Zoom In: Rape Apartments

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Zoom In: Rape Apartments is a 1980 Japanese pink film in Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno line, directed by Naosuke Kurosawa in his feature debut.

Plot
A woman living in a luxury Tokyo apartment suspects that the piano tuner on her floor might be the man who raped her years earlier. When she watches him rape another woman, she becomes convinced it’s him, but she’s reluctant to report him because she feels an odd attraction toward him.

Background and style
The film is an unofficial sequel to Zoom Up: Rape Site (1979) by Kōyū Ohara. Scripted by Chiho Katsurako, it was produced as Nikkatsu toned down the extreme violence of the previous film. The movie is noted for its striking visuals and surreal moments, with some critics comparing Kurosawa’s style to Seijun Suzuki.

Impact and reception
Zoom In helped spur a series of Zoom In/Zoom Up titles. Japanese critics praised its cinematography and imagery but found the writing weaker. Allmovie regards it as one of Nikkatsu’s more unusual pinku eiga.

Release
The film runs 68 minutes and is in Japanese. It opened in Japanese theaters on March 15, 1980, and was later released on DVD on March 24, 2006 as part of Geneon’s third wave of Nikkatsu Roman Porno series.