Chūsei Sone (曽根 中生, Sone Chūsei, 1 October 1937 – 26 August 2014) was a Japanese film director known for his stylish and popular Roman Porno films for Nikkatsu, particularly the first two installments of the Angel Guts series.[1] Despite a somewhat uneven career, many mainstream critics consider Sone the best of Nikkatsu's Roman Porno directors.[2]
Life and career
Chūsei Sone majored in Art History at Tohoku University, and graduated in 1962. Soon after graduation, he began work as an Assistant director at Nikkatsu studios, where he worked with Seijun Suzuki.[3] Suzuki's directing style was to have a lasting influence on Sone's own later work. In their Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films, the Weissers[who?] compare Suzuki and Sone, writing, "Sone's films are riddled with quirky characters and surrealistic metaphors, but unlike the works of Suzuki, these movies are much more linear, plot driven, and ultimately crowd pleasing."[2]
When Nikkatsu started their Roman Porno series of mainstream theatrical softcore pornographic films in November 1971, Sone was quickly given his chance to direct. His first film was the historical sex-film, Eros Schedule Book: Female Artist (1971). He directed several more films set in historical time periods such as Erotic Story: The Peony Lantern (1972), which became a mainstream hit and won several film industry awards.[1] Later in 1972, Sone switched to contemporary themes with Lusty Sisters,[4] but would return to the period-piece with his popular action-sex film starring Nikkatsu queen Junko Miyashita, Female Ninja Magic: 100 Trampled Flowers (1974).[5]
By the late 1970s, Sone had become associated with a more violent style of eroticism in such films as My Sex Report: Climax Point (1976) and Shinjuku Mixed-Up Street: Wait Till I Come (1977).[6] When Nikkatsu decided to film Takashi Ishii's Angel Gutsmanga, Sone was a logical choice to helm the first two episodes of the series, Angel Guts: High School Coed (1978) and Angel Guts: Red Classroom (1979). Sone was given a Best Director award at the Yokohama Film Festival for Angel Guts: Red Classroom, and the film also won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor at the ceremony.[7][8] Director Toshiharu Ikeda, who worked as Sone's screenwriter and an assistant director on Angel Guts: High School Coed, said, of Sone, "He is simply a genius. He really is a true genius... We were all tremendously influenced by him." Of the Angel Guts series, Ikeda comments, "That series definitely had an impact on Roman Porno history, as well as on the audience."[9]
Throughout his career Sone directed many films of lesser quality, such as Overly Ripe Breasts (1973), Modern Prostitution: Lust Under A Uniform (1974) and 100 High School Girls: Secret Motel Report (1975). Nevertheless, his ability to continue to create stylish, innovative and popular films kept his reputation high.[10]
By this point, Eiga Geijutsu magazine reported that Sone was dissatisfied with his work in the Roman Porno genre, and wanted to make other films, but that he needed the income these Nikkatsu films provided. Nikkatsu gave Sone the chance to direct the non-Roman Porno series of light comedies, Glory Cheerleaders (1976–1977), which became popular hits.[11] While continuing to direct for Nikkatsu at this time, Sone worked for independent studios where he could enjoy more creative freedom, and not be tied to the pink film format. Hakata Kids' Innocence (1977), a simple story of one day in the lives of three junior high boys, is one such film.[12] Following the success of Red Violation (1980), Sone took a full break from pink films for three years to try other projects. He returned to the genre with the successful sex-mystery, Demon's Room (1982). Together with director Mamoru Watanabe, Sone started the Film Workers Production Company in 1982 as an outlet for more mainstream projects.[13]
After Tattoo (1984), based on a Tanizaki novel, Sone left Nikkatsu until 1986, when the studio gave him a relatively large budget to direct Adultery. Today judged one of his best works, the film was ignored by audiences and critics at the time because of the inferior quality of many films in the Roman Porno series of the mid-1980s. Sone directed a mainstream hit, Flying, in (1988) and then retired from directing.[14]
He died on 26 August 2014 in Usuki, Ōita, from pneumonia.[15]
^"Chusei Sone". (2005). Angel Guts - The Nikkatsu Series - 5 Disc Collector's Edition. www.artsmagicdvd.com ATU 017. Disc one: High School Co-ed. p. 1.
^第1回ヨコハマ映画祭: 1979年日本映画個人賞 (in Japanese). Yokohama Film Festival homepage. 30 October 2005. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
^Ikeda, Toshiharu. Jasper Sharp, interviewer. Sharon Hayashi, translator. 2005. An Insight into Chusei Sone in Angel Guts - The Nikkatsu Series - 5 Disc Collector's Edition. www.artsmagicdvd.com ATU 017. Disc one: High School Co-ed. Interviews.
^曽根中生氏死去＝映画監督 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
^Filmography from "曾根中生 (Sone Chusei)" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 1 October 2007.; "CHUSEI SONE". The Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 1 October 2007.; Chusei Sone at IMDband "Chusei Sone". 2005. in Angel Guts - The Nikkatsu Series - 5 Disc Collector's Edition. www.artsmagicdvd.com ATU 017. Disc one: High School Co-ed. Biographies.
Sources
"Chusei Sone". 2005. in Angel Guts - The Nikkatsu Series - 5 Disc Collector's Edition ([1]Archived 21 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine) ATU 017. Disc one: High School Co-ed. Biographies.
"CHUSEI SONE". The Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 1 October 2007.
Ikeda, Toshiharu. Jasper Sharp, interviewer. Sharon Hayashi, translator. 2005. An Insight into Chusei Sone in Angel Guts - The Nikkatsu Series - 5 Disc Collector's Edition. www.artsmagicdvd.com ATU 017. Disc one: High School Co-ed. Interviews.
