Director: Tôru Murakawa
Screenplay by: Tatsumi Kumashiro, Tôru Murakawa
Starring: Ichirô Araki, Hiroko Isayama, Gô Awazu, Hajime Tanimoto
Country: Japan
Running Time: 75 min
Year: 1972
88 Films continue to bring under-seen gems from Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno line to Blu-ray, with their release of Playful White Fingers (a.k.a. Shiroi yubi no tawamure or Delicate Skilful Fingers).
The film was quite an early example of a Roman Porno. It was a big critical success on release, winning a pair of Kinema Junpo awards for Best Actress and Best Screenplay. It was also the first Roman Porno to show up in Kinema Junpo’s list of top ten films of the year. As such, it helped legitimise Nikkatsu’s bold, whole-hearted shift towards the genre.
Playful White Fingers was also the debut of director Tôru Murakawa, who’s now better known for making crime and action films, such as the Game Trilogy. He has said that he didn’t want to make Roman Pornos but was told he’d have to make three before he could be recommended by Nikkatsu to work as a director for other studios.
I often also feel a little embarrassed sharing my reviews of these films, due to their suggestive titles and taboo genre, but a lot of the Roman Pornos, this one included, are finely crafted dramas that just happen to have a fair amount of sex and nudity in them. So, I couldn’t resist giving this one a look, particularly given its strong reputation.
Here are my thoughts.
Playful White Fingers follows Yuki (Hiroko Isayama), a naive young woman from a small town, who moves to Tokyo in search of a new experience. In the city, she meets Jiro (Hajime Tanimoto), a self-confident pickpocket, whose boldness both intrigues and troubles her. At first, Yuki gets drawn into petty crimes, shoplifting and stealing from bookstores, acting as an accessory for Jiro.
When Jiro is arrested, Yuki’s life shifts again. She begins associating with his ex-girlfriend and his ex-cellmate, Taku (Ichirô Araki), people with loose morals and dangerous connections, which pull her further into a criminal underworld.
Over time, Yuki learns that loyalty is rarely reliable among thieves, that crime carries unseen costs, and that the world she has entered is more treacherous than she first believed.
I enjoyed this a lot. It’s one of the best of the Roman Porno’s I’ve seen, just a touch behind Night of the Felines, which just hit my sweet spot a little more closely. Playful White Fingers has quite a laid-back vibe. It’s not a thrilling heist movie or wild sex romp. Instead, we focus intently on our lead character with an approach more akin to the New Hollywood dramas of the era. Despite this slower pace, the film remains quietly engrossing.
The subtlety of Playful White Fingers, whilst possibly its greatest strength, does lead to a film that struggles to ‘wow’ its audience, perhaps. I found much to appreciate in the film and thought its story was compelling, but I never fell in love with it, as such.
One thing that’s interesting, though, is the film’s treatment of its central character and her development. It’s never overly judgmental of her turn to crime. She doesn’t face the usual brutal downward spiral you might expect from such a setup. There is a period when she’s hard up for cash after having been taken advantage of, but this isn’t dwelt upon. There are no cartoonishly evil characters tempting or abusing her either, though her partner, Toku, is rather callous and allows a friend to rape her at one point.
Instead of damning Yuki’s behaviour, the film sees her turn to crime and sex as an awakening or liberation. It’s an anti-establishment film, through and through, so it feels quite empowering.
Stylistically, it’s impressive too. Good use is made of colour in spots, and I loved the sequence where Yuki runs across a park, screaming in her head, towards a train. You think she’s going to commit suicide through the way it’s edited, but a reveal shows otherwise at the end.
There’s a lot of location shooting with handheld cameras. This again gives Playful White Fingers a feel of the New Hollywood films being made on the other side of the world. However, Murakawa claims he was more inspired by Bresson’s Pickpocket, and it’s easy to see the similarities.
Apparently, the script was written before Nikkatsu began the Roman Porno line. This, and Murakawa’s disinterest in making ‘porn’, might explain why the sex scenes seem a little distanced from the rest of the film, and how its drama is more effective than any titillating sequences.
So, overall, Playful White Fingers is a surprisingly sensitive and subtle drama about the temptation of a more thrilling life. Classily produced and engrossing, it’s another Roman Porno gem.
Film: 
Playful White Fingers is out on 13th October on region B Blu-Ray, released by 88 Films (pre-order it here). It looks good, clean and detailed, with rich, natural colours and a well-handled grain structure. I’ve used screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how it looks, though these have been compressed. The 2.0 mono audio is pleasing too, though I must admit I had the sound low because my kids were sleeping upstairs.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
– High-definition Blu-ray presentation in 2.35:1 aspect ratio
– Original Mono 2.0 audio with new English subtitles
– Audio commentary by Amber T and Jasper Sharp
– Exclusive new interview with Tôru Murakawa
– Brand new filmed introduction by Kei Chiba
– Stills gallery
– Trailer
– Scrap Cars and the Death of Affect: Booklet essay by Dimitri Ianni
Jasper Sharp and Amber T discuss the film in a commentary. This is loaded with interesting facts about the production and its cast and crew, as well as the usual discussion of associated films.
Tôru Murakawa is interviewed on the disc. He’s very chatty and talks in detail about his career leading up to his work in Roman Porno. It makes for an enjoyable watch.
Kei Chiba provides a 12-minute introduction too. In it, he describes Murakawa as a very practical director in various ways. He also discusses the anti-establishment theme and the symbolism of chewing gum in the film, explaining his thoughts on the final shot. It’s an illuminating piece.
I wasn’t supplied with a booklet to comment on that.
So, 88 Films have given another decent Roman Porno the respect it deserves. Hopefully, they have more to come.
Disc/package: