Before we get too deep into the review, this is the 1988 version of Gate of Flesh directed by Hideo Gosha (Samurai Wolf). Don’t confuse this with the version by Seijun Suzuki (Tokyo Drifter) from 1964. Both films are based on the novel by Taijirô Tamura about women who turn to prostitution in a ruined Tokyo after World War II has ended. Both deal with the U.S. troops occupying the land. Gosha’s version is a bit more harsh on how it deals with the relationship between American forces and the residents of Tokyo during this time.
The movie opens with a view of modern Tokyo with giant skyscrapers filling the landscape. Words on the screen remind viewers that at the end of World War II that Tokyo was a bombed out and millions were homeless. We are taken to these ruins of the past in a flash. In a bombed out part of Tokyo, a group of American soldiers are having fun with the local women who are eager to make them forget about their girls back home. The GIs wheel and deal to save a few bucks on an overnight lay. Before things can get too serious, the military police raid the neighborhood rounding up dozens of prostitutes. A group escape. They have occupied a semi-destroyed apartment building. Each night they chip in a cut from their hooker money with the dream of fixing up the building and calling it Paradise. The women have bonded themselves via a bloody ceremony that seems a bit more extreme than what the Yakuza will be doing to members. The ladies also worship their new God – an unexploded bomb that dangles in the middle of the building. They think it’s a dud, but nobody wants to have it removed for fear that it’ll blow up. The ladies do their best to survive in this barely recovering part of Tokyo. Can they hold back Japanese mobsters and American troops?
Hideo Gosha’s Gate of Flesh is an intense experience that has just the right amount of color to keep from becoming extremely depressing. There are flamboyant moments that verge on a musical number almost breaking out. But then the rough nature of their lives spring out instead of a song. The prostitutes are tough as they fight for survival. During a meeting with a rival group of hookers, a fight breaks out in a bus that’s wrecks the place like a classic James Bond battle. There are sensual moments in the midst of the demolished landscape. Gosha brings a lot out of the film that sets it apart from the other theatrical versions. He doesn’t glamorize the time, but he shows moments of brightness in the bleak landscape. Gate of Flesh gives a sense why these women are hustling for the hopes of a future in the Tokyo of 1988.
The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 1080p transfer brings out the devastation of the sets. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 Mono in Japanese. The movie is subtitled in English.
Limited Edition Numbering so you know exactly which of the 4,000 Limited Edition copies you own.
Audio Commentary by Amber T. and Jasper Sharp has them talk about how the films was called Carmen 1945 when Toei released the movie in English language countries. They talk about the historical context of post war Tokyo and how it reflected in fiction such as Gate of Flesh.
Brand New Filmed Introduction by Earl Jackson (22:09) talks about how Gate of Flesh progressed from a novel in post-war Japan to a successful play in Tokyo. Jackson dips into how the five film versions deal with what was going on in Japan at the time each were made. The last version is his personal favorite. Hideo Gosha’s version has its own perspective on modern Japan including the opening image of Tokyo in 1988.
Interview with Toei Tattoo Artist Seiji Mouri (11:33) has him explain the designs he came up with for the characters. He talks about actors forgetting they had tattoos on their back and lean back on a chair. This meant Seiji would have to repaint them.
Teaser (0:52) opens with a lot of running in the dark and destroyed Tokyo.
Trailer (1:53) sets us up for the summer of 1947 with fighting women in the streets.
Stills Gallery (3:20) includes posters, publicity photos and press kit photos.
Illustrated Booklet with Irene Gonzalez Lopez and Robin Gatto.
88 Films present Gate of Flesh: Limited Edition. Directed by Hideo Gosha. Screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara. Starring Rino Katase, Yûko Natori, Tsunehiko Watase, Miyuki Kanô, Jinpachi Nezu, Kazuyo Matsui & Senri Yamazaki. Running Time: 119 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: May 27, 2025.
