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Ai no corrida (1976)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
1 April 1977 (USA) morePlot:
Based on a true story set in pre-war Japan, a man and one of his servants begin a torrid affair. Their... more | add synopsisAwards:
2 wins moreNewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Movie Poster of the Week: "Hausu" (From The Auteurs. 6 November 2009, 7:00 AM, PST)
Can Sexual Provocation Still Sell?
(From IFC. 28 October 2009, 6:15 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A story about sexual obsession. more (83 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Tatsuya Fuji | ... | Kichizo Ishida | |
| Eiko Matsuda | ... | Sada Abe | |
| Aoi Nakajima | ... | Toku | |
| Yasuko Matsui | ... | Tagawa Inn Manager | |
| Meika Seri | ... | Matsuko (Yoshidaya maid) | |
| Kanae Kobayashi | ... | Old geisha Kikuryû | |
| Taiji Tonoyama | ... | Old Beggar | |
| Kyôji Kokonoe | ... | Teacher Ômiya | |
| Naomi Shiraishi | ... | Geisha Yaeji | |
| Shinkichi Noda | ... | Old Restaurant Man | |
| Komikichi Hori | ... | Mitsuwa Geisha | |
| Kikuhei Matsunoya | ... | Hôkan jester | |
| Akiko Koyama | ... | Mansaki Geisha | |
| Yuriko Azuma | ... | Mitsuwa Geisha | |
| Rei Minami | ... | Mitsuwa Geisha |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
In the Realm of the Senses (Canada: English title) (USA)Ai no corrida 2000 (Japan) (reissue title)
Bullfight of Love (Japan) (literal English title)
Empire of the Senses
L'empire des sens (France)
The Realm of the Senses
more
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
UK:109 min | 108 min (original version) | Argentina:103 min | Australia:107 min (2000 re-release) | Norway:104 min | USA:101 min | Argentina:98 min (DVD version)Language:
JapaneseColor:
Color (Eastmancolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) | USA:NC-17 (re-rating) (1991) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) (1991) | Canada:R (Alberta) (1998) | USA:X (original rating) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Iceland:Unrated | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1978) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1976) | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1977) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1997) | Hungary:18 | Italy:VM18 | Chile:18 | Germany:18 | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) (2001) | Singapore:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1992) | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) | Brazil:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:(Banned) (1992-2000) | Australia:R (re-rating) (2000) | Australia:X (original rating) | France:-16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:(Banned) | Japan:R-18 (re-rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 (1999) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Japan:(Banned) (original rating)Filming Locations:
Kyoto, JapanFun Stuff
Trivia:
Shot in Japan, the undeveloped film had to be shipped to France for development, due to Japan's strict censorship policies. moreQuotes:
Kichizo: I've got to pee. Okay with you?Sada Abe: There's no need to leave. Do it here.
Kichizo: Where?
Sada Abe: Inside of Sada, all nice and warm.
Kichizo: You're mad! It's impossible to do both at the same time.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Cinemania: Oi apagorevmenes tainies: I logokrisia ston kinimatografo" (2009) moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (83 total)
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This movie was quite a shocker when my friend and I rented it a few years back. It was clear from the first explicit sex scene that this movie was going to be different from the types of movies my friend and I were generally used to.
After having viewed it recently again, and this time focusing more on the intrinsic value of the film rather than just on the shocking images alone like I had the first time I viewed it, I was surprised to find a dark, disturbing psychological drama about sexual obsession that really held my interest. It is interesting to note how the male and female leads, who both seem emotionally sterile to the world around them and are barely communicative towards one another in the traditional and normal sense, are inseparably bonded by a strange and sexual attraction they have for eachother. It is a fatal attraction of the darkest kind I've ever witnessed in a movie.
This movie is definitely not for all tastes or who are easily offended by graphic scenes of sex. But for those adventurous souls looking for something different and interesting, I recommend this film. Nagisa Oshima's other films of interest are Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and the recent Taboo.