“Barber’s Sorrow” (理髪店主のかなしみ), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 2002, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA833

This is an original Japanese B2 poster issued in Japan for the first domestic theatrical release of Barber’s Sorrow (理髪店主のかなしみ) (2002), directed by Ryūichi Hiroki—a provocative early-2000s Japanese drama whose cult reputation rests on its off-kilter blend of erotic obsession, black humour, and melancholy. Released theatrically in Japan in November 2002, the film centres on a barber whose fetishistic desires spiral after he meets a mysterious woman, pushing his carefully managed life into dangerous territory.

Poster design

A striking, contemporary Japanese graphic-design one-sheet that leans hard into pop-art minimalism and uneasy comedy. A green halftone male face dominates the centre, topped with a surreal crown of multiple pale legs in red heels—a visual shorthand for fixation and desire. The background shifts from hot red to cool blue in wavelike bands, while the title “Barber’s Sorrow” is set in bold black type across the bottom, with a small photographic figure embedded as a punctuation accent—an intentionally disorienting mix of illustration, print texture, and photographic collage typical of Japan’s more adventurous early-2000s poster culture.

Condition
Very Good / Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 23 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint. Certificate of Authenticity included.