In the Realm of the Senses (1976)

A passionate telling of the story of Sada Abe, a woman whose affair with her master led to an obsessive and ultimately destructive sexual relationship.

Director:

Nagisa Ôshima

Writer:

Nagisa Ôshima

Stars:

Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko Matsuda, Aoi Nakajima

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Based on a true story set in pre-war Japan, a man and one of his servants begin a torrid affair. Their desire becomes a sexual obsession so strong that to intensify their ardor, they forsake all, even life itself.

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Plot Keywords:

sex in public | female nudity | bare breasts | erotic asphyxiation | sexual satisfaction | 

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Taglines:

No one under 17 admitted

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

NC-17

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nagisa Oshima said casting for Kichizo was rather difficult, as many of the male actors that auditioned got self-conscious when they were told that they did have to perform unsimulated sex, and were also uncomfortable showing their penis for prolonged portions of the shooting. For some it was also because they were embarrassed of their size. In a controversial comment, Oshima derided men's obsession with their penis size as "pathetic".

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Quotes

Sada Abe: Now what am I supposed to do?
Kichizo: You mustn't ask me. Aren't you the bride?
Sada Abe: But how should I know? I've never been married before.

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Alternate Versions

The scene where the small boy has his penis pulled as punishment for misbehaving has been completely removed on the US Release Versions. (56 Seconds in total)

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Foreign Films with Erotic Themes (2015)

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Soundtracks

Ballades for koto II-Spring: Mebae (Seeding)
Composed by Minoru Miki

User Reviews

terrifying

IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES explores sexual obsession and the extremes to which it drives the characters. I saw the uncut version,readily available at the Cleveland Public Library. It was indeed sexually graphic,reaching a point where the act seems to be driven by a kind of symbiosis that can only culminate in one way. The ending is one of the most horrifying things I've ever seen in a movie. Do not confuse

this movie with the vastly inferior IN THE REALM OF PASSION.

Details

Country:

Japan France

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

1 April 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

In the Realm of the Senses

Filming Locations:

Daiei-Kyoto Studios, Kyoto, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argos Films, Oshima Productions, Shibata Organisation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min 109 min (original) 107 min (2000 re-release) 98 min (DVD) 102 min (final) 94 min (reconstructed version) (R-rated) (reconstructed)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1