Dreadfully Boring

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

When the number of bodies each adorned with a scarlet camellia start to mount, the authorities are keen to quickly find the murderer and solve the case. The deaths are obviously all related, each male victim has been slayed by the exact same method, as the investigation proceeds, suspicions begin to narrow... Director Yoshitarô Nomura's film is a spellbinding psychological thriller, a dark epic odyssey of revenge. Based on a novel of the same name by the distinguished Japanese author Shûgorô Yamamoto, the compelling drama/crime story is set in the 19th century. Typical of the great director his film is a multi faceted work, the subject of the investigation and the focus of story penetrate well beyond the common crime drama, Nomura weaves throughout insightful observations on the times, on the society and the social order in which the crime was committed. It is stylishly crafted with outstanding performances. Absorbed by the sumptuous detail the epic scope, The Scarlet Camellia, is an excellent film, captivating entertainment ... Highly Recommended