Playful White Fingers — Playful White Fingers( Blu Ray)

Playful White Fingers is an early 70’s Roman Porno, which blends in elements of crime drama with its fleshy encounters. The focus is on a naïve & sentimental twentysomething woman, who gets whisked off her feet by a pickpocket, becoming more corrupted the deeper she gets involved with him & his connections. Here from 88 Films, as part of their series of reissues from Nikkatsu studios' Roman Porno cycle, is a Blu-ray taking in a new HD scan, a new commentary, and a few other extras.

Playful White Fingers (aka Shiroi Yubi No Tawamure, Delicate Skilful Fingers) is from the year 1972. It was directed by Yamagata-born Tôru Murakawa. Between the early 70’s and mid-2010s, he had seventy-three credits to his name, with forty-eight TV credits and twenty-five features. He feature films took in the likes of Roman Porno, Melancholy Flesh Business: Sensuous Zone (1972). Nihilistic crime thriller The Beast To Die (1980).  Action revenge film The Hidden Trail of the Beasts (1981), female-fronted action-adventure Lucky 13 (1986), and Yakuza meets US crime gang Dangerous Cops: Final 5 Days (2016).

The film runs for one hour and seventeen minutes, and is set in and around a bustling Tokyo. We open with footage of a busy, traffic-packed central road/ street. We pan back into a café overlooking the road, and in the window seat sits Yuk (Hiroko Isayama)- a rather prim & proper young woman, with a neat short bob haircut. She is looking rather upset, so overstrolls the red and black cowboy shirt-wearing Taku (Ichiro Arak)- he asks what’s wrong, and she says she’s upset about the smashed up in the front stock car, which just moved passed

After leaving the café, the pair walk together through the city streets, with the cocky Taku chattering away. They end up in a crowded bookshop- where Taku starts stuffing books in his large over-the-shoulder bag- before walking out. Yuk is clearly aware of what’s going on but says nothing.

One thing leads to another & Yuk falls for the criminal, with the pair cementing their relationship as Taku takes her virginity. He ends up in prison fairly soon, but unfortunately, she first gets involved with Taku’s outspoken girlfriend and then his mirror shade-wearing cellmate.

The film has somewhat of a drifting, if pacey structure- as Yuk has one sexual encounter after another, and learns her trade as a pickpocket. Memorable moments occur on the street as Yuk gets pulled deeper into criminal life, being a lookout, and in a large, bright red bathroom, where one-on-one to splashing/foaming flesh encounters occur. 

 Isayama is good as our lead, shifting from innocent naivety to being out of her depth. Arak has a great swagger as the cocky/ manipulative pickpocket. With the rest of the cast doing well enough, too.

Playful White Fingers is an entertaining & sleazy crime drama. Yes, the flow of the film is a little loose/ drifting at points, but you are kept locked in as you wonder quite where Yuk will end up.

 

This new region B takes in an HD print- this is lovely, clean and crisp throughout, with the city streets really coming to life, as well as the moments of the colour red nicely popping.  With a nice mix between the film's score/dialogue, it features clear/easy-to-read English subtitles.

On the extras side, we get three new things.  First off, we get a commentary track from genre experts Amber T and Jasper Sharp- and as usual from this pair- it’s a wonderfully researched, well-observed, and at points rather amusing track. They begin by talking about how the film is rather fun and that it comes early within the Roman Porno cycle. They talk about how the film's title is somewhat of a double entendre and how it makes more sense the further you get into it.  They discuss how Tôru Murakawa only made a total of three Roman Porno’s- before going down the action/crime route, and they chat about how you can see the roots of this in the film at hand.  We find out Playful White Fingers was critically well-received when it came out. They talk about how the film's script/portrayal of its characters is grounded/believable. Later on, they talk about how the film is a love letter to Tokyo in the 70s, and the use of the colour red in the picture. They ponder the soapy orgy and how it's rather surprising, after the rest of the film is fairly tame with its sexual moments. They discuss Murakawa's filmography and say how wonderful it is to see a few of his films released this year. All in all, another excellent commentary track.

Otherwise, on the new side, we have- interview with Toru Murakawa (40.38). This is a great in-depth affair. And Touchy Feely (12.13) filmed by Kei Chiba. Both of these are in Japanese with English subs. Finished off with stills gallery & a trailer.

In finishing, don’t be too put off by the Roman Porno tag, as this is much more of a crime drama than an all-out Asian flesh fest. Once again, 88 Films serves up a great reissue here- with a crisp & clean scan, and a good selection of worthy extras.