Dirty Thoughts
Originally titled “Private Emotion,” “Dirty Thoughts” is like a lot of pornographic films I’ve seen (not that I have a lot of such films, mind you). It has a merely passable storyline which leaves a lot of room for the real reason you’re watching, and the production values aren’t that impressive.
What distinguishes it is the fact that it’s animated. In Japan, this type of film is called Hentai, a term that has a negative connotation in the country, meaning “sexually perverted” (it can also mean metamorphosis or abnormality, but neither of those words apply here).
Yeah, that phrase just about covers whatever story this film has. A film in two parts (approximately 30 minutes each), “Dirty Thoughts” tells the story of Professor Sayaka, who has just arrived to a new school after having to leave her previous university under allegations of an affair with a student named Shin. But will history repeat itself? More importantly, will it also lead to a “meeting” with the dean of the university…or maybe his wife?
You probably know the answer to that already. I came across this disc when my old DVD standby Mediaplay was going out of business. Hey, it was 40% off, alright. And it’s given me infinite amounts of pleasure since…sort of.
Like most porn I’ve seen, what story there is simply serves the sex (which is ample and gymnastically impressive), which is a bit stiff (no pun intended). Seriously, is the animation budget so low for this film that you can’t make things look a little arty? I’m not asking for animation on the level of a Miyazaki or Satoshi Kon, but seriously folks. Of course, given the genre’s negative history in Japan I can’t be that surprised. It’s more than a little silly, especially when watched with the English dub of the dialogue, with readings so stilted that it’s painfully funny (the subtitles of the original Japanese are better, but still have some pretty ridiculously cheesy moments).
Why review this type of film? Well, for one thing because I can as webmaster of this site. Plus, my goal is to explore all types of films with not just my “Movie a Week” section, but the website in general. Whatever you think of this type of film morally or artistically (on the latter, I’m a little impressed watching it again for this review, but let’s face it, the story’s a joke), it’s still a type of film. It may not be a good one, and yes there are moments of discomfort while watching the film (especially as it depicts superiors taking advantage of subordinates and a teacher-student relationship (albeit a genuinely loving one, but still)), but someone out there felt it should exist for a specific type of audience. The makers know what their audience wants, and they give it to them. Personally, I’ll stick with films like “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Lolita,” and last week’s entry “Therese and Isabelle,” which are more erotic and psychologically compelling than something like this could ever be.
