In the Realm of the Senses is a picture that uses sexuality against what may be pictured as for some, erotic. Nagisa Oshima’s borderline pornographic imagery shows a greater challenge on the actors’ part but there’s an incredible sense of courage throughout. Oshima was a filmmaker who was known to break barriers with his own aggressive aesthetic and a willingness to go free. Here he has created something so perverse but never anything less than enthralling.



Oshima is a particularly unapologetic filmmaker especially when it comes down to the sort of culture he drenches In the Realm of the Senses within. The film’s premise, based on a true story about the prostitute Sada Abe - who gained infamy for a particularly violent act she had committed upon her lover. What exactly could it be that Oshima intended to say? Could it be a condemnation of desire, or could it be a depravity forming as a result of power? It’s a prime theme that pervades In the Realm of the Senses and that’s why the work is so fascinating to begin with.