Belladonna of Sadness (Kanashimi no Beradona) (1973)
85%RT Audience Score: 75%
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
Belladonna of Sadness has more than enough brilliant visual artistry to keep audiences enraptured even as the film’s narrative reach slightly exceeds its grasp
Belladonna of Sadness is a wild ride that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about animation. The watercolor artwork is stunning, but don’t be fooled – this movie is not for the faint of heart. It’s a trippy, psychedelic journey that will have you feeling like you’re on LSD yourself. But if you’re up for the challenge, Belladonna of Sadness is a mind-bending experience that you won’t soon forget. Just make sure you’re ready for the ride!
Production Company(ies)
Sony Pictures, Classics Radical Media, Sen Art Films,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Mono
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Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Japanese
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Country of origin:Japan
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jul 19, 2016
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Drama/Anime
Keyword(s)
starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Aiko Nagayama, Masaya Takahashi, Masakane Yonekura, Katsuyuki Itô, Shigako Shimegi, directed by Eiichi Yamamoto, written by Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Eiichi Yamamoto, Fantasy, Drama, Anime, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Violet Lucca, John DeFore, David Ehrlich, Soren Andersen, Charles Solomon, Josh Kupecki, Guillem Martinez Oya, Panos Kotzathanasis, Emilie Black, Tim Brayton, Michael J Casey, produced by x, MPAA rating, magical powers, peasant woman, deal with the devil, temptation, tragedy, innocence lost, evil triumphant, counterculture animation, LSD-influenced, watercolor animation, Freudian fever dream, psychedelic imagery, pornography, Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Aiko Nagayama – Jeanne, Belladonna (Voice)
Masaya Takahashi – The Lord (Voice)
Masakane Yonekura – The Priest (Voice)
Katsuyuki Itô – Jean (Voice)
Shigako Shimegi – The Lord’s Mistress (Voice)
Director(s)
Eiichi Yamamoto
Writer(s)
Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Eiichi Yamamoto
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (4)
Carefully constructed and a little sloppy, alluring and disturbing, this gem deserves a trigger warning, but also a chance.
March 1, 2018
Violet Lucca
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The artwork is achingly delicate, but there’s nothing subtle about Belladonna of Sadness.
March 1, 2018
John DeFore
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Still, there’s an undeniable genius at work here, strong enough to survive the psychedelic sleaze that’s been baked into every frame.
March 1, 2018 | Rating: B+
David Ehrlich
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
It’s a classic tale of temptation and tragedy, of innocence lost and evil triumphant.
June 23, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
Soren Andersen
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
The paintings simply aren’t strong enough to hold the audience’s attention and carry the story.
May 13, 2016
Charles Solomon
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
For those up for an adventure into the LSD-influenced world of counterculture animation, Belladonna of Sadness is a curious artifact that, after 43 years, remains a glorious mind****.
May 12, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Josh Kupecki
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
A museum’s picture in movement. A stimulant revisit to the legend Joan of Arc. About womanhood empowerment [Full review in Spanish]
May 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Guillem Martinez Oya
Cinematismo
Belladonna of Sadness is a landmark in the history of animation, both Japanese and international, and both due to its style and its radical content,
July 26, 2020
Panos Kotzathanasis
easternKicks.com
It’s a story worth at least one watch even if these aspects are not for you as the trippy watercolor animation should keep anyone’s attention.
April 19, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Emilie Black
Cinema Crazed
It hits hard, and it keeps hitting, and even the moments that are narratively light are still heavy with the foggy dream-like quality of the artwork.
April 10, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Tim Brayton
Alternate Ending
Eichii Yamamoto artfully implements the human drama of the story amidst the visual phantasmagoria, preventing the anime from becoming just a collage of images.
December 1, 2019
Panos Kotzathanasis
Asian Movie Pulse
Belladonna is a Freudian fever dream, replete with psychedelic imagery, pornography and a score resembling Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew.
August 3, 2019
Michael J. Casey
Boulder Weekly…
Plot
A peasant woman is banished from her village and makes a deal with the devil to gain magical powers in the anime fantasy/drama film, Belladonna of Sadness.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no specific goofy or funny comment about the film Belladonna of Sadness on Fresh Kernels, but one of the cast members is Tatsuya Nakadai, who voices the Devil in the film.
Eiichi-Yamamoto.jpg
