A Woman Called Sada Abe

Over a black screen, Sada Abe recounts aliases from her past, setting a confessional frame for the story. The narration leads into a newspaper headline announcing 'Document: Sada Abe' and the projected title 'Kichi Sada 2'. This opening establishes the autobiographical framing and a foreboding tone for the events to come.

The lovers, Sada and Kichi, are shown together, marking the start of their intense relationship. The moment carries a fatalistic edge as Kichi predicts that their love may end in death. The scene sets up a bond that will collide with social norms and personal danger.

Soldiers march past the couple as they enter the inn, anchoring their romance in a nation on the verge of militarism. The setting casts a backdrop of public duty clashing with private transgression. The scene blends intimate rebellion with public tension in the era.

Sada and Kichi engage in a lengthy sexual session that spans from April 23 to May 7, 1936. Their play includes knives, biting, and mutual strangulation, pushing boundaries of pleasure and pain. The intensity deepens their bond while hinting at the peril that lies ahead.

During a pause when Kichi goes to shave, Sada accuses him of adultery with his wife, exposing the possessive and jealous core of their relationship. The tension reveals how trust is eroded by fear and control. This moment foreshadows further ruptures in their bond.

A crowd watches a radio report about the February 26 Incident while soldiers march past. Sada and Kichi remain absorbed in their private ritual, oblivious to the outside chaos. The juxtaposition emphasizes their obsession and detachment from reality.

They strangle each other with their obi as the tension escalates and Kichi's neck bears marks. A doctor is summoned, and Kichi is put on a liquid diet to recover. The scene intensifies the sense that their sexual rituals have life-and-death consequences.

Feeling the threat of separation, Sada spills all of his medicine, a drastic act that reveals her control and desperation. The moment exposes how dependence and coercion have seeped into their relationship. It marks a turning point toward more dangerous behavior.

In another session, Kichi asks Sada to strangle him again, insisting she finish without stopping halfway because that would be too painful later. She complies, intensifying the brutality as a mode of intimacy. The line between love and violence becomes increasingly blurred.

Following the brutal climax, Kichi is killed. Sada rubs her breasts against his face, attempts to feed him beer, and castrates him. She cuts herself and writes 'Kichi Sada 2' in blood across his body. The murder marks the film's most infamous, shocking moment.

During the progression of the climactic scene, Sada's past life flashes before the viewer: banishment from a wealthy family after losing her virginity to rape, then living as a prostitute and bar-maid. She eventually finds work at the inn where she meets Kichi. The memories contextualize her choices and resilience within a harsh social system.

The crime becomes a national sensation as reports spread and a masseur comments on Sada's identity. The masseur suggests she must have loved Kichi to broadcast their story so openly. The film ends with Sada's arrest, sealing her fate in the public record.