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In the Realm of the Senses
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7.8
/10
16,525 Ratings

IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES

愛のコリーダ | Ai no korīda

Directed by Nagisa Ôshima
Japan, France, 1976
Drama, History, Romance, Erotica
  • 102102 minutes

Synopsis

Sade Abe is a former geisha working as a hotel maid in pre-World War II Japan. After she begins a torrid affair with the owner, they become completely infatuated. Their experimental sexual encounters spiral into an all-consuming and destructive love affair where even life is worth sacrificing.

Synopsis

Sade Abe is a former geisha working as a hotel maid in pre-World War II Japan. After she begins a torrid affair with the owner, they become completely infatuated. Their experimental sexual encounters spiral into an all-consuming and destructive love affair where even life is worth sacrificing.

Our take

A no-holds-barred cult classic from director Nagisa Ôshima, this provocative chamber drama has lost none of its unsettling power. A vigorous attack on Japanese cultural values and patriarchal mores, In the Realm of the Senses steers its tragic tale of amour fou into a transgressive death spiral.