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Belladonna Of Sadness (1973)
This episode features a frank discussion about the multiple scenes of sexual assault that occur in the film. If that doesn't sound like the sort of thing you'd like to sit through, we'd advise you to sit this installment out.
After some poor business decisions from founder Osamu Tezuka, animation studio Mushi Production was in dire financial straits. Thinking that a shift in creative direction would be prudent, Mushi put out a series of animated features with the then bold decision of targeting an adult audience instead of a juvenile one. Belladonna Of Sadness was the third and final attempt in this failed initiative; it sank like a rock at the box office, but gradually grew an appreciative cult audience due to its painterly animation, daring subject matter, and a pristine restoration in the 21st century.
Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Cheryl for an extensive look at this parable about witchcraft, class struggle, and religious hypocrisy. Thematic subjects under discussion include historical revisionism, whether Belladonna Of Sadness can be argued as a feminist film, and the subterfuge of patriarchal figures using countercultural posturing in order to sneak into progressive spaces (this episode was recorded shortly after sexual harassment and workplace abuse allegations were made against writer/director Joss Whedon).
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By Ryan Valentine
5
44 ratings
This episode features a frank discussion about the multiple scenes of sexual assault that occur in the film. If that doesn't sound like the sort of thing you'd like to sit through, we'd advise you to sit this installment out.
After some poor business decisions from founder Osamu Tezuka, animation studio Mushi Production was in dire financial straits. Thinking that a shift in creative direction would be prudent, Mushi put out a series of animated features with the then bold decision of targeting an adult audience instead of a juvenile one. Belladonna Of Sadness was the third and final attempt in this failed initiative; it sank like a rock at the box office, but gradually grew an appreciative cult audience due to its painterly animation, daring subject matter, and a pristine restoration in the 21st century.
Ryan is joined by Sylvan and Cheryl for an extensive look at this parable about witchcraft, class struggle, and religious hypocrisy. Thematic subjects under discussion include historical revisionism, whether Belladonna Of Sadness can be argued as a feminist film, and the subterfuge of patriarchal figures using countercultural posturing in order to sneak into progressive spaces (this episode was recorded shortly after sexual harassment and workplace abuse allegations were made against writer/director Joss Whedon).