Listed as one of the “Top Ten Forbidden Films in the World,” the controversial work “In the Realm of the Senses” (愛のコリーダ) by the famous Japanese director Nagisa Oshima celebrates its 45th anniversary this year. It will return to the big screen in a classic 4K digital restoration version, premiering this month at Broadway Cinematheque and Premiere Elements.
“Sense and Sensibility” is a co-production between France and Japan, based on the sensational 1936 Japanese love murder case known as the “Abe Sada Incident.” Hotel maid Abe Sada and her boss Ishida Yoshizō fall in love at first sight, leading to an illicit affair. Ishida leaves his wife and children to elope with Abe, living in a small inn and indulging in the pleasures of sex all day long. As their emotional involvement deepens, Abe struggles to accept that Ishida’s body does not belong to her. In pursuit of a higher level of satisfaction, they begin to experiment with extreme asphyxiation during sex, willing to risk their lives for the ultimate pleasure.
In his film, Nagisa Oshima contrasts the continuous erotic scenes of the male and female protagonists with the rise of Japanese imperialism at the time, expressing strong protest and ridicule. In order to evade censorship, the production team sent the pornographic scenes of “In the Realm of the Senses” to France for editing. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1976 and subsequently had to be shown in edited versions in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia, as well as in Japan, where the explicit sex scenes were heavily censored.
The sexually explicit scenes in many scenes have sparked controversy, and the shocking ending boldly challenges the audience’s boundaries, leading “In the Realm of the Senses” to be listed as one of the world’s top ten banned films. Director Nagisa Oshima was even arrested by the Japanese government on charges of corrupting public morals, and had to defend his work in court. He stated, “What can be expressed is not obscene. What is hidden is obscene. I filmed: the freedom of sexuality, the purity of love.” Since the film’s investment, production, and distribution were handled by a French film company, the ownership of the film did not belong to Japan, so he was ultimately acquitted.
Despite the controversy, the artistic status of “In the Realm of the Senses” has not diminished over the years. It has become one of the most classic erotic films in the hundred-year history of cinema. If you are interested in watching this film, do not miss the 4K digital restoration version being released this time!
