"Shunga Sensei" The world where Yumiko lives, her determination

Hide, See

The theme of "hiding" frequently appears in "Shunga Sensei." To prevent the focus from being on the sexual intercourse of the genitals depicted in the shunga, Haga hides his genitals with a paperweight. Sometimes hiding a part allows the whole to be seen. Or sometimes enlarging a part with a magnifying glass reveals something. Yumiko discovers various emotions and techniques in shunga. As Haga lectures Yumiko, he gradually goes into a trance-like state. Yumiko's expression becomes ecstatic as she makes a series of discoveries. Perhaps an idea for his thesis has come to Haga, as he hurriedly begins to take notes. Yumiko expresses her guilt about learning about shunga for free. At this point, Haga forcefully grabs Yumiko's hand and declares that he will hire her as a housekeeper. Haga's raw emotions are what lead to the "disorder" that makes this work go crazy.

The idea of ​​the whole becoming visible by hiding and enlarging is similar to the structure of film itself. Film shows a "part" of life cut out by the frame, and an even bigger world unfolds outside the frame. The technique of close-ups can also be used to enlarge details. Emotions and technique. For example, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) reflects this "voyeuristic" structure of film in the film, both emotionally and technically. In that sense, it is interesting to note that Haga's house begins to look like the mansion in Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940). Just as the portraits of his ancestors hanging in the mansion in Rebecca spiritually dominated the film, the image of his deceased wife, her memorial portrait, dominates the house and Haga himself.

“Shunga Sensei”Ⓒ2023 “Shunga Sensei” Production Committee

When Yumiko heads to a party called "An Evening of Shunga and Wine," she accepts Haga's perverse behavior of having her wear the outfit his wife used to wear. Rather than accepting, it would be more accurate to say she takes on the challenge. From this point on, Yumiko's battle with her ghost and the love triangle begin. This scene can be seen as a declaration of war by Yumiko. Yumiko, who comes down the stairs in a dress, is already in battle mode.

Also interesting is the manner of covering one's mouth with a handkerchief when viewing precious shunga. This is done to prevent droplets from splashing about, but one notices that by covering one's mouth, the eyes are emphasized. From the movement and sparkle of the characters' eyes, we learn how they feel in front of the shunga. Here, the focus is on their emotions without a close-up on their eyes.

Between liberation and prohibition