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In the Realm of the Senses Actors: Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko Matsuda Director: Nagisa Oshima Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Pan & Scan Format: Color Audience Rating: X (Mature Audiences Only) Running Time: 105 minutes Studio: Fox Lorber Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2002-07-23 Buy from Amazon |
 "This MOVIE [is weak]!"And not just the chick! I was expecting something a little bit more interesting, but I didn't realize that sex could bo sooooooooo boring! Gimme a break. This movie is just plain horrible. Boring boring and more boring. ARGH! Why did I punish myself with such madness? I have seen better erotic movies that were not as explicit like Judou with the incredible Gong Li. Watch out for the sex scene involving bolts of red silk! Fantastic! "Well Made but Repulsive and Sickening"Every time someone has told me she or he is going to see this film, I always say that I hope they don't find it as upsetting and violent as hubby and I did. Without exception, everyone gets back to me to say that they did find it violent, upsetting, sickening and repulsive. I know it ranks highly on the art house circuit and among film listserv devotees so there are a lot of viewers out there who evidently don't agree with me. The plot is about two asian lovers, a man and woman, and the increasingly sick nature of their relationship, both physically and emotionally. This "relationship" includes acts of mutilation. We found this film so upsetting that we stayed away from the art house theater we then went to for over a month. This was a big absence for us since we went 2-3 times a week prior to seeing this film. I can't imagine seeing this film again and will do anything to avoid doing so. I suppose someone might make a claim that a film that makes this strong an impression on you must have done something positive. I've been waiting for almost two decades to find out what that positive something is.  "Wow...not what I expected, but more than I expected"To be honest, I didn't know this film contained scenes of explicit sex before I bought it (didn't read reviews first -- bad on me!). Not that that would've necessarily kept me from watching it, but I think it let me have an initial viewing free of preconceived notions and pre-judgment. The story is based on true events in pre-war Japan; a less explicit remake, but containing more pre-tryst character development, is the later film "A Woman Called Sada Abe." I don't know if it's fair to compare the two, because they want to accomplish very different things. "Woman" gives more background on Sada, giving the viewer a more compassionate feeling toward the woman and her ultimate sexual psychopathy. "Realm" lacks the background, but I think it presents a much more powerful and dark look into the mind of Sada, as well as the period that helped make her what she was. One thing that surprised me is that the explicit sexuality, while surprising (I was going to write "shocking," but I don't mean it in a judgmental way), really didn't overpower the story. After the surprise wore off, it was, for me, simply the vehicle for demonstrating the downward spiral Sada (and Kichizo) found herself in -- sex was no longer about love, or even physical pleasure, but about possession and control over herself, in a society where she otherwise had very little control. The scenes are erotic, but not stimulating (it's hard to express in writing what that means, but suffice it to say this is not simply a "porno eye-candy" delivery). As for the quality of the DVD, the transfer is OK, but why, oh why, do we *still* have to suffer the insult of pan-and-scan? Directors and cinematographers compose scenes carefully, but this is lost when 20% of the frame simply isn't there anymore. Please, Fox Lorber (and others), stop ruining films this way! We are sophisticated enough to disregard the black bars in order to enjoy the film the way it was meant to be viewed. The soundtrack is adeqate, though the music becomes rather repetitive after a while. The English subtitles often fail to match the dialogue, with one character's subtitle displaying as the other character is already responding. I don't believe, as some others claim, that this is "pornography." Clearly, the director uses explicit sexuality to create a specific atmosphere, and give the viewer character insights that would be less powerful without it. But, it's probably not for everyone. [And I'll never eat another hard-boiled egg without thinking of one particular scene...] I recommend this film, but those who know they would be offended by explicit sexuality may find "A Woman Called Sada Abe" more tolerable.  "satisfied purchase"worth your time to watch and the money spend. "a comment on the DVD transfer itself . . ."Please DO NOT waste your money on this DVD. I'm not commenting on the film content itself. This is the most shoddy treatment of a film that I have ever seen. I was so disappointed when I got this in the mail and played it. It is truly horrible. There is a lot of grain, colors are flat and terrible, images are fuzzy and objects look slightly stretched from top to bottom. I'm really not a stickler for DETAIL, but this DVD is literally awful. If you like this movie, then just wait until some other company does it justice. There is no joy watching it in its present DVD form. It's as if someone found an old, beat up VHS copy of this movie and transferred it to DVD. I guess it all boils down to money -sad. |
