Ai no corrida (1976)

Director:

Nagisa Ôshima

Writer:

Nagisa Ôshima (writer)

Release Date:

1 April 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Based on a true story set in pre-war Japan, a man and one of his servants begin a torrid affair. Their...

Plot Keywords:

Desire | Obsession | Sexual Obsession | Pre War | Fondling

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

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
Komikichi Hori	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Kikuhei Matsunoya	...	Hôkan jester
Akiko Koyama	...	Mansaki Geisha
Yuriko Azuma	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Rei Minami	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Machiko Aoki	...	Mitsuwa maid
Mariko Abe	...	Kinu (Yoshidaya maid)
Kyôko Okada	...	Hangyoku (young Geisha)
Kiyomi Yasuda	...	Mitsuwa Geisha
Hiroko Fuji	...	O-Tsune (Yoshidaya head maid)
Tômi Mitsuboshi	...	Chieko (Yoshidaya maid)
Katsue Tamiyama	...	Fat Mansaki maid
Hitomi Fukuhara	...	Bullseye Umbrella Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hiroko Fujino
Kazune Tomiyama

Directed by
Nagisa Ôshima

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nagisa Ôshima		writer

Produced by
Anatole Dauman	....	producer
Kôji Wakamatsu	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Minoru Miki

Cinematography by
Hideo Itoh

Film Editing by
Patrick Sauvion
Keiichi Uraoka

Production Design by
Jusho Toda

Costume Design by
Masahiro Katô
Jusho Toda

Makeup Department
Koji Takemura	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Susumu Iwabushi	....	production manager
Eiko Oshima	....	production manager
Katsue Tomiyama	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yoichi Sai	....	assistant director

Art Department
Hitoshi Nojiri	....	property master
Takashi Ueno	....	property master

Sound Department
Tetsuo Yasuda	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Terumi Hosoishi	....	special effects
Isao Nishimura	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenichi Okamoto	....	lighting technician

Production Companies

• Argos Films
• Oshima Productions
• Shibata Organisation

Distributors

• Argos Films (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Surrogate (1977) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Aito Mäkinen & Co (1992) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox Lorber (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Forum Film (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)
• Madman Entertainment (2001) (Australia) (DVD)
• Primer Plano Film Group Video (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Primer Plano Film Group (2003) (Argentina) (video)
• Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Arthaus
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Ripley's Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)

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

Runtime:

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)

Country:

Japan | France

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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) (1976) | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1977) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1978) | 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, Japan

Company:

Argos Films

Trivia:

After the German premiere at the "Berlinale" the movie was confiscated as suspected pornography. However, 18 months later a German federal court permitted release in cinemas without any cuts.

Quotes:

Kichizo: You want to make love all the time, huh?
Sada Abe: You don't think it's wrong, do you?
Kichizo: I think it's wonderful. You're beautiful.
Sada Abe: I was afraid of not being like others. I was so worried about it, I even went to see a doctor. He said I was sensitive where sex was concerned.
Kichizo: Sensitive? I hope it's incurable. Because I adore your oversensitivity.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Libertine (2004)

Fantastic erotic cinema -- not for the weak

I'd been wanting to see this film for a long time, and I was honestly quite shocked by the explicit nature of the film -- it's sex, sex, and more sex. However, that's not all there is. This is a stylized re-telling of a true story of a disastrous, obsessive love relationship that culminated in the murder and mutilation of one of the partners. It explores the concept of sexual obsession as an expression of love far more fully and interestingly than any American film I've ever seen, and certainly is far more interesting than your usual modern X-rated flick. The actors, lighting, composition, etc. are all superb.