Still censored in its own country, In the Realm of the Senses (Ai no corrida), by Japanese director Nagisa Oshima, remains one of the most controversial films of all time. A graphic portrayal of insatiable sexual desire, Oshima’s film, set in 1936 and based on a true incident, depicts a man and a woman (Tatsuya Fuji and Eiko Matsuda) consumed by a transcendent, destructive love while living in an era of ever-escalating imperialism and governmental control. Less a work of pornography than of politics, In the Realm of the Senses is a brave, taboo-breaking milestone.

Content Warning: This film contains scenes of graphic sex and violence. Further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.

With an arresting mix of eroticism and horror, Oshima plunges the viewer into a nightmarish tale of guilt and retribution in Empire of Passion (Ai no borei). Set in a Japanese village at the end of the nineteenth century, the film details the emotional and physical downfall of a married woman and her younger lover following their decision to murder her husband and dump his body in a well. Empire of Passion was Oshima's only true kaidan (Japanese ghost story), and the film, a savage, unrelenting experience, earned him the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Set in a POW camp in Japanese-occupied Java circa 1942, the film explores the relationship between British prisoners and their captors. Lt. Col. John Lawrence (Tom Conti), the lone Japanese speaker among the interned British, tries to negotiate an uneasy equilibrium within the camp, which is overseen by the vicious Capt. Yanoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto). An ardent follower of the Bushido moral code, his eye is unexpectedly caught by the arrival Maj. Jack “Strafer” Celliers (David Bowie), an insolent and rabble-rousing new prisoner. Could Yanoi’s fascination with Celliers change everything? Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence has endured as a deeply moving anti-war statement, as well as a thoughtful exploration of national and sexual identity.