Sharply directed, fascinating crime thriller from director Shuji Kataoka. The film smoothly mixes the crime film with the pink film and nearly succeeds.
A man with a briefcase is being pursued by a small yakuza gang. The man resembles one of the gang's leaders. After abandoning his vehicle, the man boards a train where a woman is being raped by three thugs. Intimidated by the rapists, the other commuters do nothing to help the woman. Neither does the man. Later, however, the raped woman, a hot lesbian, reports the rape to the police and a witness comes forward. This complicates things for the man on the run and he is forced to take steps to protect his own identity.
There is only one subway rape, but there are close to half a dozen rough rape scenes throughout the film's seventy minute running time. These are, for the most part, well shot and directed, and veer into S & M territory.
The crime elements are economically presented and the staging of several shootings is original and creative. A scene in which a woman manages to make a phone call during her own rape is an example of this film's novel approach to its subject matter.
Some of the sex/rape scenes go on too long, but it's a minor quibble in a film full of tense situations, some brutal violence and steamy hetero and lesbo action.
