“Shura / The Pandemonium” (修羅), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1971, ATG First Release, Design by Setsu Asakura, Ultra Rare, B2 Size (51.5 × 72.8 cm) — K83

This is an ultra-rare original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the 1971 first release of Shura, known internationally as Demons and bearing the English title The Pandemonium on the poster. Directed by Toshio Matsumoto, this disturbing work of Japanese experimental cinema combines samurai tragedy with a nightmarish exploration of betrayal, obsession and revenge.

Produced by Matsumoto Productions in association with the Art Theatre Guild (ATG), the film followed Matsumoto’s groundbreaking Funeral Parade of Roses (1969). Adapted from the kabuki drama Kamikakete Sango Taisetsu by Tsuruya Nanboku IV, it stars Katsuo Nakamura, Yasuko Sanjo and Juro Kara.

Its story of a ronin drawn into deception and escalating violence transforms a period setting into an intensely unsettling psychological world. The poster captures that atmosphere through repetition, stark contrast and a single unexpected flash of purple.

The design is by Setsu Asakura (朝倉摂), the distinguished artist and stage designer who also served as the film’s art director. Her Shura poster has been included in the National Film Archive of Japan’s exhibition devoted to Japanese film-poster art, giving this striking design a documented place in the country’s graphic-design history.

A precise grid of repeated, high-contrast photographic faces surrounds the title panel and fills the lower portion of the sheet. Different expressions recur in vertical columns and across the central rows, creating a claustrophobic rhythm of staring eyes and deep shadows. The effect recalls the serial imagery of Pop Art while conveying the film’s atmosphere of fixation and dread.

One portrait near the lower left is printed in deep violet, interrupting the monochrome pattern. This small but decisive colour change gives the composition an arresting focal point.

Across the upper centre, a brilliant red rectangular panel contains the cast and production credits. Within it, the large black characters 修羅 stand against a cream ground, framed by a heavy black border. The white English title “THE PANDEMONIUM” runs along the top, while the distinctive ATG logo appears at the lower right.

The Japanese tagline reads:

「血と怨念に彩られた この世の地獄絵！」

“A vision of hell on earth, coloured by blood and rancour!”

The combination of repeated faces, severe geometry and vivid red and violet accents makes this an outstanding piece for collectors of ATG, Japanese avant-garde cinema, Toshio Matsumoto and Setsu Asakura.

Condition: Excellent

Please review all photographs, including the front and reverse, as they show the exact poster for sale.

Japanese B2 size: approximately 51.5 × 72.8 cm.
Printed: 1971.
Stock code: K83.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.