A singular deadpan comedy, The Passion tells a story of a young woman raised in a convent named Frances-ko (Mayuko Iwasa), after Saint Francesco. Distressed by not knowing about love and sex, she calls out for a sign from above, but instead hears a voice from below. A human-faced growth speaks to her from between her legs, constantly berating her, calling out "Woman, you are worthless!" Mr. Koga, as she names it, continues the verbal abuse, yet Frances-ko somehow adapts, forming an adversarial yet symbiotic relationship. This bizarre film, based on Kaoruko Himeno's acclaimed 1997 novel of the same name, is skillfully directed by Ryoko Yoshida, lensed by veteran cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa, grounded by Iwasa's show-stopping performance and enlivened by the hilarious Kanji Furutachi, who lends his voice to the chauvinistic Koga. The soundtrack boasts an unmissable eclectic score by legendary experimental musician and composer Otomo Yoshihide.
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Cast
5 people
Ryoko Yoshida Director · Kaoruko Himeno Story Yoshihide Otomo Composer
Worldwide gross $1.3M · Budget $25M · First release December 7, 2013
Box office
Budget
$25,000,000
Worldwide gross
$1,300,000
Gross vs. budget
0.1×
Production
Phantom Film
Production
Japan
Produced in
Languages
Original title
受難
Original language
Japanese
Spoken on screen
Japanese
Release dates
Japan · December 7, 2013
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
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Some details come from TheTVDB.