User reviews

'Empire Of The Senses' is one of the least seen and much debated movies of the Seventies. "Least seen" because in many countries, including the one I live in, it has been banned, or only available in censored versions for many years. This movie divides people - those that like it hail it as ART, those that don't dimiss it snobbishly as PORN. Both camps are fooling themselves! 'Empire Of The Senseless' is BOTH.

Is it "serious"? Yes. Is it voyeuristic and prurient? Yes. Is it a masterpiece? Not quite. Is it worth watching? Very much so. In fact I'd say it was essential viewing for anyone interested in extreme or taboo-breaking movies.

The Seventies were the decade where the boundaries of screen sex, violence and disturbing imagery were repeatedly stretched. Peckinpah's 'Straw Dogs' and 'Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia', Bertolucci's 'Last Tango In Paris', Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver', Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange',were all milestones, and the the art movies of Herzog, Warhol, Pasolini, and Jodorowsky battled it out with the horror and exploitation of Russ Meyer, Dario Argento, John Waters,and David Cronenberg. Add to that the unexpected crossover success of 'Deep Throat' and the very existence of shockers like 'Ilse, She Wolf Of The SS' and 'Cannibal Holocaust', and what do you get? The artificial and meaningless divisions of genres, "high art" vs "trash", new ways of thinking vs new ways of making money, it was all on the table. For one brief decade it looked like a brave new world.

Then everything that was gained was lost - Spielberg and Simpson/Bruckheimer cleaned up (financially and aesthetically), and things have never been the same since. Watch 'Empire Of The Senseless' with that in mind. It may be flawed - you'll be alternatively fascinated and bored - but it is an important movie from an important period in movie history.

With his landmark film The Ceremony, Nagisa Oshima became one of Japanese filmdom's leading social critics as he dissected the logic behind ritual suicide, arranged marriages and other activities considered acceptable 'traditional' behavior. Here he examines the story behind a famous Japanese scandal - a prostitute was found wandering the streets of Tokyo out of her mind following the death of her lover by erotic asphyxiation - in terms of what is considered 'acceptable' Japanese social behavior. The principals engage in obsessive sexual activity, and allow the addictive and dangerous aspects of their relationship to get out of hand precisely BECAUSE it was considered so unhealthy and immoral by Japanese standards. In a society in which all sexual activity is viewed as shameful, shame no longer mediates behavior. Limits become meaningless. The film itself is colorfully made, with excellent period detail and production design, and the actors are attractive. The structure is that of an erotic novel, as game playing, obsession and danger escalate to a fitting point-of-no-return climax. It is much better and more socially relevant than similar American films such as Nine 1/2 Weeks.

Sure, everyone (or most everyone) has heard about "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" and its remarkable statement about human sexuality. However, it is unlikely that as many people have heard about this film, which in a totally different way makes perhaps as profound a statement about that topic.

In fact, if you see an uncut version of this film, you are in essence watching pornography. That is, you are watching incredibly graphic sexual content that simply would not be allowed in an American film. I won't spell it out for you, but I will say this...do you know what they can't show you in American movies? This one shows that. And quite a bit more. This is not the type of sex you would see in a film like "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" or "Bliss" or some of the other decent American films about sex (though I can't think of any others). This is more like the sex shown in "Last Tango in Paris." The characters are so self-destructive and dangerous that the sex (one of the most inherent of all human practices) becomes an expression of their inhumanity. This is not easy stuff. But if you are willing to find an uncut version and experience the true power of this film, you may find yourself moved by the things you see.

This film blurs the line between pornography and art, and I believe that it stays one inch to the art side, but decide for yourself. Either way, I think that it is about time for American films to truly explore that distinction.

It has been described as the Japanese Last Tango in Paris- a fair comparison. For both films explore in a truly raw and puissant manner the sexuality and psychology of sex. Ai No Corrida is an overwhelming experience, if for nothing else than its sheer audacity. But Corrida is so much more than sex. It delves into a shrouded netherworld of experimentation and pain. The world of De Sade.

Yet it is not turgid or depraved; it is not repugnant or diabolical. It is a poetic voyage into the unknown. It is about the search for pure fulfillment and pleasure. Nothing else in the world presented matters, reality is discarded. And thus the cause for the tragedy which ensues.

The two protagonists separate themselves from all that is real for they know that to find true happiness they must transcend all levels of reality and consciousness to a mighty plane. But such a place is transient. Yet the few glorious moments in such a world are worth any heartache that follows.

It was a film ahead of its time and I believe that it is still. The sparse few in the audience snickering and snorting confirmed this. It is one of those films whose reputation has preceded it and is so well known in Arthouse circles that disappointment may be said to be inevitable. But this film lives up to its reputation. For it is a truly explicit and daring film as it challenges the common perception that happiness is conformity. It proposes that true happiness is unobtainable in this world and to gain it you must sacrifice the flesh, to forward and improve the soul.

Yet this film made twenty-four years ago has been forgotten in the industry for where is its influence, its mark? Few films have used pornography in such a way since. And sex is still relegated to the flea-pit cinemas and backstreet shops. Arthouse films which depict sex, even those which do so explicitly, present it as the result of the character's exploration or development. As a curiosity, or as symbolic of the ascension of a particular player. Corrida uses sex to forward the plot, to illustrate the personalities of its protagonists, to symbolize everything in their fragile society. Sex is the plot development, sex is the key player and sex is the message. The sex takes centre stage. Each new scene is the result of sex, not vice versa.

This truly original concept has never taken hold. Why not? Surely the Arthouse circuit would realize the potential and milk it dry. And yet Corrida and a handful of others are the only films to take advantage.

This is why Ai No Corrida is a masterpiece. The acting, the direction, script etc... are all brilliant. But the ideas and concepts and invention are what makes Corrida one of the most superb films ever made. A film unknown except to those in the Arena. A film which took no hold, was as distant and mysterious as the world it depicted. A fleeting landmark that should have shook the world; but, maybe rightly, will always remain a forgotten treasure.

This movie tries to shock, but ultimately it is meaningless. The characters have no depth. The story is one dimensional. The historical background is completely absent. Perhaps that is supposed to be the point. That the sexual relationship between these people became the only thing in their lives that mattered. I guess my question is, why should anyone else care? I was not offended by the graphic depictions of sex, nor was I shocked at the graphic violence at the end of the movie. I was mostly bored and frustrated by what was supposed to be such a ground-breaking movie. The story depicted in this film could have been interesting. A film about sexual obsession in Japan just prior to WWII certainly could have been riveting. This film, simply put, IS NOT.

This film brought down boundaries with the U.K.censors. This film was finally passed by the British censors in the early 90's. It explores every aspect of unhealthy sexual obsession. From being "clingy" to someone, to being bored with someone to the extent that you try to excite the situation with dangerous actions i.e. strangulation games. Performance wise the film is first rate, especially the performance from Tatsuya Fuji, probably giving the performance of his life. Director Nagisa Oshima is a man,even to this day,who is not afraid of controversey. His latest film Gohatto(Taboo)is testament to that,focusing on gay samurai,which is a controversial subject in itself. In the Realm of the Senses is a very rarely seen film. If you ever get the chance to check it out, do so. It is an unforgettable and shocking experience.

I never thought I would say this but, is it possible to have too much sex in a single film? Yes. It almost felt exhausting to watch it all.

The Realm Of The Senses has a very simple story that was inspired by true events. A women with an incurable desire for sex and a man almost as hungry for it. Slowly we watch the two wither away from not being able to ever get enough of each other. And then we have a very sad ending. It's passionate and erotic.

The movie is uncensored and extremely explicit. It's filmed well. And the acting is great. There is a half decent romance plot. But very simple. It does get exhausting after awhile with how much sex you can pack into a 104 minute movie.

The one interesting thing about the film is that it was originally a political statement for japan. It's often believed in the country that women do not have much want nor need for sex. This movie shows quite the opposite. Which also brings to light one of the biggest scandals in Japan, since the movie is based on a true story.

I felt compelled to write a comment in response to the stupid amount of "this is not porn it is beautiful art, if you don't like it you're just prudish" comments I just sifted through.

This is not beautiful, it is not art. It looked cheap and nasty. It looked as if it had the production values of an amateur porn session, lit by whatever broken desk lamps found in your average erotic dungeon. The fake snow looked like fake snow. The kids throwing snow at the old man's exposed privates made me want to punch the director for trying to make the rest of the movie anything but a comedy.

To top its woeful aesthetics off, the absolute drivel that came out of these character's mouths was nauseating. Every single time they'd have sex, which would be 85% of the film, the woman would say the same banal, generic "you inside me is beyond words" without fail.

There are some movies that are so bad that they become entertaining. Like Plan 9 from Outer Space. This was not entertaining. It was mind-numbingly boring. film. If you thought this was any good I recommend you re evaluate your life. Because something is very wrong. Probably a lot of things are very wrong.

It's clear that a lot of people can't get past the explicitness of this film, which is a shame. I recall a lot of embarrassed giggling last time I saw it at the cinema. The art/pornography debate seems futile to me - this is a film about an obsessive sexual relationship/love affair and it tells it like it is. But it's about as far away from the likes of "Debbie Does Dallas 26" as you can get. The film is clearly serious in intent and there is a lot of beauty in it.

The subtle political content/context of the film is often overlooked - some of the few scenes shot outside the bedroom show groups of soldiers marching the other way from the direction our characters travel - and we all know where the rising Japanese militarism and nationalism of the 1930's led.

I think the best comparison is probably with a film like "Last Tango in Paris" which dealt with similar themes in a similar way - and was probably also pretty boring for those with a short attention span.

Given that this is a film about sexual obsession I expected a frank and honest depiction of sexual acts. And that's not the problem here. In fact I disagree most vehemently with those labeling it as pornographic. There was nothing of the cold, loveless, rote sex in porn movies in this film. It was filled with overwhelming passion and the kind of sexual hunger seldom seen on celluloid. Unfortunately it was so ever-present and overwhelming it deteriorated into boring. Once I reached the halfway mark I began to use the fast-forward button more and more. Moreover we were given no clue as to the motives that led the protagonists into an ultimately destructive passion. This was no routine love affair but an all-consuming, relentless, escalating bodily abuse by way of their sexual organs. And we don't know why it happened. In my view that's the film's Achilles heel.

For better or for worse, there aren't a lot of movies out there like In the Realm of the Senses. Well, there's porn, but this isn't really porn -- it lets the ugliness as well as the beauty of sex shine through, and through all the cinematographic haze it seems considerably more real than depictions of sex in even "regular" movies.

There's a narrative here, told through the slowly-unfolding patterns of debauchery, one of a terrifying spiral of hedonism. In the end, despite all of its explicitness, it's more of a conservative cautionary tale than anything else.

What makes In The Realm of the Senses work as well as it does is the beautiful images and almost mystical pacing of director Oshima. I won't lie and say that there aren't times when the film is tedious and even dull, or that its final conclusion is extremely profound. But it's one hell of an experience, and a disgusting gonzo film that needed to be made. It's one of those films that you don't watch, you live through.

This Japanese pink film is no video nastie, as it lacks any sort of a story other than a prostitute wanting continual sex with a married man. Of course, he will take it from anyone he can, and she will leave him to make money, but the rest of the film, over 80% is the two of them engaging in numerous bouts of sex and perversion - sado/masochism, food perversions, whatever, until the story gets so boring she has no other choice but to end it permanently. It is a dark film about sexual obsession with lots of obsessive sex. Art or porn? That debate will go on forever.

There was just nothing erotic about this film. It's value is only as a curiosity.

I found myself confused about what the film maker was trying to convey. It is true that there are graphic sex scenes that caused me to press the forward button. I felt the movie was about a woman's toxic obsession and the man's willing to do whatever it took to fulfill her insatiable desires. I must say that the director and actors were daring to be willing to take part telling this true story, which I Googled after watching the movie. I would say to watch the movie for yourself and decide what you think. I found it interesting that the story seemed to be told without judgment of the characters. It was just a frank narrative of a tragic story of a twisted love affair. This movie is not for the faint at heart.

There is nothing in cinema that I can think of that compares to In The Realm Of The Senses. It is in a class of its own: beautiful, tender, sensual, erotic, horrifying. I can still remember the shock of seeing it perhaps twenty years ago: not just at the explicitness of the images, in every sense, but at the extraordinary passion and honesty of the two central performances, and Oshima's direction.

Despite the violent nature of the film, and the fact that it is based on a true event, I cannot think of another film that so truly captures the intensity of any emotional and sexual relationship at some point in its incarnation. If you have ever felt love and desire at their most powerful - the wish not to possess someone, but to become part of them and share with them how they experience the world - then you will recognize that feeling here. While certainly not a map for any relationship you might wish to have (I pray!), this film says more about what it means to be a man or woman than any other film I have seen.

Probably one of the most well-known explicit films about sex and sexuality. Based on true events, the movie tells about Sada Abe (Eiko Matsuda), a hired servant, who catches the eye of her master and in turn becomes infatuated with him. Their relationship quickly turns sexual in nature, but things start to slowly head downhill when that aspect of their lives consumes more and more of their waking hours.

And yes, there is a lot of sex in this film. Unsimulated sex, in fact. But it's not really a pornographic film. It's a film about obsession and how we can become so consumed by one thing in our lives that it's hard for us to cope if that thing turns sour or is taken away from us or taken too far. And in this case the subject of that obsession is sex.

No doubt many a person has watched this film purely for the "mating" scenes, but I think that a lot of those viewers were not expecting to also get a story out of it. A discussion about what it means to commit to someone and whether that's even possible without the mental and intellectual dimension present in almost all relationships. With a sprinkling of social commentary concerning Japan's political leanings thrown in the mix.

Is it a masterpiece of a film? No, not really. Is it something you've likely never seen before? Most probably. Worth a watch? Well... depends.