The Rape (1982)

Interesting facts

The Rape is a 1982 Japanese drama film directed by Yōichi Higashi and co-written by Higashi with Konomu Shinozaki, based on a novel of the same name by Keiko Ochiai. It tells the story of a career woman (kyariaūman) who is raped. She sues her rapist, with the film focusing on the fallout of this decision. The film stars Yūko Tanaka in the lead role, in addition to Morio Kazama, Masahiko Tsugawa, Takanori Goto and Hiroshi Kashiwagi. Michi Tanaka composed the film's score, and it also features the insert song "Aozora, Hitorikiri" by Yōsui Inoue. The Rape was theatrically released by Toei Company on May 15, 1982, in Japan.

Production

Toei producer Toru Yoshida had made many male-oriented films during the tenure of company president Shigeru Okada. However, when he saw director Higashi's film No More Easy Life (1979), he was deeply moved. He teamed up with Higashi's production company on his follow-up, Shiki Natsuko (1980), as well as The Rape. The film was co-produced by Rieko Zanma, a female producer who stated she would give advice "on how to portray women's psychology."

The Rape was greenlit in the wake of American films such as Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Annie Hall and An Unmarried Woman becoming popular among Japanese women. Films dealing with rape were also gaining prominence at the time, such as Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff.

The role of Shogo was initially offered to Toshiyuki Nagashima, who had worked with Higashi on Third Base. However, Nagashima turned it down, as he did not get along with the director.

Tanaka's rape scene was filmed in a vacant lot along a river in Mitaka, Tokyo. It took seven hours to film, with some sources claiming the scene was shot over the course of four days in total. It was shot late at night in the cold, requiring repeated retakes. By the end of this process, Tanaka was exhausted, saying, "I felt miserable, like I had really been violated."

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