Empire of Passion (1978; Nagisa Oshima) - 8/10
Frequently cited as a companion film to Oshima's controversial, revolutionary In The Realm of the Senses, Empire is a much more conventional film that blends elements of noir, romance, horror, and Japanese folktales. The basic story will be familiar to anyone who's seen any of the Postman Always Rings Twice adaptations (a woman and her lover plot to kill her husband), but Oshima takes this basic premise farther by depicting the downward spiral of guilt and obsession that manifest in ghostly visions and other nightmares. The film lacks the explicit sex of Senses, but is just as sensual, especially thanks to the ravishingly gorgeous natural cinematography. Perhaps it's not as provocative as Senses, but it certainly makes up for it in a palpable, atmospheric aesthetic.

