ROMAN PORNO REVIVAL
In the late 2010s, two decades after their second close-call with bankruptcy, a recovering Nikkatsu corp.— noticing a growing nostalgia among Millennial moviegoers for Japanese sex films of the 70s and 80s, as well as seeing the financial success of a Roman Porno Best Hits film package which circulated, to great acclaim, among movie circles long after the mentioned genre’s demise — decided to reboot those films so synonymous with their brand name, in a project called “Roman Porno Reboot.” For this New Wave of R.P films, Nikkatsu decided on five directors to be the official helmers — Akihiko Shiota, Kazuya Shiraishi, Sion Sono, Hideo Nakata, and Isao Yukisada — giving them the task of rebranding the genre into something more 21st century, with themes adapted to appeal towards the modern-man’s — or rather “woman’s,” as Nikkatsu was aware that the posthumous viewership of Roman Pornos was in its majority women — sense of taste. Despite the use of such terms as “adaptation,” or “reboot” or “rebirth,” the core of the Roman Porno film movement underwent very little change during the fallow period separating the last original R.P film of the 90s, and the first revamped R.P.R film of the late 2010s. The directors of the reboot project were to work under the same confines as their predecessors: each was given a small budget, a shooting span of about one week, and entrusted with the inclusion of beautiful women gratuitously baring chest (etc.) every 10 minutes or so.
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Fig. 2 The first 5 directors chosen for the Roman Porno reboot project (from left to right: Akihiko Shiota, Kazuya Shiraishi, Sion Sono, Hideo Nakata, Isao Yukisada)
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Fig. 4 Affiche Roman Porno Reboot
WHITE LILY (2016)
“White Lily” is directed by Hideo Nakata, who, back during the original run of Roman Pornos, was an assistant director on multiple projects. This is Nakata’s territory: a return to the subjects with which he received his film education as AD, subjects which he strayed far from once becoming a full fledged director: this is the same Nakata who directed the original “Ring” (A.K.A “Ringu”) film, as well as other classics of J-horror —“Dark Water,” for example. “White Lily” is a rare foray into non-horror, and a rare departure from the non-erotic, yet it is still retains the overall eerie-ness associated with a Nakata film — old habits die hard? The plot consists of psychosexual tension, as Tokiko, a ceramic artist, plays sexual games with her apprentice, milquetoast and taciturn Haruka. Sex is prevalent and prolonged throughout the film, with a focus on sensuality and detail. The sound design, for example, seems to be the result of an over-excited foley artist: no single contact between flesh-fabric, flesh-flesh, flesh-lips, lips-lips, etc., will play unaccompanied by the corresponding rustle, smack, slap or clap sound.
This directorial choice makes sensual otherwise routine moments of sexual expression — whose sound, in most films, becomes a banal white noise existing only for the passionless reason of “necessity.” A similar effect is created with camera close-ups: putting our gaze approximate to that of the two leads’. These close-ups satisfy that which they are undoubtedly a result of — i.e., voyeuristic impulses — as it is the primary pleasure of cinema, and especially erotic cinema, to see that which is usually reserved for moments of high intimacy: it's only a lover who notices the sweat coating the other’s forehead mid-sex, or the friction ridges of their toes as they suck them, here, however, the audience is allowed that privilege.
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ANTIPORNO (2016)
“Antiporno” is directed by Sion Sono — probably the most famous name to be found behind the Roman Porno Reboot project. The plot follows artist and writer Kyoko Suzuki, and the actress who plays Kyoko Suzuki (also called Kyoko Suzuki), who is played by real life actress Ami Tomite. The plot of “Antiporno” is that of a film within a film — more accurately: a Roman Porno within a Roman Porno. The runtime is divided in two parts, each showcasing its own version of reality — the world of the porn film, and the “real life” world of the porn set. As the plot progresses, the two worlds collide in a way typical of these film-within-film type films — think “Perfect Blue.” This meta quality of “Antiporno” allows Sono an interesting alibi. While the majority of Roman Pornos make commentary on sex itself, Sono’s film makes commentary on pornography, and even on the Roman Porno genre — which seems a fitting adaptation of the usual R.P-theme into something far more 21st century, meaning ironic and self-referential. “Antiporno” chooses as its primary theme the hypocrisy of branding any piece of media “obscene” because of its sexual subject matter, since, as the film points out, everyone has sex and everyone enjoys sex. In this regard, “Antiporno” doesn't seem to be so much anti-porno, as anti-anti-porno. It would be rather hypocritical (not to mention paradoxical and masochistic) for Sono’s film to be against pornography, as it harbors all the tricks of the pornographic trade. Most of the actors are either naked or in porno-approved outfits, which ensure that no 10 minutes will lack in the compulsory eroticism of any proper R.P film. This is quite a clever sleight-of-hand.
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“Artsy-Fartsy”
The needed inclusion of sexual scenes often prompt Roman Porno directors to simply and only shoot intercourse, this often results in sex scenes which come out of nowhere and distract from the story being told. “Antiporno” has very few moments of intercourse, and these moments never last long enough to be considered actual scenes. Yet the skimpy outfits worn by actors — and the lead’s state of perpetual undress — means the film is never not sexual (one needs only adjust their gaze to some 6-inches below an actor's neck to notice the pornographic benefit of thin, see-through nylon), yet it's sexual in a way which doesn’t distract from the story — a benchmark every sex film should aim toward. Despite the overt sleaze of “Antiporno”, it is still an incredibly artistic film. In fact, out of all the Roman Pornos to have existed, past or present, this one is likely one of the artiest. Not that it's the most artful, simply that its use of the candy-color aesthetic makes it liable to association with the Art Film, and the derogatory adjective “artsy-fartsy.” Many may consider “Antiporno” to be pretentious — and Sono indeed has the vain ego of a wannabe artist — yet there is still something very interesting and worthwhile about the film’s experimentation: it tries to do something different, and that is commendable.
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In the extended Premium edition of the article you can read (and see) detailed treatises on the erotic films behind the Roman Porno Reboot project, including, Aroused by Gymnopedies (2016), Wet Women In the Wind (2017), and Dawn of the Felines (2017),. Also included more insights on the recent "Roman Porno Now" project and no less than 84 additional images of the most arousing scenes. SG Premium also offers 800+ articles, both extended versions of the blog articles and unique content not visible anywhere else. Lost Premium members can click here for direct access.
Click HERE for a profound treatise on the 1970s porn classic Behind the Green Door
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