Gate of Flesh is equally important as an early entry in a genre that would become one of Japan’s most widely successful in the coming years.

AUDIO/VIDEO
Like other Criterion releases, the Gate of Flesh DVD is marked by the high value placed on properly restoring the sound and imagery. The digitally restored widescreen video is excellent; the colors practically burst off of the screen and the action moves fluidly, showing few signs of age. The original mono audio track has been remastered in Dolby Digital, and it sounds fine. The film also features an improved translation of the English subtitles.

PACKAGING AND LAYOUT
Also like most other Criterion releases, the DVD is packaged in a black plastic snapcase with stylish cover art. The menus, true to form, are easy to navigate and relatively sparse while remaining nice to look at. Like the audio/video transfer, there’s nothing here that you wouldn’t expect to see with any other Criterion Collection release.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Like Story of a Prostitute, Gate of Flesh doesn’t offer much in the way of bonus content. There’s the original theatrical trailer and a photo gallery – the usual suspects. There’s also the half-hour long “Into the Ruins,” which features interview footage with Suzuki and production designer Takeo Kimura. Suzuki discusses the barriers he had to surpass in releasing Gate of Flesh (what with its explicit content) while Kimura goes into detail on the set design and how it was built. There’s nothing here that makes or breaks the release, but the feature is a nice bonus all the same. There’s also an essay by critic Chuck Stephens printed on the included insert, which provides a closer examination of the film.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Gate of Flesh is another in a long line of fine releases from The Criterion Collection. While lighter on bonus content than one would usually expect, the film stands on its own as being worth the price of admission. This one is sure to have more mass appeal than Story of a Prostitute, but if you’re expecting Gate of Flesh to feature lots of leather, whips, chains and other S&M instruments of torture, be prepared to be disappointed. This may be an early form of Japanese soft-core S&M pornography, but it’s a classic film by an attentive and risk-taking director first. Maybe not good for a purchase if you don’t know what to expect, Gate of Flesh is certainly at least worth a rental.

DVD Film Score: A-
DVD Audio/Video Score: A-
DVD Packaging and Layout Score: A-
DVD Special Features Score: B
Overall Score: A-