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Title: Belladonna of sadness (1973) Post by: Dr. Whom on April 13, 2017, 11:54:21 AM This anime is a psychedelic extravaganza by Eiichi Yamamoto of Tezuka Studios and Space Battleship Yamato fame. Apparently it flopped when it was released and pretty much sank without trace. Recently a restored version came out.
By the director's own admission, it is based on La Sorcière by Jules Michelet, a 19th century study in witchcraft, and it is improbably set in a sort of fantasy version of late medieval France. Jeanne a peasant woman, gets raped by the Count (or the Baron, translations vary), who also maims her husband. She then turns to witchcraft to get revenge (and organize orgies) and is ultimately burned at the stake. Then there is a curious coda, which explains witchcraft as an emancipatory movement and precursor of the French Revolution. The whole thing is so seventies it hurts. The drawings aren't in the traditional manga style, but closer to the European SF/Fantasy illustrations of the period. There is not much by way of animation. A lot of the time, the camera simply zooms in or pans along a complicated drawing. There is a fair bit of sex, though, and some violence. Parts of the story are told in music, and there is a lot of narration. In the beginning I thought I was watching an illustrated version of a prog rock concept album. Which it is, in a way. If you like psychedelic 70s weirdness with a dash of erotica, this one is for you. |