Gaspar Noé names his favourite erotic film of all time
Gaspar Noé is undoubtedly among the most original filmmakers working today, having directed challenging gems such as Irreversible and Enter the Void. Noé also produced one of last year’s finest films in the form of Vortex, a heartbreaking psychological drama about an old couple coming to terms with their mortality.
Many critics and audiences consider Noé’s vision of cinema to be extremely controversial. Often associated with the New French Extremity movement, Noé is obsessed with capturing the fundamental depravity of the human condition. While his use of violence alienates some viewers, others see him as a worthy successor to Jean-Luc Godard.
During a conversation with the New York Times, Noé was asked to name some of the cinematic masterpieces that have influenced his journey as a filmmaker. He started out by listing Stanley Kubrick’s pioneering masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey which he first saw when he was just seven years old.
Noé also cited the works of other important filmmakers, such as Martin Scorsese, before acknowledging the influence of one specific Japanese director – Kōji Wakamatsu. According to Noé, Wakamatsu’s vision of cinema had a huge impact on his own vision. His film helped Noé to develop his unique artistic framework.
“This Japanese director is weirdly still unknown to North Americans,” Noé explained. “In the 1960s and ’70s, his career was as prolific as Fassbinder’s was in Germany. Ex-Yakuza, he started working in movies as a location manager for films which were shot in the red light districts of Tokyo, owned by the local mob. Then he started directing the most daring, erotic, political films ever to be made in his country.”
The acclaimed filmmaker also claimed that Wakamatsu directed his favourite erotic film. Noé added: “My absolute favourite one is The Embryo Hunts in Secret. He also produced Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses. I had the privilege to meet him several times in both Tokyo and Paris. He was laughing all the time. Just thinking of him or Scorsese always puts me in the best mood.”
The Embryo Hunts in Secret is an obscure cult classic by the Japanese filmmaker who made a name for himself in the notorious pinku genre. The film depicts various portraits of sadomasochism, featuring bondage and other acts of power in relation to the human body. One look at the film is enough to understand why Noé loves it so much.
