Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon – 88 Films (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1971
Director: Shôgorô Nishimura
Writer: Kazuo Nishida
Cast: Kazuko Shirakawa, Tatsuya Hamaguchi, Makiko Tsunoda, Mike Danning, Kôji Himuro, Ikunosuke Koizumi, Sôichirô Maeno, Yôko Mita, Sumikata Sekido, Ryûji Ôizumi

Release Date: December 9th, 2024
Approximate running time: 63 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"Japan’s oldest film studio Nikkatsu scandalized the nation when it launched its lavish Roman Porno brand of high-class sex films in 1971 with Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon. Directed by Shogoro Nishimura, this sensuously shot classic of eroticism made a star out of the sensational Kazuko Shirakawa as the bored suburban housewife, Ritsuko, who embraces paid sex work in order to spice up her married life." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition Blu-Ray Presentation In 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio."

Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.6 GB

Feature: 17.5 GB

The source is in great shape; there is some very minor print debris that remains. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, black levels are strong, and image clarity and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable), an interview with Mio Hatokai titled An Introduction To Roman Porno (14 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Irene Gonzalez-Lopez, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 20-page booklet with cast & crew information, and an essay titled Kazuko Shirakawa: The Naked Joan of Arc written by Dimitri Ianni.

Included is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray.

Summary:

Shôgorô Nishimura directed Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon. In the 1970s, and into the 1980s he was one of the more prominent directors making romantic pornography films for Nikkatsu. The films The House of Beasts, Gate of Flesh (a soft-core remake of a Seijun Suzuki film) and Hell of Roses are among his other notable works. Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon is the first in a series of 21 films. These films are not direct sequels; they are more connected thematically than by sharing characters.

A neighbor blackmails a sexually frustrated housewife, forcing her to engage in sexual acts with men for money.

Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon is a landmark film; it was Nikkatsu’s first romantic pornography film. Being the first film, it would establish a foundation that Nikkatsu would use for over 1,100 films over the course of 17 years. Filmmakers could make any film they wanted if they stuck to the formula; films should be around 70 minutes in length, and there should be a sex scene every 10 minutes.

Something Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon and most romantic pornography films have in common is their tone. When one thinks of softcore erotica, these films try to arouse and have a more lighthearted tone, while Nikkatsu’s romantic pornography films are the opposite. Throughout Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon, there are few moments of joyful pleasure, and its bleak ending serves as a perfect coda for the wife's journey.

Blackmail and sexual unfulfillment are the two themes explored in Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon. Besides the wife, there are other women in her apartment building who are part of the network that connects them with men. There is also a subplot where the wife reconnects with a man from her past. In a no-win situation, the wife's confrontation with her blackmailer ends with her accidentally killing them.

Though most of the performances are serviceable, it is Kazuko Shirakawa's (Vengeance Is Mine) portrayal of Ritsuko, the blackmailed wife, that carries this film. The only sympathetic character is hers; with her needs going unmet for a long time, she is preyed upon by predators. She delivers a remarkable portrayal of an emotionally broken character whose choices come back to haunt her. Another performance of note is Makiko Tsunoda’s (Debauchery) portrayal of Yôko, the unscrupulous blackmailing neighbor.

From a production standpoint, Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon is a film that often exceeds its limited resources. Pacing is not an issue; there are an ample amount of twists, and a bleak finale puts an exclamation mark on the events that unfold. Though the sex scenes have the required digital blurring, they are nevertheless well-executed and clever in the placement of the camera. Ultimately, Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon is a solid example of a Nikkatsu romantic pornography film that’s a must-see for fans of this genre.

Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with strong audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer