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In the Realm of the Senses - In the Realm of Passion Analysis
:. Director: Oshima Nagisa
:. Year: 1976/1978
:. Country: Japan
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SIGHT
In both of Oshima's "realms", the spectator's position is necessary to the film's comprehension. In both cases they are of a voyeurist nature, but this is used for different goals.
In the Realm of the Senses
Sight, that of the spectator, plays an important and very complexe role in In the Realm of the Senses. The spectator as a voyeur, witness to the sex act, is rapidly associated to the geishas and servants in the story ; he, like them, assist to the couples sexual performances. From the very beginning of the film, there is the presence of voyeurs : Sada and another servant spy on Kishi and his wife as they are making love. Following this scene, there will constantly be witnesses to sexual acts, their role is that of the spectator, they are, in a certain way, their double in the film. But as the story unfolds, the witnesses - geishas and servants, and also the film's spectators - get to see much more then they are willing to see, they are less and less volontary voyeurs (as voyeurism gives way for exhibitionism in the film). Hence, the servants wind up not wanting to serve Sada and Kishi because they are always fucking. Like the geishas and the servants, the obscenity and repetition (strongly used in the film) also acts upon the spectator. He will have one of the following reactions : either he disconnects from the storyline (as do most of the geishas and servants), or he absorbed diegeticaly until the end and therefore takes the risk of staying (in the last part of the film, when the geishas and servants are gone) alone with the couple.
This second option comes with certain risks and Oshima warns the spectator on several occasions in the film. On two occasions a servant informs the couple of the disgust they inspire the rest of the inhabitants of the house. This servant is the last one who is willing to inform the couple (she chooses to stay with them) and, on both occasions, she is aggressed by the couple. Oshima is identifying Sada as being the dangerous one, far more then Kishi : she eats up (or snaps) the egg - symbol for the eye - and she bears the tatto of a scorpion on her earlobe (as if warning others that it isn't safe t get too close). The close-up of the vagina swallowing the egg is also associated with a close-up of Sada's mouth later on in the film (the scene where Kishi fucks the old geisha after having been ordered by Sada to do so ; the old woman does not survive) ; like the shot of the vagina was attacking the eye through it's symbolisation, so is the shot of her mouth directly threatening the eye of the spectator.
Therefore, the spectator who does not disconnect and goes through the diegetical absorption is exposing himself to the danger which will end up with his own castration at the end of the film.
In the Realm of Passion
As in In the Realm of the Senses, the spectator is identified as the voyeur. Instead of using the identification to a character-voyeur included in the story (the geishas and the servants in In the Realm of the Senses), Oshima uses different shots to reinforce the spectator's position as the voyeur. For example, in the first two scenes where Seki and Toyoji make love, the camera is placed behind the curtain, positioning thus the spectator as a spy. Later on, the spectator-voyeur will be associated to the inspector investigating about the couple.. This in the scene where the inspector finds himself also in the position of the spy, hidden in the house to secretly observe Seki and Toyoji. The spectator of In the Realm of Passion is thus associated to justice (extension of the inspector character), this same justice which persecutes the lovers and will sentence them to death.
The same process from In the Realm of the Senses is used, as the film progresses, the spectator-voyeur approaches bit by bit the object in sight (the couple). However, this time we do not approach the couple by isolating ourselves with them but by breaking this isolation to integrate reality within them. Each time the couple makes love, the spectator gets closer and closer to them (first the curtains disappear, then we pass from a far away position in the forest to a much closer one with the couple in the same room) ; at the same time, the inspector's investigation moves along and nears itself to a conclusion.
It is in the scene where the lovers, hanging from a tree, are being tortured that the spectator is clearly given the position which he deserves. Among the passive observers confined to their role as gossipmongers. In fact, In the Realm of Passion is built upon rumours (just like the little known real life event which inspired it) : from Gisaburo's appearance to the viallgers to Seki and Toyoji's execution which is, as said in the final narration, just talk.
Sebastian Sipat
 The Demonstration of Artifice
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