# Rope Hell

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{{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](/source/K%C5%8Dy%C5%AB_Ohara)<ref name="Allcinema"/>
| producer = Yoshiki Yūki
| writer = Kyōhei Konno
| narrator = 
| starring = [Naomi Tani](/source/Naomi_Tani)
| music = [Hajime Kaburagi](/source/Hajime_Kaburagi)
| cinematography = Hidenobu Nimura
| editing = Atsushi Nabeshima
| distributor = [Nikkatsu](/source/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](/source/1978_in_film) [Japan](/source/Japan)ese film in [Nikkatsu](/source/Nikkatsu)'s [''Roman porno''](/source/Pink_film) series, directed by [Kōyū Ohara](/source/K%C5%8Dy%C5%AB_Ohara) and starring [Naomi Tani](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Kinema_Junpo)}}</ref>
* [Nami Aoki](/source/Nami_Aoki): Machiko
* Hirokazu Inoue: Saiji
* [Hitoshi Takagi](/source/Hitoshi_Takagi): Hitoshi Hanamura
* Kenji Fuji: Gorō

==Background==
''Rope Hell'' was based on [Oniroku Dan](/source/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](/source/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](/source/K%C5%8Dy%C5%AB_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](/source/Naomi_Tani) in ''[Fascination: Portrait of a Lady](/source/Fascination%3A_Portrait_of_a_Lady)'' (1977), and had teamed her with her on-screen tormentor in ''Rope Hell'', Hirokazu Inoue in ''[Fairy in a Cage](/source/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](/source/Allmovie) judges ''Rope Hell'' to be an inferior film compared to ''[Fairy in a Cage](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rope Hell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_Hell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_Hell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.