Portrait of Hell

Armed with a talent that's startlingly pure, Korean painter Yoshihide (Tatsuya Nakadai) can't bring himself to paint a falsehood. So when cruel megalomaniac Lord Hosokawa commissions him to create a depiction of paradise to reflect the nobleman's glory, Yoshihide warns him that all he's likely to produce is a portrait of hell. This nightmarish drama is based on a short story by author Ryunosuke Akutagawa, who also penned the film's screenplay.

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UncleBob egz 1463647 CWL187

» Reviewed by 1 person

The Japanese love working their superstitions involving ghosts and karmic retribution into films as often as possible. Portrait of Hell is another folkloric Japanese story brought to life with some pretty unconvincing special effects and a plot that requires total suspension of disbelief. Personally, I love this superstitious quality of the Japanese culture. I find it fascinating that an advanced society could really believe the things they do. Portrait of Hell is not the best of these types of films but, it's story is almost interesting enough to overcome the visuals. In my opinion, with Tatsuya Nakadai as the lead, you really can't go entirely wrong. If this film had had a lesser star at the helm, I wouldn't have liked it at all.
- pterosaur