In the Realm of the Senses (1976) Ai no korîda (original title)

Director:

Nagisa Ôshima

Writer:

Nagisa Ôshima

Release Date:

1 April 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

Based on a true story set in pre-war Japan, a man and one of his servants begin a torrid affair. Their...

Plot Keywords:

Pre War | Obsession | Sexual Obsession | Desire | 1930s

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Tatsuya Fuji	...	Kichizo Ishida
Eiko Matsuda	...	Sada Abe
Aoi Nakajima	...	Toku
Yasuko Matsui	...	Tagawa Inn Manager
Meika Seri	...	Matsuko (Yoshidaya maid)
Kanae Kobayashi	...	Old geisha Kikuryû
Taiji Tonoyama	...	Old Beggar
Kyôji Kokonoe	...	Teacher Ômiya
Naomi Shiraishi	...	Geisha Yaeji
Shinkichi Noda
Komikichi Hori	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Kikuhei Matsunoya	...	Hôkan jester
Akiko Koyama	...	Mansaki Geisha
Yuriko Azuma	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Rei Minami	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Machiko Aoki	...	Mitsuwa maid
Mariko Abe	...	Kinu (Yoshidaya maid)
Kyôko Okada	...	Hangyoku (young Geisha)
Kiyomi Yasuda	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Hiroko Fuji	...	O-Tsune (Yoshidaya head maid)
Tômi Mitsuboshi	...	Chieko (Yoshidaya maid)
Kimiko Ishii
Katsue Tamiyama	...	Fat Mansaki maid
Hitomi Fukuhara	...	Bullseye Umbrella Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hiroko Fujino	...	(uncredited)
Kazune Tomiyama	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Nagisa Ôshima

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nagisa Ôshima

Produced by
Anatole Dauman	....	producer

Original Music by
Minoru Miki

Cinematography by
Hideo Itoh		(as Hideo Ito)

Film Editing by
Patrick Sauvion
Keiichi Uraoka

Production Design by
Shigemasa Toda

Set Decoration by
Jusho Toda

Costume Design by
Masahiro Katô
Shigemasa Toda

Makeup Department
Kikue Osawa	....	hair stylist
Koji Takemura	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Susumu Iwabushi	....	production manager
Eiko Oshima	....	production manager
Katsue Tomiyama	....	production manager
Shigeru Wakatsuki	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Saburo Li	....	assistant director
Masayuki Motomochi	....	assistant director
Yôichi Sai	....	assistant director
Shizuo Sato	....	assistant director

Art Department
Hitoshi Nojiri	....	property master
Takashi Ueno	....	property master

Sound Department
Henri Humbert	....	sound recordist
Alex Pront	....	sound recordist
Tetsuo Yasuda	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Terumi Hosoishi	....	special effects
Isao Nishimura	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Hiroaki Fujiama	....	electrician
Kenichi Okamoto	....	lighting technician

Other crew
Claire Painchault	....	assistant

Production Companies

• Argos Films
• Oshima Productions
• Shibata Organisation

Distributors

• Argos Films (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Surrogate (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Aito Mäkinen & Co (1992) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox Lorber (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Forum Film (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)
• Madman Entertainment (2001) (Australia) (DVD)
• Primer Plano Film Group Video (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Primer Plano Film Group (2003) (Argentina) (video)
• Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1976) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Arthaus
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Ripley's Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Ai no korîda" - Japan (original title)
"Love's Bullfight" - International (English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

UK:109 min | 109 min (original version) | Argentina:103 min | Australia:107 min (2000 re-release) | Norway:104 min | Argentina:98 min (DVD version) | 102 min (final version)

Country:

Japan | France

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:(Banned) (1992-2000) | Australia:R (re-rating) (2000) | France:-16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:(Banned) | Japan:R-18 (re-rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 (1999) | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:18 | Japan:(Banned) (original rating) | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1991) | Canada:R (Alberta) (1998) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) (1991) | USA:X (original rating) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Iceland:Unrated | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1977) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1976) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1978) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1997) | Hungary:18 | Italy:VM18 | Chile:18 | Germany:18 | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) (2001) | Singapore:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1992) | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) | Brazil:18 | Portugal:M/18

Filming Locations:

Daiei-Kyoto Studios, Kyoto, Japan

Company:

Argos Films

Trivia:

Japan has stringent laws regarding the publication of pornography. Nagisa Ôshima was later charged with obscenity on publishing the screenplay, but was acquitted after a courtcase that dragged on for four years.

Quotes:

Kichizo:[talking to Sada] A girl like you can stab a man's heart without a knife, huh?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Japanese Cinema (1995) (TV)

I Did Not Like this Film

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.