In the Realm of Pornography?

Should the recently rereleased "In the Realm of the Senses" still be considered controversial?

In Oshida’s formulation, at least the former act was consensual. Indeed, what continues to be disquieting about the film when viewed today is not the intensity of its eroticism, but rather the intensity of its emotions. Though it’s not as often thought of in these terms, “In the Realm of the Senses” is as much a film about sexuality as it is about addiction: Abe is so consumed with her need for Ishida that she would rather kill him than entertain the notion that he may stray. And, as Ishida tells Abe when she begins to experiment with the idea of strangulation, “Whatever gives you pleasure gives me happiness.” (Abe’s chilling response: “What if I killed you out of pleasure?”)

Abe and Ishida’s deathly feelings for each other are far more “hardcore” than any movie short of a snuff film could ever hope to be. Ironically, though the film features numerous unsimulated sex acts (like, say the whole egg in the hoo-hah thing), the sequences that give the viewer (or at least this viewer) the most pause are the ones involving Abe literally screwing Ishida to death, a sequence which, for obvious reasons, had to be staged.

The debate over whether hardcore sexual content automatically qualifies a piece of art as pornography continues to this day. But if I was forced to take the “con” position, I’d use “In the Realm of the Senses” as my exhibit A (or maybe exhibit B after Pasolini’s “Salò”). The film features an endless parade of nudity and sexuality, but the picture is rarely, if ever, exciting. Scene after scene after scene (after scene) of sex quickly becomes repetitive and then, as Abe and Ishida’s lovemaking grows more violent, troubling. If one doesn’t share the lovers’ kinks, the film is far more thought-provoking than arousing. If we define pornography as something designed to titillate, then “In the Realm of the Senses,” despite near wire to wire sex, simply does not qualify.

I’m sure Oshima would agree. Which is why it’s important to have the film readily available in that original 108-minute version. The movie uses some of the language of pornography to seriously examine the idea of sexual obsession. The movie was a litmus test for the different countries who chose to censor it, and it still works the same way for every individual audience and viewer.

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