There's great risk adapting a manga that is graphic and provoking into a live action movie with real actors. I was attracted to this movie as the synopsis mentioned it was about the role of women in Japanese society and a teacher trying to go against gender disparity and social norms, It has apparently been causing some scandal since it came out in Japan. Fact is the scandal is probably more about the in-your-face repetitive graphic sexual violence that keeps coming throughout the movie like a torture. 2 stars for the acting that is very good. In between long pauses where the teacher shares her thoughts and dilemma, the audience has to endure unwatchable scenes of rapes which will make you either close your eyes, feel nauseous (in my case) or wonder when to leave the theater. Someone watching this end to end passively with no emotion should get checked. The important messages and story of this movie gets mudied and forgotten by the shock from these scenes. You barely have time to catch your breath that an other scene is thrown at you, all the way till to end of this 2 hours movie. If it ever gets shown in foreign countries outside Japan, the trigger warning would probably last 5 minutes. Maybe audience would have to sign a waiver. I'm a man and watching this movie disturbed me for 2 days afterwards. As I left the theater, I saw no less than 5 people crying loudly out of less than 30 in the audience. Again, adapting a manga true to its story and images into real live acting as its risks but in this case, the result is unbearable and unnecessary.
