Rokugatsu no Hebi / A Snake of June (2002) - Coming to Terms with Your Inner Demons - 8/10 (01/05/22)

A Snake of June is an erotic drama written and directed by Tsukamoto Shinya who has created films like bizarre dystopian horror movie Tetsuo: The Iron Man and gloomy romantic drama Vital. He also plays the role of a mentally unstable stalker, along with veteran actor Kotari Yuji as aging husband with obsessive-compulsive disorder and versatile actress Kurosawa Asuka as suicide prevention counselor with explicit erotic fantasies. The messages of this movie that Tsukamoto Shinya had been planning to make for about two decades are to be in love with oneself and to live life to the fullest.

The plot revolves around suicide prevention counselor Rinko who has an unhappy marriage with her older husband Shigehiko who is obsessed with his job as businessman and cleaning their luxurious but cold apartment in some dystopian concrete metropolis. One day, Rinko receives a mysterious letter with photographs showing her wearing sexy clothing and masturbating. The young woman is shocked and confused but gets a call from her stalker before she can think of talking to her husband or calling the police. It turns out that the mysterious stalker is a man whose life she saved by telling him to find purpose in life and do whatever he feels like doing. The stalker now wants to pay the counselor back by making her rediscover her sexuality and live out her most intimate phantasies. He promises her to hand out all the negatives of the explicit pictures he has taken once the counselor has followed his advice and guidance towards sexual freedom and mental well-being step by step. Rinko feels angry and disgusted at first but soon discovers a sense of confidence and liberty that she hadn't felt in many years. Things however take a more complicated turn when her stalker reveals that he is dying, when her husband gets suspicious of her secret activities and when she realizes that she has to take a life-changing decision.

This movie convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the film's cinematography is absolutely outstanding, The movie was shot in black and white before a metallic blue colour tone was added in post-production. This gives the film a gloomy mood that complements the sinister settings in a soulless metropolis and the constantly depressing weather as there is heavy rainfall throughout the entire film.

Up next, the movie has a strong surreal touch that sparks much creativity in the final third as the lines between reality and dream are blurred more than once. A memorable highlight is the mysterious show of sex and violence organized in some anonymous basement. Another strong scene is the photo session on some downtown construction site in the middle of the night. The movie however culminates in the final ten minutes when mystery, violence and sex collide in equal parts.

One also has to point out the excellent acting performances in this courageous film. Lead actress Kurosawa Asuka is absolutely stunning as she convincingly portrays a caring counselor, a loving wife and a passionate woman on a quest for freedom. Kotari Yuji manages to give his character a creepy vibe as the professional businessman and polite husband also has a selfish and sinister side. Tsukamoto Shinya convinces as a character going through changes from having suicidal thoughts over wanting to help his counselor in a shockingly inappropriate way to becoming obsessed with his saviour and protecting her by any means necessary.

Another detail that adds much to the movie is the moody soundtrack that has the elegance, intensity and power of classical music while sounding absolutely timeless and never old-fashioned. The soundtrack makes the gloomier passages even more sinister, the mysterious scenes even more puzzling and the violent sections even more intense.

A Snake of June also offers much food for thought. This film might be over after seventy-six minutes already but leaves several questions unanswered. I have my very own theory about what has happened in this movie but numerous other theories also have their reasons to be. My suggestion would be to watch this movie alone and without having read about any spoilers to spark your own creativity and develop your personal point of view.

At the end of the day, A Snake of June is an erotic mystery drama for adults that has been crafted with great care, detail and imagination that should spark interesting discussions and could justify multiple viewings. Most importantly, this movie is one of its kind while still retaining some of the trademarks of other Tsukamoto Shinya movies. If you want to discover a movie that boldly walks off the beaten path, give this hidden gem a fair chance.