Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires (2001)
A Japanese pink cinema entry from director Hisayasu Satō, blending voyeurism, loneliness, and dangerous desire into a darkly compelling character study.
Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires - Movie Information
- Original Title: 人妻の値段 匂いたつ欲望
- Release Year: 2001
- Directed by: Hisayasu Satō
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama
- Runtime: 1h 20m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): December 8, 2001 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: Hitozuma no nedan: Nioutatsu yokujou (JP), Scent of a Married Woman (US)
- Production Companies: Legend Pictures
- Production Countries: Japan
Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires - Plot
A lonely guy is stealing garbage and then reading people's sex lives by sniffing and analyzing the waste. When his new neighbors introduce themselves to him, he becomes obsessed with the pretty wife next door. The poor girl is unhappy in her marriage and her husband can't get it up for her. When the neighbor stumbles home blind drunk one night, he reveals to that he's a chemist working on an aphrodisiac and gives our hero a sample to try.
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Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Hisayasu Satō
Main Cast
- Michio Hisauchi
- Atsushi Narasaka
- Momoko Nishida
- Mayumi Sawaki
- Sara Aoki
- Yoshio Miyashita
- Wataru Narita
- Mai Sagara
- Keiko Sonoyama
- Takae Yamada
Writers
- Ribon Kawasaki
Producers
- Kenji Ejiri
- Noboru Matsuda
Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires - FAQs
What is Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires about?
The film follows a lonely, voyeuristic man who sifts through his neighbors' garbage to piece together their intimate lives. When he becomes fixated on the unhappy wife next door, a chance encounter with her drunk chemist husband and a sample aphrodisiac sets a dangerous obsession in motion.
How does the aphrodisiac drive the story forward?
The aphrodisiac handed over by the neighbor's inebriated chemist husband becomes the catalyst for everything. It gives the protagonist a tool to act on his obsession, blurring the line between desire and manipulation and pushing the narrative into increasingly dark, morally ambiguous territory.
Who directed Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires?
Hisayasu Satō directed the film. A prolific figure in Japanese pink cinema, Satō is known for weaving social alienation and psychological unease into erotic narratives, and this film is a strong example of his distinctive, unsettling style.
What makes this film stand out in pink cinema?
Satō's approach elevates the genre by grounding desire in loneliness and social dysfunction. The garbage-sniffing protagonist is less a fantasy figure than a portrait of urban isolation, and the film uses its erotic premise to probe themes of voyeurism, power, and emotional disconnection in contemporary Japan.
Who are the main actors in this film?
The cast features Michio Hisauchi, Atsushi Narasaka, and Momoko Nishida in the central roles, supported by Mayumi Sawaki, Sara Aoki, Yoshio Miyashita, Wataru Narita, Mai Sagara, Keiko Sonoyama, and Takae Yamada.
Is Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires worth watching?
For fans of Japanese pink cinema and Hisayasu Satō's work, absolutely. The film offers more than its exploitation premise suggests, delivering a genuinely unsettling character study wrapped in genre conventions. Viewers drawn to transgressive, psychologically charged cinema will find it rewarding.
What are some similar films to watch after this one?
If this film's themes of desire and complicated relationships appeal to you, consider Chéri (2009), XX/XY (2002), It Feels So Good (2019), or Blind (2017). Each explores intimacy and emotional entanglement from a distinct angle, offering a varied but thematically connected viewing experience.
When and where was this film released?
Price of a Married Woman: Perfume of Desires was released in Japan on December 8, 2001. It is also known internationally as Scent of a Married Woman in the US market, and was produced by Legend Pictures.
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