Belladonna of Sadness

2016 • 87 minutes

About this movie

One of the great lost masterpieces of Japanese animation, never before officially released in the U.S., BELLADONNA OF SADNESS unfolds as a series of spectacular still watercolor paintings that bleed and twist together. An innocent young woman, Jeanne is violently raped by the local lord on her wedding night. To take revenge, she makes a pact with the Devil who transforms her into a black-robed vision of madness and desire.

Ratings and reviews

The animation is beautiful, stunning and breath-taking. The storyline is easy to understand and nicely executed. It truly does show the hardships of women that are still relevant today as well as how the barriers of good and evil can be blurred at times. I would advise not to watch, if you are weak at heart for things like sex and rape, it is the crux of this movie. Though Jeanne is raped, she empowered to fight for herself, which is admiring. If you like Ralph Bakshi's "Fritz the Cat" and "American Pop", you would enjoy this a lot, as it has a great soundtrack, bright animation and a compelling story to tell.

A masterpiece...if you want to see this movie for free download Tubi on the play store. This obscure piece of media should be shared throughout the world! The music is brilliant, the story makes yoy feel for the characters, and the visuals are stunning. Worth the watch, I just wish the people that created this were given more credit...

This movie is beautiful. The story, though at times hard to understand, is a powerful message of feminism. If retaining the knowledge that the movie is from the 1970's the art work and stylization can be appreciated to its fullest extent. Though at times some moments in the movie may seem repetitive and the sexual scenes extensive, the movie as a whole is a good watch.