Cloistered Nun: Runa’s Confession marks our third and final review from Kino’s Masaru Konuma/Nikkatsu collection. The previous two films prompted quite different reactions from me, but from what I’ve seen, it looks like this third film was the charm. Runa’s Confession is not only the most cinematic of the three, but also provides a decent and entertaining pulp tale, while operating on a higher level than either Erotic Diary of an Office Lady or Tattooed Flower Vase.
The basic plot of Cloistered Nun: Runa’s Confession concerns a young woman, Runa (Runa Takamura, Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter), driven to a life of cloistered purity after finding her boyfriend sleeping with her step-sister. As it turns out for poor Runa, the convent isn’t as upstanding and moral a place as she had hoped. Instead of peace and meditative quiet, the heart-broken girl finds herself becoming a mere plaything for the convent’s sex-crazed priest. Thus, Runa is given one of the rudest of rude awakenings: the world is cruel and terrible place, and even those deemed by society to be most worthy of trust more often than not prove otherwise. But Runa, being an intrepid young woman, figures that if peace cannot be had, at the very least she can get even. Using an alluring setup of moneymaking through religious propaganda, Runa sets in motion a plan to con her sister, her unfaithful boyfriend, and the vile priest himself out of everything they own.
I know what you’re thinking. “Surprise surprise. A nunsploitation film that criticizes the church.” And yes, admittedly the “sex crazed priest” thing isn’t all that original; a lazy, junior high grade criticism at best. But that’s not really the film’s focus, nor is it something that the film mulls over for any amount of time. Instead it explores the relationship between Runa and her sister, the corruptive effects of greed and lust, and the irreversible warping of a person wronged by those they trust. And it’s what happens in the aftermath of these betrayals that makes the film interesting. In cases of revenge films, 
heroines often go the route of physical violence, but in the case of Runa’s Confession, this vengeful heroine avoids violence altogether, instead setting traps, and becoming more cunning and devilish than her oppressors in the process.
Director Masaru Konuma loves his pretty pictures, and here he pays special attention to ensure those pictures possess meaning in addition to style. Worth particular notice is his usage of color (red in particular), to denote the inner qualities of a person as well as possible dangers within their environment. The most visible example of this would be Runa herself, who goes from being clad in stark black and white to being completely enveloped in red by the end of the film. The film also marks Konuma’s first collaboration with regular cinematographer, Nobumasu Mizuno (Erotic Diary of an Office Lady), who manages to ratchet up the film’s style a few more notches.
Which brings me to the subject of the film’s sex scenes. Of the three Konuma films sent to review, this one seems the most decadent, but at the same time, the most restrained. While the previous two films 
tended to have long lapses of dead time while couples collided on the floor, in this film Konuma makes a concerted effort toward using that same time to advance the plot. I counted no less than three lengthy conversations concerning all sorts of scheming and trickery, each integral to the upcoming developments, and which actually made the scenes interesting the whole way through. Furthermore, going into the second half of the film, carnality for the most part takes a back seat to story, only to erupt in the craziest cross-cut parallel sex scene sequence I’ve ever seen. Seriously, this thing cuts back and forth between three locales, featuring various numbers of participants, and finishing with an impressive superimposition / juxtaposition of them all. Crazy, crazy stuff.
In the acting corner, Golden Half member, Runa Takamura, does a pretty decent job in the lead. Looking something like a hapa-Chloe Sevigny (closest point of reference. She actually looks a good deal better), she brings the necessary mix of carefree fun, innocent sensuality, and cold calculation to the role. Heck, she even sings the film’s two theme songs. Looking at her page on IMDB, it’s actually a bit surprising how short her film career was. Also making an appearance are Yoko Azusa (Go-Go Second Time Virgin) as an exceedingly friendly nun, and Aoi Nakajima (Erotic Diary of an Office Lady) as Runa’s sister.
Definitely the best of the Konuma films I’ve seen, Cloistered Nun: Runa’s Confession is a textbook guilty pleasure that works on concurrent levels of art, exploitation, intellectualism, and pulp entertainment. If you have any interest in Konuma’s films or the RomanPorno genre in general, this would be a very good place to start.
The DVD.
Again, Kino does an absolutely stunning job in their presentation of a Nikkatsu classic. Cloistered Nun: Runa’s Confession is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and original Japanese mono soundtrack. The transfer is exceedingly clear, looking like a full-on Criterion restoration, but without the hefty price tag.
The same Masaru Konuma bio that made its appearance on 
Erotic Diary of an Office Lady and Tattooed Flower Vase shows up here again. As stated before, if you’ve not viewed a “roman porno” before, you’ll want to read the bio before watching the movie. Also included is the original trailer for the film (worth a watch to see how they marketed it).
All in all, this is the best film in Kino’s Nikkatsu/Masaru Konuma series. If you pick up only one, this one should be it.
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