In the Realm of the Senses

"Never before had a man and a woman loved each other so intensely."

1976 1h 42m JA

👍

6.6

SOLID

🍅

84%

FRESH

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.6TMDB · 762🍅84%Rotten Tomatoes★6.6IMDB · 24,558

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Never before had a man and a woman loved each other so intensely.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Eiko Matsuda
Sada Abe
Tatsuya Fuji
Kichizo Ishida
Aoi Nakajima
Toku
Yasuko Matsui
Tagawa Inn Manager
Meika Seri
Matsuko (Yoshidaya Maid)
Kanae Kobayashi
Old Geisha Kikuryû
Taiji Tonoyama
Old Beggar
Kyōji Kokonoe
Teacher Ômiya

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nagisa Ōshima
Writers: Nagisa Ōshima
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Japan, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nagisa Ōshima, shot by Hideo Itō. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Minoru Miki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Keiichi Uraoka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Eiko Matsuda and Tatsuya Fuji and Aoi Nakajima carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Never before had a man and a woman loved each other so intensely.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0074102 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nagisa Ōshima directs. Hideo Itō behind the camera. Minoru Miki scores. Keiichi Uraoka cuts. Produced in Japan, France. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

150 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: Japan, France.
3Directed by Nagisa Ōshima, shot by Hideo Itō. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Minoru Miki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Keiichi Uraoka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Eiko Matsuda and Tatsuya Fuji and Aoi Nakajima carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Never before had a man and a woman loved each other so intensely.".
8IMDB entry: tt0074102 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 21 themes, including "japan", "jealousy", "geisha", "brothel".
10Released under 32 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hideo Itō
Original score: Minoru Miki
Editing: Keiichi Uraoka
Production design: Shigemasa Toda
Costume design: Masahiro Katō
Makeup / hair: Kikue Osawa
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $7,650,000
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NC-17
IMDB: In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 24,558 votes
MPAA: NC-17

Awards

4 wins total

Also by

Nagisa Ōshima

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Sigeki Ogino2022-10-02
To put it bluntly, it was Pasolini and Nagisa Oshima who elevated pornography to an art form. "Ai no Corrida" is a film based on the crazy scandal of a Japanese woman, Sada Abe, who was obsessed with sex. The film is a masterful depiction of sex, and in the uncensored version, viewers will be surprised to find that the sex acts in the film are no different from those in pornographic videos. Some may be put off by the scenes of pubic hair, semen, and lewd displays of genitalia, male and female. However, it is questionable to dismiss the film's unusual artistry on that basis alone. No one can fail to notice that the sex scenes depicted in "Ai no Corrida" are ten thousand times better than those in the erotic "Species". Nagisa Oshima is by far a more aesthetically pleasing director than Akira Kurosawa, and he could have made any number of films that ordinary people would enjoy watching. His talent is unwavering, and this sex-documentary style masterpiece is unique in Asia.

Production companies