Blu-ray release - In the Realm of the Senses (Criterion Collection) available on April 28, 2009

In the Realm of the Senses (Ai no Corrida, 1976) is Nagisa Oshima’s classic and controversial retelling of one of Japan’s most notorious scandals. An ex-prostitute named Sada Abe (Eiko Matsuda) becomes involved in a sexually-charged affair with the head of the household, Ishida (Tatsuya Fuji) while working as his maid. She soon becomes obsessed with her master, and threatens to murder him if he looks at any other woman—even his own wife. This danger only excites Ishida more as he begins to get sexual pleasure from being strangled during sex, eventually agreeing to take their sexually violent relationship to the furthest of extremes.

The film was initially banned at its New York Film Festival premiere in 1976 due to its unsimulated sex scenes, and remained that way until it finally became available on home video in 1990. Now Criterion is giving it a brand-new treatment worthy of a cinematic masterpiece.

Blu-ray region A, newly-restored high-definition digital transfer, letterboxed 1.66:1. Japanese audio (uncompressed monaural) with newly-translated English subtitles. Features include audio commentary by film scholar Tony Rayns; new interview with actor Tatsuya Fuji; a 1976 interview with director Nagisa Oshima and actors Fuji and Eiko Matsuda; a 2003 program featuring interviews with consulting producer Hayao Shibata, line producer, Koji Wakamatsu, assistant director Yoichi Sai, and film distributor Yoko Asakura; deleted footage; and US trailer. Also included: booklet featuring a new essay by Japanese film scholar Donald Richie and a reprinted interview with Oshima.

Available at the following retailer(s) on April 28, 2009: