A young man begins a deadly affair with a married woman in this relationship thriller. Makoto Hirano (Masatoshi Nagase) accidentally bumps into Nami (Shinobu Otake) as he is getting off the train, following the woman to her work at a property rental agency, which she runs with her husband Hideki (Hideo Murota). Nagase asks for a job and proves himself an effective communicator. Hideki is oblivious to the new recruits designs on his wife however. At first led entirely by Makoto, Nami begins to develop feelings for him, enjoying the attention while her husband frequents bars with younger women. When Hideki discovers their illicit relationship, Makoto realises that in order to have the woman he desires he may have to kill her husband.
Based on a novel by Bo Nishimura and directed by Takashi Ishii, “Original Sin” delivers a tale of high drama as Makoto and Nami’s secret is threatened and the stakes are raised as what appeared to be a casual affair takes on terrifying new possibilities. The film takes its time to build up the three main characters before delivering a shocking final act as emotions that have lain buried come frothing to the surface. It plays out as a modern day tragedy, with Makoto and Nami’s first innocuous meeting at the train station taking on a horrific significance as it marks the first step on their doomed paths. The main cast do a stunning job with the characters; Masatoshi Nagase slowly evolves Makoto’s easy charm into something more sinister; Shinobu Otake’s masks Nami’s deeper passions with a veneer of naivete; and Hideo Murota delivers a heartbreaking performance of a man whose betrayal at the hands of his wife feel sickeningly real. The simple beauty of Takashi Ishii’s direction is perfect for a film in which the everyday nature of the love triangle belies the depth of emotion it represents and the psychological pain inflicted through infidelity and unrequited love. In two sequences between Makoto and Nami, one in which they walk alongside moored boats at sunset and another in which they share a conversation by an open window, Ishii manages to capture their relationship perfectly, the subtle manoevering, the feints and gambits of their dialogue, and the passions that threaten to overwhelm them entirely.
“Original Sin” is a must-see for fans of emotional thrillers. A simple plot that is perfectly executed, the film draws you in with its tale of forbidden love before turning to something much darker as it progresses. Both the acting and direction succeed in maintaining tension as the three players are drawn into an unavoidable tragedy.
