In the Realm of the Senses

Banned around the world, Oshima's extraordinary tale of sexual obsession remains equally shocking over 30 years since it's notorious release - this explicit study of love and death was so controversial in Japan that cans of film were smuggled to France to be processed. Set in 1936, Oshima's erotic masterpiece tells the story of Sada (Eiko Matsuda), a beautiful young geisha who draws the attention of the handsome Kichizo (Tatsuya Fuji), a brothel owner's arrogant, sexually prodigious husband. Oblivious to a brutal war unfolding around them, the couple's initial flirtation soon turns to all-consuming passion, a frenzied and fatal love-making rite. As the New York Times wrote: "Tatsuya Fuji has a haunting gentleness and passivity as he comes to recognise his destiny: to be literally loved to death." Oshima's masterwork combines gorgeous cinematography, brilliant performances and incendiary erotic power. (Umbrella Entertainment)