April 2000

In the Realm of the Senses
Reviewed by Roger Kanno
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment:
Picture Quality:
Sound Quality:
Packaged Extras:

Starring Eiko Matsuda, Tatsuya Fuji

Directed by Nagisa Oshima

Theatrical Release: 1976
DVD Release: 1998
Dolby Digital Stereo
Full Screen

The cover art for the In the Realm of the Senses DVD contains a quote from Madonna which states that, "(It) turns me on because it’s real." I am not quite sure that this film is "real" per se, but it possesses an underlying intensity and eroticism that is undeniable. Those that think Japanese cinema is all about Pokémon and Princess Mononoké should remember that this is the land where pornographic comic books and hentai animation are king. Japanese culture may be all business suits and polite bowing on the surface, but underneath this civilized façade can be some rather shocking stuff.

Eiko Matsuda stars as an ex-prostitute who finds employment as a servant and ends up having a sexual relationship with the master of the household played by Tatsuya Fuji. Although Fuji’s character is not particularly likeable, he portrays him with just enough humanity to make him sympathetic to the viewer. Matstuda plays Sada, the ex-prostitute with a sense of inner strength and conviction that belies her seemingly outward weakness and helplessness. Both actors play their roles so convincingly that watching their sex scenes is less like watching a porno and more like being a voyeur looking into the lives of these two people. I guess in that sense this film is "real." As the film progresses, their affair becomes more intense and obsessive and threatens to destroy both of their lives.

Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . enough of the analysis already you are saying to yourself, what about the sex? Well, to put it simply – it is hot. Not hot like Vivid’s Virtual Sex With Jenna hot, but hot in a very elegant and poetic way. However, there are some scenes that are offensive and difficult to watch that would definitely not be considered erotic by most people. The rest of the scenes are quite sensual and even provide some insight into the motivation and psyche of the two main characters as they explore the boundaries of their physical love.

The director, Oshima is no Kurosawa, but he deserves credit for making this film into something more than just a lurid sex fest. In this film we see two people that have feelings for each other who are involved in a very destructive relationship. The fact that they are naked and engaging in sex much of the time does nothing to detract from the film. You may remember Oshima’s 1983 film, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence that starred David Bowie and Japanese synth-pop star Ryuichi Sakamoto. If you are skittish about the sexual content of In the Realm of the Senses, you might be well advised to see the brooding Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence first to see if you have a taste for Oshima’s work.

Although recorded in stereo, the soundtrack of this DVD has a strange pseudo-mono character that has both music and dialogue emanating simultaneously from both speakers with very little imaging between them. The sound is not only disappointing, it is distracting almost to the point where I wanted to turn off the sound and simply watch the film with subtitles. The picture quality of this disc is a bit soft with dark scenes often lacking detail and some scratches and other minor print damage evident in the transfer. Colors are also slightly muted, but this is acceptable considering the age of the film. Save for the subtitles, this disc is devoid of extras.

For those of you who want to see this film for the sex, you will not be disappointed. However, In the Realm of the Senses is about more than just sex. Just like with a good relationship, sex is a small part of this film with . . . oh hell, who am I kidding? Sex is a big part of this film and it works. 

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