Jigoku (translated from Japanese as “hell”) is a tale of two college students who accidently run down a gangster with their car.  They don’t report the killing and things start to spiral out of control for them, especially Shiro, the one with the guiltier conscience.  Eventually, the entire cast of the film is murdered in one way or another and end up in Hell, where they are tormented.

Jigoku is strong stuff for 1960.  The 35-minute closing is a tour-de-force of outré film.  The torments displayed include dismemberment, sawing, eye gouging, and lashing.  Post-war Japan appears to have known something about hell and it appears that everyone ends up there, even if they appear to be without sin.  The film seems to suggest that life itself is a version of hell and that demons walk among us.  Disjointed, experimental, and fairly disturbing, Jigoku is an excellent introduction to Japanese horror.  ☆ ☆ ☆.

MJM  08-12-2012