Jen Yamato of The Daily Beast describes Belladonna of Sadness (Kanashimi no Belladonna) from 1973 as a “long-forgotten X-rated psychedelic animation gem about one woman’s violation, persecution, and sexual awakening produced over four decades ago by the makers of Astro Boy.” Read about the film here and watch the NSFW “psychedelic orgy of sexual liberation explode” in the clip above.
Now Belladonna of Sadness has been brought to vivid new life by a group of L.A.-based cineastes who have given the 1973 gem a 4K restoration and added eight minutes of explicit footage back in. After its unveiling late last week at Austin’s Fantastic Fest, Belladonna will be released stateside for the first time next year.
The stunning rediscovery, adapted by anime veteran Eiichi Yamamoto more than 40 years ago from Jules Michelet’s 19th century French proto-feminist text La Sorciere, tells the tragic tale of a blissfully happy peasant bride in feudal France.