Japanese Cinema 3/26/02 In the Realm of the Senses: Understanding the Obsession When Oshima Nagisa decided to take on the historical story of the prostitute Sada's eventually murderous affair with the husband of a brothel owner he chose to present a story of an event embroiled with passion, obsession, deception and gratuitous amounts of sex. With the choice that many consider daring and that was certainly avant-garde of pulling no punches in the portrayal of the …showed first 75 words of 1470 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1470 total…gawk at and still feel respectable afterwards. "In the Realm of the Senses" may not rank itself as a masterpiece of Japanese cinema, but it is certainly a cinematic hallmark of just how deep the denial of human sexuality and all it encompasses is in both Asia and the Occident , and to the analytical and patient viewer it will always provide a fascinating glimpse into art's ability to portray life in a frighteningly real state.