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.

Nagisa Oshima's second co-production with France, Empire of Passion (based on the manuscript of Itoko Nakamura's then-unpublished novel), is often falsely considered to be a sequel to his previous film, In the Realm of the Senses.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.

A young man called Toyoji (Tatsuya Fuji) has an affair with a married woman, Seki (Kazuko Yoshiyuki), who is twenty years older than him. Nonetheless he isn't preoccupied with it. Toyoji gets increasingly jealous of her husband, thus one day, when her husband is out, Toyoji shaves her pubic hair, upon having sex with Seki. Thereafter, she is agreeable to assist him in killing her husband, not wanting her consort to see her being shaved. They succeed, notwithstanding, after some time, bizarre phenomena begin to transpire… Empire of Passion (1978) aka Ai no borei has a potential that is sadly wasted. The film of Nagisa Oshima, the director of controversial In the Realm of the Senses (1976) and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983), is a mishmash of stronger and weaker ideas. Despite having an interesting concept, which merges erotica as well as kaidan-eiga genre, and a good production design, the flick never manages to be particularly memorable and on the whole it appears very uneven. To start with, the beginning seems very rushed and mauled, scenes rapidly skip from one to another, giving it a rather undisciplined appearance and a textural balance is upended. The character of Seki's husband lacks depth, thus a viewer fails to get acquainted with him and feel pity for him, when he is actually killed. After Seki's consort demise, the pace swiftly slows down and the action drags. At this point, the problematic editing is even more visible, since the content consists of some good scenes as well as totally unnecessary ones and Oshima doesn't fully succeed in focusing on more significant moments, polishing them to perfection. The oneiric parts are neatly handled, nevertheless they don't make a viewer's blood curdle since the tension never becomes overwhelming and there is no real climax of terror. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't send chills down one's spine. The psychological aspect of the two key characters and their carnal obsession remains undeveloped and ineffectively explored. The emotional background which forces Toyoji and Seki to slaughter her husband is rather lame just like the ending which is also executed in an uninspired way which renders the flick even more distant and the story which is intended to be spicy isn't sufficiently sensual. Mise en scène is flawed throughout the whole movie and the paltry writing punctuates it. Notwithstanding, it isn't without its merits. Cinematography by Yoshio Miyajima is tremendous and gives this film a bleak zest and the lighting is pure visual poetry. Sets and costumes look realistic. Peasants' shacks and long grasses swaying in the wind all shrouded in the mist are ravishingly portentous.Two actors playing Toyoji and Seki i.e. Tatsuya Fuji and Kazuko Yoshiyuki give satisfying performances. There is a fine chemistry between them and their emotions are well exposed. It isn't anything exquisite though and there isn't too much to gloat over since the acting still isn't anything remarkable.The soundtrack by Toru Takemitsu is absolutely staggering and it is a true work of art that is probably the best aspect of the entire movie. It adds traditional Japanese atmosphere to the movie and folk flutes, which are frequently exploited, stun in their own, ghoulish way. This decidedly belongs to one of the composer's best creations.It may be stated that it is a bewildering and delightful flick. Notwithstanding, the amazing framing and aesthetic beauty cannot replace the true cinematic value and outshine its multiple flaws. The erratic pace, the ineffective storytelling and writing result in creating an uneven ensemble. It isn't a bad film though – it has a great deal of neatly crafted sequences, some interesting visuals and above all it implicates the phenomenal soundtrack. This simply isn't flabbergasting in terms of high quality. If one is capable of overlooking its numerous shortcomings, it is going to be a decent pastime, however, nothing more than that.

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.