ces petits riens

In the realm of the seses

Ultimately a tale of sexual obsession, jealousy and destructive love, Nagisa Oshima's cult picture from 1976, based on a true incident that occured in Japan before WWII, depicts the intensified nature of the extramarital relationship between a brothel worker (Sada) and the brothel owner (Kichizio). As the affair grows, so does their insatiability in relation to the other making them uncompromisingly indulge in their lusts, however elaborate and intense they may prove, even going to the lenghts of engaging in asphyxiation play. Sada's obsessiveness consumes them both and it's clear the affair will see only one of the two outliving the other. Upon realising she will never truly be the only woman in his life, she takes measures of nobody else ever having him by dismemembering his privates. In real life it's known Sada Abe was adopted a heroine in the public eye and her case became a media sensation and is supposedly stil to date one of the most famous murder cases in Japan.  

Oddly enough, this outing of Oshima's is probably more shocking today than upon its original release, amidst the progressive and bold cinematic scene of the 70's independent and art house features. Indeed, it is not for the faint-hearted and contains explicit material putting even today's provocateur Catherine Breillart to shame. It remains however a powerful, yet somewhat flawed, piece of cinema.