In the Realm of the Senses (Ai no Korida) (1976)

A film based on a true story.Neurotic sexual obsession becoming psychopathic . Anyone expressing shock horror probably hasn't read the warning label and the R rating . Some the scenes are explicit in keeping with the story.The key thing is there is a story. Some will find it interesting ,some won't . I think it is worth 4 stars .

What a story! Based on the real story of Abe Sada that took place in 1936. Worth reading the entire story on English Wikipedia. (So different and so much more interesting then Lorena Bobbit's story.) Several movies have been based on the story of Abe Sada and many books have been written since. She spent 5 years in prison and apparently became a Buddhist nun towards the end of her life. The movie is not a hard core pornographic movie at all. It shows love and jealousy and death and madness, it has certain artistic depth and there are conversations and music during sex scenes and in between sex scenes, and beautiful clothing and furnishings throughout including colorful kimonos, cute white silk socks with the separated toes, beautiful bed spreads etc. In summary, worth seeing. There is also a special feature of interest, summarizing the carrier and describing other movies of the director in historical and artistic context.

I often wondered why this was banned but after seeing it its clear that is a porno film masked as art. The same could be said for Salo but at least Salo had slightly more plot then this. A Gesia lady has an obessive sexual relationship with a man she cannot get enough of. The acting is strong and def deserves this 2 stars but the film is basicly one sex scene following the next making me feel like I was watching a Japanese porno. The man couldnt do it that many times in a day making it highly unlikely and also she would had been pregnant at the end of it all. The sex is the most graphic I have seen outside of an X rating and all that was missing was gyographic close ups of the action. What made the film banned was in the 3rd act they threw in the sinister art of chokeing sex which came across as disturbling suggestive and also the last 5 mins was downright gross and I dont shock easy but this outmatched I spit on your graves bathtub scene. A mildly interesting film and humerous in one scene with a guy in a fedora hat but there are far better Japanese films around.

Quite explicit. A study on the downward spiral of obsession. the references to post war Japan's material development and consumerism eluded me, though others see it clearly enough.

A beautifully crafted film with fine performances from the lead actors. Quite engrossing but the explicit sex means it not for all tastes or viewers.

This movie does not deserve a billing as 'hard-core' or 'pornographic'. Once you admit, 'Yes, I know people have sex' and 'Yes, I know what a penis looks like', you can move on and enjoy the movie. If it's distasteful, it's in the true story. The movie does seem to have lost something in translation, though. It's sometimes hard to know who's who and whether they're in the same place or have moved somewhere else. There's also a question of culture: was it normal in Japan in the 1930s to have sex with other people around? The way it's acted here it would appear that was accepted practice.

Terrible and disgusting.

Well I may be the only reviewer so far to think this has any merit, but clearly it does. Most of the films is a frank but sensitive essay on the perils and pleasures of sexual obsession. Atmospheric, with strong acting (especially Eiko Matsuda in female lead role). The sex is portrayed for grit rather than erotica and the movie builds disturbingly to a highly confronting ending. Based on a true story, it's not for the sensitive, but rates as a cinematic achievement if not much fun to watch.

OMG! What a lot of trash! How many excuses can they find to have sex?? I mean really! and the ending well i wont ruin it but PLEASE!

Don't waste your time. Does not make any sense at all.

Ugly, sadistic and totally unnecessary pornography, with little artistic merit. Tiresome and over the top preoccupation with sex. A very bad choice! Not surprising that this film was banned.

An insight into the obsessive-compulsive behaviour of two Japanese lovers.

An insight into the obsessive-complusive behaviour of two Japanese lovers.

The dangers of excess are sumptuously brought to the screen in this portrait of obsession in a world before television. Not for the squeamish but beautifully filmed and calmed by a richly textured soundtrack.