Empire of Passion

1978

1h 45m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

126

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32 Images

Drama

Romance

Horror

In a small Japanese village at the end of the 19th century, a rickshaw driver's wife takes on a much younger lover and the two conspire to murder him.

Directors

Nagisa Ōshima

Writers

Nagisa Ōshima(writer by)

Itoko Nakamura(screenplay by)

Stars

Takahiro Tamura

Kazuko Yoshiyuki

Tatsuya Fuji

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Watch Empire of Passion (1978) US trailer

Top cast

Gisaburo

Seki

Toyoji

Inspector Hotta

Young Master's Mother

Toichiro

Young Master

Odame

Oshin

Dancer

Kurazo

Orator

Directors

Writers

Nagisa Ōshima(writer by)

Itoko Nakamura(screenplay by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

I am a great fan of Ôshima's work, though unfortunately I have only seen previously six films of his, all between 1965's 'Pleasures of the Flesh' and 1976's extremely controversial 'In the Realm of the Senses'. This, like the latter, was a period piece that looked at a doomed relationship (this time in 1895), though far less scandalous in its sexuality, though still titillating nevertheless. Exiled and forced to work with the French in order to continue his passion, Ôshima's storytelling, through Yoshio Miyajima's gorgeous camerawork and another exemplary soundtrack by Japanese scoring genius, Tôru Takemitsu, and remarkably passion-ate performances by its stars, Tatsuya Fuji (who separated his shoulder, his acting was so intense) and Kazuko Yoshiyuki (who, I must admit, has the most amazing nipples I have ever seen), was great, earning him Best Director at Cannes. It seemed a reverse noir, with Fuji's Toyoji playing the seducer, and Yoshiuki's once-faithful wife being persuaded to be co-conspirator to her loving (but not fulfilling her desires) rickshaw-driver husband, not to mention a fine ghost story, with Gisaburo's very patient ghost taking three years to finally bring himself justice, by forcing the community to press the horribly-incompetent (almost as inept as Doug McGrath's Sergeant Nash in the original 'Black Christmas'!) Inspector Hotta to eventually torture confessions out of the ill-fated duo. Another film to see with the person you love!...

talisencrw15 Jan, 2016