Empire of Passion

Empire of Passion (愛の亡霊, Ai no Bōrei) is a 1978 French-Japanese film produced, written and directed by Nagisa Ōshima, based on a novel by Itoko Nakamura.[3][4] The film was a co-production between Oshima Prods. and Argos Films.[5]

Not to be confused with In the Realm of the Senses.
Empire of Passion
Film poster
Directed byNagisa Ōshima
Written byNagisa Ōshima
Itoko Nakamura
Produced byAnatole Dauman
StarringKazuko Yoshiyuki
Tatsuya Fuji
Takahiro Tamura
Takuzo Kawatani
Akiko Koyama
CinematographyYoshio Miyajima
Edited byKeiichi Uraoka
Music byToru Takemitsu
Production
company
Oshima Nagisa Production
Distributed byToho Towa
Release date
  • October 6, 1978 (1978-10-06) (Japan)
Running time
108 minutes[1]
CountriesFrance
Japan
LanguageJapanese
Box office276,040 tickets (France)[2]

Plot

In 1895 a rickshaw runner arrives home in a village in Japan. His wife Seki is sexually assaulted by a young neighbour, Toyoji. They became lovers. He's very jealous of Seki's husband and decides that they should kill him. One night, after the husband has had plenty of shōchū to drink and is in bed, they strangle him and dump his body down a well. To avert any suspicions, Seki pretends her husband has gone off to Tokyo to work. For three years Seki and Toyoji secretly see each other. Their relationship has moments of intense passion, but the young man starts to distance himself from Seki. Finally, suspicions in the village become very strong and people begin to gossip. To make matters worse, her husband's ghost begins to haunt her and the law arrives to investigate her husband's disappearance.

Cast

Release

The film was Japan's submission to the 51st Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.[6] The film was entered into the 1978 Cannes Film Festival, where Ōshima won the award for Best Director.[7] The film was released on DVD by Fox Lorber Films in 2000 under the title In the Realm of Passion.

See also

References
  1. Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 381.
  2. "Ai no Borei (1978)". JP's Box-Office (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  3. Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 381.
  4. "L' Empire de la passion". BFI Film & Television Database. London: British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  5. Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 381.
  6. "List of Japanese films nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film" (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  7. "Festival de Cannes: Empire of Passion". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
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