{{Short description|1978 Japanese film directed by Kōyū Ohara}} {{Infobox film | name = Rope Hell | image = Rope Hell.jpg | caption = Theatrical poster for ''Rope Hell'' (1978) | director = Kōyū Ohara<ref name="Allcinema"/> | producer = Yoshiki Yūki | writer = Kyōhei Konno | narrator = | starring = Naomi Tani | music = Hajime Kaburagi | cinematography = Hidenobu Nimura | editing = Atsushi Nabeshima | distributor = Nikkatsu | released = {{Film date|1978|06|24}} | runtime = 69 min. | country = Japan | language = Japanese | budget = | gross = }}
{{nihongo|'''''Rope Hell'''''|縄地獄|Nawa jigoku}} is a 1978 Japanese film in Nikkatsu's ''Roman porno'' series, directed by Kōyū Ohara and starring Naomi Tani.
==Synopsis== Akiko is the heir to a yakuza clan. Hitoshi, who has been kicked out of the rival Hono Clan after attempting to seduce Akiko, kidnaps her at the behest of Hanamura. Hanamura has formed a new gang and intends to use Akiko as a hostage to take over her clan's territory. During the torture and abuse sessions which follow, Akiko comes to enjoy the treatment and forsakes her gangland empire.<ref name="allmovie">{{cite web |first= Robert |last=Firsching |url= http://www.allmovie.com/work/245150|title= Nawa Jigoku|access-date=2009-09-14 |publisher=Allmovie}}</ref><ref name="Weisser 354">{{cite book |last=Weisser|first=Thomas|author2=Yuko Mihara Weisser |title=Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films|year=1998|publisher=Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications|location=Miami|isbn=1-889288-52-7 }}</ref>
==Cast== * Naomi Tani: Akiko<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.kinejun.jp/cinema/id/18845|script-title=ja:縄地獄(邦画)|access-date=2009-09-14|language=Japanese|publisher=Kinema Junpo}}</ref> * Nami Aoki: Machiko * Hirokazu Inoue: Saiji * Hitoshi Takagi: Hitoshi Hanamura * Kenji Fuji: Gorō
==Background== ''Rope Hell'' was based on Oniroku Dan's novel {{nihongo|''Yakuza Angel''|やくざ天使|Yakuza tenshi}}.<ref name="Allcinema">{{cite web |url=http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=146351|script-title=ja:団鬼六「やくざ天使」より 縄地獄(1978)|access-date=2009-09-14|publisher=allcinema.net|language=Japanese}}</ref> Like much of Oniroku Dan's works, ''Rope Hell'' uses the theme of a character who is changed through S&M sessions.<ref name="allmovie"/> At the same time that he was creating such dark torture-fests as ''Rope Hell'', Kōyū Ohara was also directing the bright and upbeat ''Pink Tush Girl'' films, which were popular with women as well as men.<ref name="allmovie"/><ref>Weisser, p. 313.</ref> Ohara had previously worked with Naomi Tani in ''Fascination: Portrait of a Lady'' (1977), and had teamed her with her on-screen tormentor in ''Rope Hell'', Hirokazu Inoue in ''Fairy in a Cage'' (also 1977).<ref name="allmovie"/> Both of these films had also based on Dan's writings.<ref name="Weisser 354"/>
==Critical appraisal== Allmovie judges ''Rope Hell'' to be an inferior film compared to ''Fairy in a Cage''.<ref name="allmovie"/> In their ''Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films'', the Weissers also write that ''Rope Hell'' is not up to the quality of Ohara and Tani's previous work together, but comment positively on Ohara's visuals.<ref name="Weisser 354"/> The Weissers judge Oniroku Dan's story to be more objectionable than some of his others, with the message that a woman will choose submission and reject self-expression if given the choice, to be clearer than in his other scripts.<ref name="Weisser 354"/>
==Availability== ''Rope Hell'' was released theatrically in Japan on June 24, 1978.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/details/12990|title= 縄地獄|access-date=2009-09-14|publisher=Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs)}}</ref> It was released to home video in VHS format in Japan on February 6, 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00005FBZF/|title= 縄地獄 (VHS)|access-date=2009-09-14|language=Japanese|publisher=Amazon.com}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
===English=== * {{cite web |url=http://www.citwf.com/film239694.htm|title=NAWA JIGOKU|access-date=2009-09-14|publisher=Complete Index to World Film}} * {{IMDb title|0287585|Nawa jigoku (1978)}} * {{cite book |last=Sharp|first=Jasper|title=Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema|year=2008|publisher=FAB Press|location=Guildford|isbn=978-1-903254-54-7 |pages=220, 335}} * {{cite book |last=Weisser|first=Thomas|author2=Yuko Mihara Weisser |title=Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films|year=1998|publisher=Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications|location=Miami|isbn=1-889288-52-7 }}
===Japanese=== * {{cite web |url=http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=146351|script-title=ja:団鬼六「やくざ天使」より 縄地獄(1978)|access-date=2009-09-14|publisher=allcinema.net|language=Japanese}} * {{cite web |url= http://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/details/12990|script-title=ja:縄地獄|access-date=2009-09-14|publisher=Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs)|language=Japanese}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1978/db001750.htm|script-title=ja:縄地獄|access-date=2009-09-14|language=Japanese|publisher=Japanese Movie Database}} * {{cite web |url= http://www.kinejun.jp/cinema/id/18845|script-title=ja:縄地獄(邦画)|access-date=2009-09-14|language=Japanese|publisher=Kinema Junpo}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.nikkatsu-romanporno.com/shousai/h88.html|script-title=ja:団鬼六「やくざ天使」より・縄地獄|access-date=2009-09-14|publisher= www.nikkatsu-romanporno.com|language=Japanese}}
==Notes== {{reflist}}
{{Kōyū Ohara}}
Category:1978 films Category:Films directed by Kōyū Ohara Category:1978 Japanese-language films Category:Nikkatsu films Category:Nikkatsu Roman Porno Category:1978 Japanese films Category:Films scored by Hajime Kaburagi