- Year: 1976
- Country: Japan
- Director: Nagisa Ôshima
- Starring: Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko Matsuda
Still banned in its home country of Japan, In The Realm Of The Senses is a story of sexual obsession that can easily let its reputation cloud the viewer. The true story of Sada Abe, a servant in pre-war Japan who began a tempestuous and ultimately devastating affair with her master, the film features (and is well-known for) several sexually explicit scenes. I don’t care too much to discuss those – I mostly wanted to get this out of the way as every review seems to center on this topic. It’s easy to think “Mid-70’s erotic film; probably similar to Last Tango In Paris”, and indeed when looking over the story at a glance, it would appear to be so, however this is a very different film in tone. Where Last Tango had plenty in existential dilemmas, this film has a little bit more fun. It’s often a more down to earth exploration of what goes on behind closed doors (or sometimes in public), with a large part of the movie focusing on the two lovers having fun, enjoying, discovering, experimenting and even laughing in each other’s company. Of course, I don’t want to make this seem like a normal or typical relationship: this all quickly leads to obsession and need; a need to possess the other and a need to control – and also a need to feel a love that can never be close enough, one that can perhaps be only achieved through death. The film is also imperfect, with often baffling scene transitions with mood changes unexplained or unclear. For what it is, and for the reputation that precedes it (the film holds the title of having the most screenings at Cannes), it is a work of art that deserves to be seen not for its controversial nature but for its bravery, uncompromising vision and for its two incredibly courageous leads.
Cinema Del Peppel 