by Robert Firsching
synopsis
An interesting variant on Bizet's Carmen from acclaimed director Seijun Suzuki, this experimental film tells of young Karumen (Yumiko Nogawa), who leaves home after being gang-raped by thugs from school. She goes to Osaka, where men fall at her feet when she becomes a nightclub singer. The film is shot variously in black-and-white, red-and-white, blue-and-white, etc., depending on the scene. With some filmmakers, this technique would become annoying fairly quickly, but Suzuki uses the colors to accentuate the story rather than for visual effect alone.
