Empire of Passion

Dir. Nagisa Oshima. 1978, 108 mins. 35mm. In Japanese with English subtitles. With Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Tatsuya Fuji, Takahiro Tamura, Takuzo Kawatani. Oshima’s follow-up to the scandalous In the Realm of the Senses explores similarly unfettered earthly passions but now viewed through a supernatural lens. In Edo-era Japan, a woman and her younger lover conspire to kill her husband. Their plan seems foolproof and they execute it well. For several years the two are able to carry on their affair out of the public eye. Yet after some time, the husband’s spirit returns bringing along newfound scrutiny of the events surrounding his sudden disappearance. Oshima’s visually stunning film is a poetic, unforgettable ghost version of The Postman Always Rings Twice.

Tickets: $15 ($11 seniors and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free for children under 3 and Museum members at the Film Lover and Kids Premium levels and above). Order tickets online.(Members may contact [email protected] with questions regarding online reservations.)   

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