Film Review: Love Exposure (JPN 2008) - A Bizarre Love Triangle

Content:  In this podcast, we talk about the Japanese movie “Love Exposure” by director Sion Sono from 2008, which depicts a complex love triangle between three emotionally abused teenagers.  The film has been shown at film festivals around the world and has gained considerable fame. On the one hand, because the film is four hours long, and on the other, because it deals with multi-layered genre elements such as love, family, sexuality, religion, and the art of upskirt photography. The original cut was six hours long but was shortened at the request of the producers.  Despite its length, the film does not offer any boring moments.  Plot:  Three emotionally abused individuals on the fringes of society become entangled in a complicated love triangle.  Yu is a Catholic boy searching for true love and takes erotic photos of women in public until he meets Yoko, whom he idolizes as his Virgin Mary.  Yoko is a girl who despises her family and hates men. When she learns that her stepmother plans to marry Yu’s father, her world falls apart.  Aya, a member of a cult, pursues a plan to convert Yoko, Yu, and his family to her sect.