FLASH WARNING ⚠️ Sorry, it has been brought to my attention that I should’ve put one at the start. Sources: Sections of this video are direct quotations from the essay, Arcane Revenge by Sam Gurry. Gurry has reached out to me to help me rectify my mistake and helped highlight the sections in which I haven't appropriately attributed them. I had attributed them broadly in the description, but not the specific time. Thankfully, Sam has educated me and accepted my sincerest apologies and has even been graceful enough to offer encouragement, education and many kind words. I did get a little muddled as I was trying to structure everything. I know I've been uploading to UKposts for about a year, but I'm frankly still quite ignorant to making these videos and didn't mean to do so out of malice. Again, sincerest apologies. The link to the original article is here: medium.com/@samgurry/arcane-revenge-1fb4625cc1c8 Sam is a professor and teaches animation history and media criticism at a few universities. You can find Sam @slamgurry on Instagram or instagram.com/slamgurry/ Sam is also a filmmaker of 'Winners B*tch' and 'The Biggest Wad is Mine'. You can find more details at their IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/nm2568309/ You can also find out more about them here on their website: www.samgurry.com/about 03:42:26, 04:18:52, 04:42:21, 04:53:47 - 04:59:40, 05:17:09 - 05:22:50, 04:42:21, 06:59:45 - 07:05:33, 07:21:11, 08:34:32, 19:07:32 - 18:25:08, 21:56:40 - 22:02:14, 22:26:16 - 22:37:42, 22:08:49 - 22:08:49, 28:45:25 - 28:52:04, 32:14:43 - 32:46:57, 30:30:35 - 30:35:28, 39:11:54 - 39:50:47, 40:05:59 - 40:10:37 If you see any mistakes or crediting errors, I have added an email where you can reach out to me; I haven't been reading much of the comments since it's been affecting my anxiety. Belladonna of Sadness by Cineliciouspics. A Thousand and One Nights (1969)/Cleopatra (1970) by AntBit. Belladonna of Sadness by Jonathan Clements. The Misunderstanding and Necessity of ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ by Erin Brady. Belladonna of Sadness: A Woman in Green by Hitch. Eiichi Yamamoto’s Belladonna of Sadness by Payton McCarty-Simas. Belladonna of Sadness by Alissa Wilkinson. Exploitation or Empowerment: Sexual Violence in Belladonna of Sadness (1973) by Serena Ramsey. Belladonna of Sadness by Natalie Ng. The Full Potential of Anime: Belladonna of Sadness by netizengalreviews. ‘Belladonna of Sadness,’ a Bewitching Masterpiece by Glenn Kenny. S*xual or s*xualisation will be pronounced as 'seggs'ulisation. Sorry for the sound quality, I didn't have much time to put this together. I checked the audio once and it sounded fine at the time. Subtitles have been added. Finally, I don't believe I said "I" thought this was feminist; I don't think I was even explicit with my own views - just that 'an interpretation' or 'other critics' view this as feminist. It is one of three interpretations and you do not have to agree with anything said in this video, even if I'm talking within absolutes. These were just interpretations proposed in the video. This video is not used to 'push an agenda' or '[my] ideology'.

I feel like being ugly is also an invitation to be abused

As a sexual abuse survivor, I find this a beautifully designed story that talks about not only the guilt that comes from being a victim of rape, and the symbolism of "the devil" can be very much the confronting of guilt, the suppression of your sexuality as you fear you might lose credibility of being a survivor if you appear too sexual or continue to enjoy sex then people begin to doubt your experience. There is so much said without words, it's the journey of healing, only to become a victim again, and then you find yourself and your own agency. Sadly the time period treated the enlightened woman as they did the midwives during the height of the witch trials, they killed her. But in doing so made her a martyr.

as somebody who is a survivor of sexual abuse, I believe the rape scene was handled incredibly well. it so perfectly encapsulates that desperate hopeless harrowing feeling of being assaulted while also refraining from showing any explicit or objectifying imagery. we don't actually see the rape happen: we just see what Jeanne is feeling. we're watching her emotional journey through this process, not the actual rape itself. it steers in a completely different direction than how most sexual assault scenes are portrayed in media. it made me feel seen, not objectified unlike most other sexual assault scenes in media. it moved me very deeply.

I want a belladonna of anger

This film has the most unsettlingly accurate portrayal of grape at the very beginning. You don't see any actual penetration and it isn't even all that graphic, but the way they animate it is the single most realistic way I've seen it done as far as how it makes you feel. I still can't watch that scene again. It's too real.

If you do read this as a feminist piece, or at least anti-patriarchy, I think her becoming more beautiful is her shocked that even though she no longer traditionally fits into the societal role as a woman, she still is desired. She believes she’s subverting the male gaze in becoming more powerful and confident, but she STILL is being viewed by her physicality as opposed to her power. As women, no matter what we do we will be objectified and seen as being there for the sexual pleasure and viewing of men, no matter our individual standing in society.

Like you said in the end, I really don't think that this is like the typical ''feminist empowering'' movie, I see it more as a tragedy

I'm sensing that this may have inspired Tomie by Junji Ito, mostly the scene where the people's faces turn into hers

I find it interesting that they made Jeanne the pinnacle of ‘what a woman should be’. She is kind, soft and beautiful while also persevering through her hardships with kindness towards those who would turn their backs on her. She isn’t rageful, nor is she vindictive, she merely try’s to be seen as good in the people’s eyes. Jeanne’s beauty and kindness is ultimately her down fall. no matter who she pleases, she will always remain the martyr because of her attributes and she will remain as such.

It is interesting that both Lady Snowblood & Belladona of sadness came out in the same year 1973 where both somehow cement the idea that the suffering, violence & SA of women serves as her phoenix moment, a trope that has been heavily used until recently but is dying for good. Although this film isn't overtly feminist it does presents themes of rejection of patriarchy. It is a imperfect yet stunning film. Loved your essay.💜

This essay provided me with much needed cultural and historical context to understand the movie. Even with the audio problems, your video kept me engaged all the way through. Great job!

CW: SA (not explicit) I'm really ok with stylized assaults as long as they are not purely aesthetic. There's meaning in the SA scene here. I connect to it as a survivor bc of the distortions in time + sensory perception I experienced, while other aspects of reality were pushed back, blurred, removed. The scene captures that. The shock is in that scene too, & the simultaneous in-body/not-in-body surrealism.

I always believed that the new and more modern animation is better than the old one, because of its evolution. I changed my mind. This is on another level not just visually, but it also depicts a lot of intelligence from the authors to make it so abstract yet so understandable, and give it so much meaning.

I don't understand why the narrator called Jean a kind man. First, he chokes her unconscious, then, he rejects her after getting her hand chopped, and then blocks the door before she gets assaulted. He literally waited until the end of the movie to do something useful, and even then he's a complete failure ase he ends up a pincushion. While I respect him for his noble sacrifice at the end, I feel like he was too late at the start. He should've at least supported her and tried to get rid of her trauma.

I found it to be very thematically dense. There are so many valid ways of reading the film. It is also some master class wtfery. I kept wanting Jeanne to get a win, but the ultimate tragedy was that there were so many forces at work to pull her down. I really liked her character. Sh wasn’t some gung ho strong character, but a woman who showed her strength by continually picking herself back up again. She was naive, tragic, and soft, but also resilient and forgiving, helping the villagers who’d shunned her, ultimately winning them over and making their lives better, even though they were ultimately helpless to save her from her fate. It’s more complex than the usual female empowerment story that glorifies the rebellion, showing how her efforts often backfired on her. It’s strange, but I’ve found some of the most beautiful, complex, and thought provoking pieces are among the exploitation genre. Perhaps because exploitation is already delving into the taboo, it has more leeway to actually explore ideas often glossed over by the mainstream which feels the need to justify itself. Belladonna of Sadness never seemed to feel the need to justify itself to the audience for the majority of the film. Often films these days feel the need to hold your hands through the concepts they work with. This film takes you along and lets you figure out what you’ll take from it. And it is very sexy. A very confusing sort of sexy that makes you wonder if maybe there is something wrong with you for getting turned on.

My wife sent me this video and I had never seen the movie until now, so here I am. Great movie, but I definitely won't be watching it again. It makes me sad to know that so many families out there are raising their children in a manner that almost dooms them to repeat these cycles of violence, giving them very little chance for escape. I know so mamy men and boys that would see this movie as erotic because they've been so hypersexualized that nearly any hint of naked skin turns them on. It was literally a lesson we were taught early, that boys are dirty sexual creatures and that the girls must remain pure. Boys were encouraged to "steal as much virture" as they could while the girls were taught to remain on guard. I remember how it crept in to our children's games and made us feel awkward for playing with each other, until the day came were we no longer did. And then they wonder why they became strangers to one another, and in some people's eyes, enemies. Sorry for the rant. It was a very emotional movie portraying a silent history that should not have been hushed away.

I think the that makes me reluctant about this film is the way that Jeanne receives her powers through being repeatedly *raped* by the Devil. I feel like it kind of undercuts and contradicts the anti-sexual assault themes for the source of Jeanne's power and healing after sexual assault to originate from... yet another sexual assault. It would be different if she were just making a generic deal or having sex more willingly, but as it is, it comes across like one rape is somehow being expected to fix another rape. The only way it really makes sense to me is to view the film through the lens of the book it was based on, wherein Jules Michelet argued that women are forced into Satanism and witchcraft due to their mistreatment by society leaving them no other recourse, essentially arguing that the Devil is abusing desperate women the same way a pimp might. But he was arguing from a Christian background that saw the Devil as an actual, literal being, whereas this is an art film that is presumably working from a more metaphorical angle.

I would guess that if this film was inspired by Satanism, especially if it's the LaVeyan brand, then it's a fair interpretation to take "the devil" as being a metaphor for self liberation; it's her ego (not the bad "ego" like a narscissist, but "the ego" as in "sense of self"). More to the point, Lavey's Satanism puts emphasis on consent being necessary. Perhaps the SA scene with the devil isn't SA (presently occurring), but is the main characters internal confrontation with her past experiences, as it's imperitive to face our traumas to move toward self empowerment (another concept present in Laveys belief system- usually referred to as "magic", but really means psychology).

One of my favorite obscure animated movies. Glad more people are finding out about it!

I love the color symbolism analysis and you explaining the context of the cultural differences. Being able to interpret art however you like really makes me believe we all can connect, whether it be within ourselves or with everything else. No matter if we agree with one another or not, art speaks volumes to all! Great work!

just a thought, but in the context of The Devil being an expression of Jeanne's traumatized psyche, her exchange of sexual pleasure (the handjob) for The Devil's Power could be interpreted as an act of empowering oneself through self-pleasure (masturbation), an act that was seen (and still is in many religious traditions) as sinful and profane, and therefore a tool of The Devil (not saying that masturbation is evil or hurts anyone, but that's how taking one's pleasure into one's own hands was seen by the devout, as an affront to God's authority)

As a survivor, I find much more denigrating or triggering the graphic, realistic and "in your face" scenes of SA, I think this animation portraits the trauma of the attack without the morbid insensitivity of showing off the victims torture, also if anyone feels any kind of arousal from any kind of SA or SV that speaks more about that person's twisted mind than the scene in question 🙄

Was not expecting a video essay on Belladonna of Sadness in late 2023, but absolutely not complaining! This was a great video, and I’m glad you got the big views here!

Belladonna of sadness is one of the greatest experimental films produced from the 70's. You did well!

I was obsessed with Belladonna of Sadness back in college & found it on TUBI. I liked the art style & kinda ignored the story. Anyway, Jeanne is violated by men but finds power by submitting to a phallic object(the Devil). She ultimately ends up dying but she was always damned before her deal with the Devil. She's beautiful and helpless in a world that covets beauty and overpowers the weak

Thank you for bringing this film to my attention it has deeply touched something in me that has never been seen before. I’ve never felt so much more described in regards of emotional anguish and self reflection of grieving after SA. 10/10

This movie always triggered me as it was so parralel to my rape/sexual abuse and mental degradation leading to psychosis u_u I’ve healed from it in time but man this movie will always haunt me if put on near me 😢 sad cuz it’s very pretty animation

thank you so much. i needed a little explanation!! i was so confused by the reoccurring devil like i literally couldn’t tell if it was representing guilt or shame and when she pleasured him was it masturbation?? just bc positive things would always come after that helped jeanne like the cloth and the medicine. those representing her embracing her womanhood again even though she feels shameful. but whenever he visited i was scared!! it reminded me of when i first addressed what happened to me like it’s scary to think about and hard but addressing it is overall for the better. when the devil says “i am you” and “im as big as you want me to be” i feel like that’s saying this is your trauma and unless u deal with me you will always be in this state. then as she fully embraces the devil she becomes a witch and saves the village?? like idk that seems like a positive to me. she is coming into her power as a woman and healer and that is threatening to the baron

6:22 this point! I feel like this is what distinguishes earnest portrayals of human trauma vs portrayals that feel like fetish content pandering to creepy straight men, veiled under the guise of artistic integrity

Just popped up suggested for me, I can't believe this doesn't have more views! Keep up the great work :)

Butterflies also are found around the dead because of the salt in the blood I believe. But i could be reading way too much into it.

Personally, I think it's a very feminist film. It's a realistic portrayal and critique of how women are treated in society, which just like in real life, doesn't lead to a happy ending for most women. That's especially true of Japan, and DOUBLY so during the 1970s when this was made. That, to me, makes it a feminist film in the purest sense. Jeanne is a construct, a symbol through which the audience can see all of the most common ways women are disregarded and even treated with disdain and apathy by greater society. Jeanne has done nothing wrong, yet gets treated horrifically simply for being a woman. First her beauty and her virginity are exploited and become a source of great pain for her, as older men only see those two traits as the only value a woman has. We then see Jeanne overcome her trauma and gain power and influence through her own skill and talent alone. But even though the townspeople are happy to benefit from her hard work, they immediately turn on her the instant a man exposes her body, reminding them that she is a woman, and therefore should not be qualified to fulfill the roles that up until that moment, Jeanne not only succeeded at, but thrived in. It's the same tired double standard women have dealt with for centuries, and still deal with now in countless professions that have arbitrarily been categorized as "men's work". Finally, when everything has been taken from her and she abandons her previous life to become a witch living harmoniously in nature far removed from the organized society who shunned her, she again achieves power and influence,. Only this time, instead of her talent being incidental and irrelevant to her gender, now her power stems directly from it. Even her choice to embrace the devil is not a fault for her, as the church had done nothing but treat her horribly and try to make women fear their own bodies, rather than celebrate them. Once Jeanne embraces her womanliness, she flourishes. She even forgives all of the people who have betrayed her, for she is ultimately kind, and wants to show the repressed church that her way of life eases suffering, whereas the church only seems to cause it. But she is betrayed again by men in power and especially the clergy, mirroring the real life fate of respected and revered medicine women suddenly being stamped out by the church and labeled as heathen. Even the ending is not necessarily bleak. The first time she is betrayed, the rest of society turns against her, too. But the second time, the townsfolk rise up in defiance of the church to defend her. It's only the might of the deacon and his superior weaponry that ultimately cows the townsfolk into silence. I think this shows that society is slowly beginning to change their attitudes towards women, but feel pressured by current societal norms to keep any progressive opinions to themselves and continue upholding the status quo. Change is still far off, but at least the seed of hope is there that one day that change will come.

I decided to watch it after watching the first 5 seconds of this video. I'm glad I stole time from work to watch it. Your censoring of the abstract graphic portions are VERY well done. This whole video honestly.

im here since day one talking about how great belladonna of sadness is‼️‼️

this film was so beautiful and powerful to me. thank you for such a good essay :)

I feel Malena did what many want to feel Belladonna did but much better..also related to media such as Tomie and Helter Skelter. Clark Eileson's Video Essay 'The Horror of Having a Body' is another great one to watch if anyone is interested in this subject matter.

This is so depressing. Life sucks being a woman.

This story reminds me of my Abuela's story and a movie I saw. My Abuela was a stunning beauty who looked like a Mexican Ava Gardner and was both adored yet hated by both men and women. When she aged and got ill, people acted like it was a crime. It was perplexing to me bc she always had been good. She hadn't changed as a person so I couldn't understand why she was treated so differently. In the movie, there is a similarly stunning young woman in a small Italian town who is forced into prostitution after her husband is believed to have died in WW2. Local women refuse to hire her as a seamstress (it was a mostly female profession) bc their husbands lust after her and they are insecure. She is treated like a Jezebel purely on her beauty and it's from the view of a young boy with a crush. Her husband eventually comes back and they leave along with her ailing father to never return. Both stories are some of the many reasons why I believe there is a difference between a beautiful soul and a beautiful person. It's certainly possible to have both, but they are different things. People lust after beautiful people, but they see them as things without feeling or demonize them based on their own insecurities.

This video had me utterly enthralled from the moment it started. Excellent work!

I just closed my eyes whilst listening to your voice portraying the story, love your voice and the way you deliver and explains the story

Thank you for making this video, nothing more empowering than knowing we're not alone to go through this and also great awareness for the pain that sexual trauma survivors have to go through. This movie is so beautiful in all ways.

I have not watched this movie but your video convinced me to. I think that's a testament to how well you conveyed yourself.

i just watched the movie and this video popped and it was literally EVERYTHING I needed. thank you. amazing

Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I didn't know that I needed this. BUT I NEEDED THIS.

I LOVE THIS ESSAY!!! Love how there are more people talking about this movie its a hidden gem

This was incredible-thank you so much.❤

Had this in my "watch later" for a while and I'm so glad I finally got around to watching it. It's such a beautiful film with a very moving message but I can't watch it myself due to how sensitive I can be to strong depictions of SA, but your lovely analysis helped me get through it and I was finally able to experience the film, even if it may not have been in full or how it was intended to be experienced.

So glad someones finally talking about this film. I remember finding it on Amazon Prime one late night and watching it out of curiosity. Its such a beautiful film

i just discovered your channel by this video, i'm usuallybad at finding new youtubers to watch and listen to.. but i was immedietely hooked! your voice and way of speaking is so soothing! great job , please keep uploading

FINALLY I FOUND THIS VIDEO! I watched this video for a couple minutes and was enthralled by it but I accidentally deleted my history and for the life of me I couldn't find it anywhere, turns out I saved it in my video essay playlist I will now finish it

Good video, I think whatever you did in the "the tragedy" segment with the audio is probably the best to go with. considering the regular bumps in the audio, I guess you're having a mic stand. you might wanna put something soft-ish underneath to soften the blow. Also turning down the gain and turning up the volume in post might help with the overmodulation or maybe use OBS to record to keep your mic levels in check while recording. could you please also link the music you used? I really like your music choice and that you kept in mind not to make it too loud. I would love to listen to it on my own time. you have potential :3

You explored this piece quite beautifully, even the music and your voice blends and makes this epic

Great video! It's been a while since I saw the film but it definitely left an impression. Really great analysis!

the animation is absolutely beautiful. im in love with the psychedelic art, it's so unique.

This is a beautiful essay on a beautiful film

This was an extremely good video, im seeing some people make commentary on your mic/editing, but i honestly adored this video and didnt even think it was bad.

Love this so much I found this movie as a young girl and it was so shattering to be able to relate but also not fully grasping the concept as i was a young girl.

omg i loved this video!!! thank you so much queen

Excellent essay! 😮did not know that Tezuka was a part of this, I’ll definitely watch the movie.

loved your insights so happy I found your channel 🩵

love the analysis!! ill be sure to watch the full movie soon, your video is really really great i hope you gain more traction and success on youtube !! ❤❤

Stumbled upon this when I was gonna listen to Masahiko Sato's iconic soundtrack. I'm surprised this movie hasn't gained a larger following and really enjoyed this essay! Look forward to more from this channel

so glad I found this channel!

Ever since I gained weight (due to some health issues) I am no longer considered "beautiful". 0 catcalling, 0 pushy strangers, 0 annoyance. I guess being beautiful really can be an invitation to abuse.

Thank you for this deep essay, as an animator and a french woman myself it was very interesting ❤! Didnt know the movie ended with the French revolution imagery! I really need to see it, i know it stills is released in french indie cinema sometimes~ Amazing work on this essay!

The art is truly fascinating. Wish there were more movies like this.

Never was I bullied more than when I was “ugly” in jr.hi in an idaho hicktown full of haters in a woman hating cult. (Which is basically what the patriarchy we all live in is, so it’s not just idaho) which led at age 13 to my 1st suicide attempt. 10 years later I was paid to be a beautiful NYC runway model. Only to discover Beauty comes at a cost too. (For instance) I was 129 lbs and 5’9” and the stylists wanted me to be 119 and tried to get everyone a coke habit. Which didn’t work on me because I already had a career in publishing as a cartoonist and didn’t need modeling to pay my bills. Then when I was 40 I needed to leave the big city so I could attempt to buy a home (it took 10 years). During this time at every turn i got messed with in the new little hick town by haters, because I was now old and ugly and they are sexist or because I was beautiful and they were jealous or whatever reason. Any ways, haters are gonna hate no matter what you do. If you go through this world evoking extreme love and hate reactions in people you gotta be doing the right thing. Its a sign you inspire people. I got 99 problems but being boring is not one. As an artist my only goal is to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. Though even at age 50 with all my life experience accomplishments and wisdom I sometimes wish that 1st attempt had worked and spared me all these years of pain. But whatever, life is suffering, and if you accept that, the moments of fleeting happiness are sweeter. And every morning just try to give thanks that even though I need glasses, I can see, and pay my bills and that there is love in my life. I try to derive joy from strategizing and flexing continually and bigger and better to the haters with the hopes that one day they will stop. And my life legacy will be to make the lives of other magical beings easier in this world.

I saw thus movie forever ago on a random channel it's so cool to see someone talk about it!

Fascinating video, thank you.

I love the analysis in your video! It's a pretty good essay, and I appreciate the time you took to do this. 💖 Like what some people have said though, the images and videos flashed a bit too much. I do have tips for the type of artistic representation you have here though! 1) when showing important figures, like when you were describing the evil queen, you can instead use about 1, 2, or 3 videos that, each kind of slowed and mirrored so it doesn't have to switch far too often between those shots. 2) in relation to 1) ^^^, there's no shame in using still images between shots! In fact, you can also use still images that are drifting slowly left to right, to give a sense of movement while bringing your point across. 3) in terms of using important shots, it's awesome that you were able to use so much content from the movie itself. Again, however, you can always re-prioritize different shots into different portions of your video instead of reusing a few shots several times within one scene. Hope that makes sense! 😅 😊 I really do think you did a good job! Especially with the censorship, it was well done enough that I honestly kind of thought it was part of the movie. It wasn't that distracting! :> And it's awesome you're listening to your commentors as well -- and you're quite polite too. 😊 Good luck with your future videos!! ❤❤❤

This film is beautiful and horrifying at the same time. It's insane. But fascinating. The ending is morose but almost bittersweet. It's truly art in that it conjures various emotions and is something you can talk about afterwards. I don't think I could watch it again.

Wow I watched with this movie back in 2020 and had ZERO idea what it was about I just remember it being a artistic trip, this video really made me appreciate more

8:34 Hey, you mentioned the crow! None of the other analysis videos ever mentioned him for some reason. Thanks!

I own Fantastic Planet but I had forgotten all about this movie and haven’t seen it in decades! Now I have to go rewatch.

Thank you this is a beautiful essay about a very unique film. I am also a sa survivor and I really love this movie.

No seriously, i really love your videos. Don't stop making videos okay??

Hated this movie, but I love watching your video analysis! Very interesting, detailed, and informative!

Existing is often an invitation for abuse. There are just different aspects of it. This is an explanation of the excuse of beauty to abuse.

I listened to the music before even knowing that it was for a short film! The music is amazing, and is by Masahiko sato. I greatly recommend the music

Man... I never knew about this movie. Even with audio issues i truly enjoyed your essay. I hope you get enough views and subs so you can get a new mic because i would totally enjoy listening to more of your stuff. Amazing job. Insta sub.

I had no idea about this film! My favorite album by Alexandra Savior shares the title with this film. I'm definitely going to watch out for the references. Alexandra's watercolor artwork also looks heavily inspired by this film.

I'd never even heard of this movie so I had no idea what I was in for when I clicked on this video. I wish more films today were made with so many layers and such deep meaning. It's a shame that more intense subjects are shamed by the media when they show the sides of people we'd rather not see but are crucial when it comes to understanding our fellow man or even reflection of ones life/actions.

I'm really glad to see someone talk about this movie. Belladonna of Sadness is one of my biggest artistic and storytelling inspirations despite its flaws

I love this film the story and art is so beautiful

I wish my essays were this well articulated🙏

This video inspired me to write a song . Great work thank you for all you do 🥰🥰

I think Tezuka had something going on those years, Ayako (manga) had similar themes and was published on 1973 (I think). I wonder what was happening as they're the most different among his other works (maybe along with Dororo). In Ayako, this girl went through so much pain through her life, but got a somewhat bittersweet justice in the end by kind of dragging them to the hell she endured for twenty years. I brought this manga from the library without knowing anything about it, it just had a cute pink and purple cover. The story shocked me from the beginning, the only relief is that she could be free from her family and karma did get them all.

Is it just me? I can't help but think the Belladonna of Sadness and its setting and themes sounds like a novel written by a European author of old times set in hardbound leather and yellowing pages read under a tree surrounded by grass of wheat with whimsical, lyrical poetry that keeps the reader engaged but at the same time shocked, uncomfortable and forcing the reader to contemplate

Incredible essay

Wow, I haven't seen that thumbnail image in years. I never knew its origin. An ex of mine said it reminded him of me (the image)

This movie is a masterpiece💖🔝

If you dont feel super hot please know that this isn't a competition for one thing. No one is saying that other people don't get aped and have bad things happen. Actually one in 3 women in America will end up aped. One in 5 men will. One in 3 kids end up getting moles ted. We can discuss these things without being defensive. We can talk about our experiences without bettling someone else's. If pretty people privilege is a thing does that mean they deserve to be attacked and have bad stuff happen to them? It's not a thing btw. People think that because they get jobs in Hollywood and seem so happy on Instagram. But keep in mind that nothing comes without a cost. That's why Hollywood people take their own lives sometimes. Anyways, this was a great UKposts video. I didn't know about this. The art is really beautiful. Cheers

Thanks, never heard of this film before

This reminds me a little of “ The Sudbury Devil”. People, especially women, are driven to difficult and destructive bargains in order to survive.

i feel like this reminded me of malena when i watched it recently

i personally loathe everything the movie stands for even in its most charitable interpretations, and i still do...but your video essay made me realize its background, why it narrates its themes and tone, and the reason they're important. masterfully done

This seems like an amazing movie, I'm surprised bc I've been a serious anime fan for years and not heard of this one before!

You make video essays on niche artistic subcultures and films I’m actually interested in

i feel like viewing this movie only in terms of whether or not it is feminist is just reductive. the movie is about jeanne and the horrible things she goes through due to the patriarchy. i don't think it needs to be empowering, because it's fundamentally a film about how she can't maintain power due to being a woman. like that's the point. movies can be about bad things happening to people for no reason. the important part for me is that it is just about jeanne's experience, it's her perspective and focused on her emotional reality, and her life just really sucks for the most part. also as for people who dislike all the sex and nudity, it's quite literally a movie about sex, it's an x rated film. and it's not necessarily arousing, it's just about sex. it kind of makes me mad that we are assuming we are going to sexualize her in most of these moments or find them erotic. i won't let men being gross take away from what this movie is really about, which is jeanne's story.