Belladonna of Sadness

Belladonna of Sadness

Year: 1973

Runtime: 86 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Eiichi Yamamoto

DramaFantasyAnimation

After a brutal feudal lord forces himself on a bride on her wedding night, he shatters her life and that of her husband. Banished from her village, the woman turns to a pact with the devil, gaining the magical power of the belladonna—a flower that blossoms from tears—to exact a haunting revenge.

Belladonna of Sadness (1973) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Belladonna of Sadness (1973) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In a remote medieval French village, life throbs beneath a weight of ancient rites and feudal authority. The rustic landscape is cloaked in a mist‑filled atmosphere where superstition and whispered folklore blend with the harsh realities of a tightly ruled society. This world pulses with a lingering dread, its quiet streets and stone houses trembling under the unspoken power of those who govern—an atmosphere that feels both timeless and on the brink of unraveling.

Jeanne, a young bride, arrives at the threshold of marriage with hope still bright in her eyes, while Jean, her husband, embodies the simple, earnest devotion of a peasant man yearning for a shared future. Their union, however, is shattered in a single night by an unthinkable violation at the hands of a domineering lord, an act that fractures not only their bodies but the fragile fabric of their lives. The trauma binds them together in a desperate, fragile tenderness that teeters on the edge of despair.

Cast out from the only home they have ever known, the bride finds herself wandering the wilderness beyond the village’s walls. In the deep silence of the forest she encounters a forbidden promise—a pact that offers her the eerie gift of belladonna, a flower that blooms from tears and grants her a dangerous, otherworldly power. This dark covenant awakens a latent strength within her, hinting at an inevitable reckoning that could reshape the balance of power in the region.

As whispers of her newfound abilities begin to drift back toward the village, the air grows charged with a mixture of fear, awe, and restless curiosity. The story lingers on the cusp of myth and reality, suggesting that the repercussions of one woman’s anguished choice may echo far beyond her own fate, seeding a legacy that could one day stir the very foundation of the world she once called home.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 23:00

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Surreal revenge stories like Belladonna of Sadness

Visually experimental and harrowing journeys of victims turning to supernatural power.Explore movies like Belladonna of Sadness that blend intense psychedelic animation with profound themes of trauma and vengeance. If you liked the harrowing, surreal visual style and the narrative of a victim's supernatural empowerment, these films offer a similarly challenging and immersive experience.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern typically follows a protagonist who endures extreme violation or injustice, often breaking their spirit and reality. Their path to revenge or liberation is not conventional but involves a descent into a dreamlike or hallucinatory state, where they gain otherworldly power, blurring the lines between psychological breakdown and mystical awakening.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared commitment to using avant-garde, non-realistic visuals to express deep psychological pain and the radical transformation that follows. They share a dark, oppressive tone, high emotional intensity, and a focus on the intersection of trauma, feminism, and supernatural forces.

Bleak historical allegories like Belladonna of Sadness

Grim period stories where personal tragedy reflects systemic collapse.Find movies similar to Belladonna of Sadness that use a bleak historical setting to tell a story of profound injustice and its consequences. If you were captivated by the film's allegorical depth, medieval oppression, and its connection of personal trauma to a grim historical legacy, these recommendations will resonate.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread unfold in a meticulously realized but cruel historical world. A central character's devastating experience—often involving sexual violence, witchcraft accusations, or feudal abuse—serves as a microcosm for the corruption and hysteria of the era. The ending is typically bleak for the individual, but hints grimly at a larger, historical reckoning to come.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their use of a historical setting not for adventure, but to explore themes of power, oppression, and collective trauma. They share a dark tone, complex narrative structures that blend realism with allegory, a heavy emotional weight, and a profoundly bleak conclusion that provides a cold, intellectual form of catharsis.

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Belladonna of Sadness Summary

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Belladonna of Sadness Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Belladonna of Sadness

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