Lee Eisenberg First I should note that "Ai no bôrei" ("Empire of Passion" in English) is the first Nagisa Oshima movie that I've ever seen. It struck me as part horror, part drama, as the woman has an affair and then decides to kill her husband, except that he haunts her. What I wondered was whether this was an issue of guilt or grief. Whichever it was, the result is one intense movie. In the interviews with the cast members, they described the movie as a sort of extension of Oshima's previous movie "In the Realm of the Senses". Having never seen it, I can't confirm that. What I can say is that "Empire of Passion" makes outstanding use of the setting - a small village in 1890s Japan - and the characters' sexuality (there's nothing gratuitous about the nudity).All in all, I would now like very much to see "In the Realm of the Senses" and other movies by Oshima. In the meantime, I recommend this one.

mevmijaumau Nagisa Oshima's second co-production with France, Empire of Passion (based on the manuscript of Itoko Nakamura's then-unpublished novel), is often falsely considered to be a sequel to his previous film, In the Realm of the Senses. However, despite featuring the same lead actor (Tatsuya Fuji), the two films are only loosely connected by some of the similar themes they share, making them a diptych of sorts.Empire of Passion is set in the Meiji era and, like the previous film, focuses on the nature of passionate love, or the consummation of sexuality and how it can offer an escape from the repressive outside world. However, the two protagonists in this film are doomed from the start because of this, as the fleeting sensations lead them to irreparable life choices which then take a heavy toll on their psyche. The film is much less sexually explicit than Realm, but is more disturbing and overall it's a much darker tale, with some kaidan (ghost story) elements. The appearance of a traditional Japanese depiction of a ghost fits into the whole "folktale" mood of the film, complete with a narrator voice of a creepy old lady.Unlike Realm, Empire is set in the natural world. Thus, the film is defined by seasonal shifts (it actually goes in reverse, Winter-Autumn- Summer-Spring) and the two main characters are left in mercy of the chaotic, indifferent world of nature. Some of the most beautiful shots from the movie are in fact landscapes, or seen from under a well. Toru Takemitsu's soundtrack is quite good as usual.Unfortunately, the film seemed to meander a bit, and some of the ghost scenes are pretty cheesy. The theatrical acting was a bit too much in several parts (lead actress Kazuko Yoshiyuki is beyond cute here, though) and overall, the film didn't quite click with me.

Falconeer People usually think of "In the Realm of the Senses" when they hear Oshima's named mentioned. That film's graphic, semi-pornographic erotic scenes overshadowed director Nagisa Oshima's talents as a film maker. I believe his "Empire of Passion" is a superior film to that 1976 production, in many ways. Here we have a beautiful, and impeccably filmed 'ghost story' that truly succeeds in being "haunting." When the rick-shaw driver returns from the dead, after his wife and her corrupt young lover have murdered him, it is truly chilling. And this film succeeds at being very erotically charged, without explicit sex included. as in Oshima's earlier film, the illicit lovers seem to be obsessively, frantically addicted to each other sexually. Their couplings are feverish, even when things start to turn very dark in their lives. As in earlier works, the two main characters seem to have no control over their sexual appetites, and danger and violence only escalate their desire. "Empire of Passion" is masterfully filmed; the scenes in the mysterious forest with sunlight filtering through the branches overhead, or amidst pounding rain storms and mist-shrouded country roads, every frame of "Empire of Passion" is beautiful and carefully filmed. The scenes of the well are especially haunting and mysterious as the story draws to it's unhappy conclusion. A feeling of bitter hopelessness permeates every frame, and there isn't really anyone to sympathise with. Everyone seems so selfish and corrupt, except for the woman's young daughter, who is caught up in her mother's treachery. It's unfortunate that this film didn't get much attention, as people were most likely expecting another shock film like "In the realm of the senses." This one must have looked quite tame compared to that film, but i do believe this to be the superior of the two. I am looking forward to seeing earlier films from Nagisa Oshima.

mike_pee123 In the Realm of the Senses is a beautifully filmed, well-written, and splendidly acted film. It tells the haunting story of a woman who kills her husband after falling in love with another man. The ghost of her husband continues to haunt her lond after his murder. This film is really good, anyone interested should definitely check it out.