The first two-thirds are better. Got an absurdist noir thing going on.

The middle seemed a bit difficult to follow to me, but I think I wasn't feeling well at the time, so I'll have to give it another spin for objectivity's sake. There was payoff though, it wasn't exactly meandering. The Hell portions really were well done. Downright haunting. The screaming baby motif added some serious emotional baggage that I needed, but didn't really have until that point in the film (again, probably my fault. Your mileage may vary).

Nakagawa creates some great horror imagery, but the hell in the last act might have been much more satisfying if the plot leading up to that point wasn't so muddled and incoherent. For this reason I thought The Ghost of Yotsuya was better than this.

Nakagawa doesn't mind leaving incomplete questions in this nightmarish and free-associative fever dream. Why is the essentially innocent Shiro condemned? Who or what is the strange Mephistophelean character Tamura? What sets all these people, some guilty and some innocent, on the path to Hell? An uncompromising and unrepentant achievement, not only for its notorious orgy of gore and dread, but for Nakagawa's refusal to portend logic and reason to questions unable to be answered.

It's an incredibly silly film, but I'm assuming that nobody, myself included, is expecting much depth from a Japanese horror film titled 'THE SINNERS OF HELL'. The last act is pretty creepy and memorable, but the actual plot leading up to it is barely serviceable. Judging it as a whole, I'd say it's a pretty substandard horror film that would have benefited from some editing and a more consistently surreal tone.

the middle bits drag on and make less sense than the hell scenes, but when it takes off you're in for one hell of a ride, no pun intended. the surrealist hell scenes are so effectively frightening i didn't know what to do with myself. it would not be unreasonable to say that this movie has had an influence upon some modern horror (namely splatterpunk), and it is not surprising one bit that it was remade...twice.

The actual Hell sequence drags a bit, but Jigoku is inventive and unique, with dark, moody cinematography filled with beautifully framed shots.

A great melodrama that literally goes to hell.

An unorthodox and unique film in the annals of cinema. The nearly tangible, suffocating aura of the film coupled with the astounding brutality of its effects combine for an unforgettable experience, for better or worse. I should like this movie more than I do, but the handling of the religious or, hell, let's just call 'em supernatural elements, seemed a bit too literal and not all-encompassing enough to leave lasting distress (which, by the way, is something I treasure in a movie).

A really fine piece of existential dementia. The first two acts are more interesting than the gore-infused third (which is still fun on its own merits, but mostly exists for its own sake and not to further any semblance of 'plot'). The sins of the father/redemption caught in limbo is masterfully depicted.

I agree with FFD; the best parts of this movie happen before any of the shocking gore, when everything is falling apart around the protagonist's world. Very interesting look at Buddhist hell.

A disturbing look at Buddhist hell with an intense story of resisting temptations and resisting the urge to sin.

The real life bits were surprisingly more compelling than the scenes in Hell. Not bad.

Best known for its finale in Hell, but I preferred the build-up, as Shiro's life gets bleaker and bleaker, and the death and debauchery around him intensifies. Hell is a bit silly. I might have been more shocked if the effects and makeup weren't so unconvincing. The Hell sequence does have some pretty amazing stuff, though: the wheel of fire, the tangible sense of despair, and the chaotic jump cuts. I also loved the final scene, which evoked an odd sensation of comfort and sadness.