In the Realm of the Senses (1976)

Holy shit. What a movie. Where to start? Well, my first encounter with Nagisa Oshima was in my freshman year world cinema class when we watched is brilliant Japanese New Wave masterpiece Death By Hanging. The film had stellar performances and was incredibly inventive, but what really stood out were the jabs taken at the moral ambiguities of the establishment. The New Wave in Japan was probably more revolutionary than in other countries because of Japan's rigid hierarchical structure, which these films aimed to subvert. Senses continues this theme, not only challenging Japanese society, but its films as well.

The film tells the tale of Japanese folk hero Sada Abe, who became famous in the 30s for the events which the film depicts (I'm going to try to remain vague here as to not give anything away). While working at an inn, she falls in love with the owner Kichizo Ishida and the two run off together for a non-stop sex romp which gets more and more volatile until the film's climax (pun very much intended).

In the Realm of the Senses is undoubtedly most famous for its (plentiful) scenes of unsimulated sex, something that is against Japanese law even for porno (in an interview, Oshima boasts that Senses is the first "hardcore pornographic film" made in Japan). But the film is so much more than just bumpin' uglies. When Abe and Ishida have sex, they are so in their own world that they don't mind the spectators who are unwittingly drawn into their passion. Oshima portrays such robust sexuality as fighting the mores of Japan, and such a quest for personal gratification in direct opposition to the extreme nationalism that was prevalent at the time of these events. It is inevitable that we too are brought into our protagonists' lurid existence, forcing us to confront our own ideas regarding sexuality and society. In the Realm of the Senses isn't the easiest film to watch, but it is surely one you'll never forget. B

Other semi-related thoughts:

-The film also largely plays out the binary relationship between violence and sex, with the two eventually becoming indistinguishable.

-there is a really really brilliant scene where after the two get married an orgy ensues presided over by an old man singing a song with his arms tucked into his sleeves pretending to be a bird. It would probably go on my "greatest scenes ever" reel.

-In Japanese porno, genitalia and penetration are pixelated. This prompted my friend Joe to once comment "why does that girl like eating pixels so much?" In the Realm of the Senses to this day still cannot be shown uncensored in Japan.

-On the way back from picking up some egg drop soup just now there was an old guy pointing at the ground talking to two even older people sitting on the bench in front of him and he said "500 dollar sneakers" and then paused before "1000 dollar purses". That's all I heard, but it was great.