Lust, betrayal, and poison ignite a cynical saga in 13th-century Japan.
THE NOTORIOUS CONCUBINES
A Thousand Year-Old Ribald Classic!
Dark, cynical Japanese epic brought to U.S. in a dubbed version by shlockmeister Harry Novak. Still, this gory, sexy epic is made with style and interesting for to compare to "Yojimbo" and other masterworks of the form.
Quick Answer
The Notorious Concubines is a 1968 Japanese drama directed by Kōji Wakamatsu about a discontented housewife who poisons her husband and plunges into a web of lust, betrayal, and decadence.
Programmer's Pick
Kōji Wakamatsu takes the gloves off in this gory, sensual drama—think Yojimbo, but with more poison and a lot less honor. It's a fever dream of bad decisions, where the only thing more dangerous than the sword is the bedchamber.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Director
- Kōji Wakamatsu
- Writers
- Shin-Chen Wang, Atsushi Yamatoya
- Release
- 1968
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Country
- Japan
- Genres
- Drama
- Also Known As
- Kinpeibai
Cast & Crew
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Why Cult
This film delivers a bleak, stylish take on ambition and excess, standing out from other period dramas with its dark tone.
A housewife's pursuit of passion and power leads to poison, affairs, and a tangled web of relationships.
Expect explicit scenes and graphic violence—this is not your grandma’s costume drama.
The film invites comparison to samurai masterworks, but opts for decadence over duty.
Scene Gallery
Questions from the Vault
When was The Notorious Concubines released? +
The Notorious Concubines was released in 1968.
Who directed The Notorious Concubines? +
Kōji Wakamatsu directed The Notorious Concubines.
How long is The Notorious Concubines? +
The Notorious Concubines has a runtime of 90 minutes.
What genre is The Notorious Concubines? +
The Notorious Concubines is a drama.
Where can I watch The Notorious Concubines? +
You can watch The Notorious Concubines on SassyFlix.
