Oshima's statement in this regard sheds light on his intent. Indeed the old geisha who at one point entertains the main characters of this film, when the younger ones ended up refusing to return, proclaims "that's natural for a woman" to constantly have sex with a man.
His distaste for what he saw as the society's backward march, group-think and suppression of free speech is the driving force behind the feature. Nagisa Ôshima saw obscenity and censorship as anathema to progress and indeed believed Japan has taken many steps backwards since the days of pleasure quarters, open prostitution in brothels, openness and individuality. Given the imagery and subject matter the film could easily be labelled pornography however, the presence of respectable/mainstream/traditional cast, crew, studio and production values - not to mention anti-pornographic (pink eiga) film techniques - renders it enough of a something else to confuse most and push the boundary well back.
It is pornographic, but directed to be the opposite.
Here is a film with full sexuality, nudity, penetration, S&M and more whose mission, for starters, is to push the boundaries, promote free speech and deconstruct obscenity. Written and directed by Japan's Nagisa Ôshima's, 1976's In The Realm of Senses (Ai No Korida or 'love's/lover's bullfight') clinches the title as a risqué and explicit art film conceived to break taboos. Making the audience feel unsettled, uncomfortable and flinch is part of the intention here. Although few deny that sex is exciting many assert it is not proper or art. Show two humans have sex for pleasure and millions will revolt. Trick people, steal their identities, wealth or children, make war, drop bombs or annihilate planets and it is all fine. Of all the categories of film ones depicting open sex are the most controversial. The short version cuts straight from Sada waking up to the shot of her standing over Ishida's body. The original version shows Sada lying on the floor and apparently panicking, walking around the room and opening doors for no obvious reason.
The scene in which Sada first strangles Ishida is cut by just over one minute.This scene features Sada and Ishida having sex behind a thin screen, while Ishida speaks of the "darkness" he feels inside Sada. An entire two-minute scene is deleted about an hour into the film.A later scene (in which the geishas assault one of their own with a dildo) is cut by 14 seconds to remove a shot of Ishida and Sada's faces in mid-copulation.A brief shot (12 seconds) of Ishida and Sada on a bridge has been added to the scene in which the couple goes out walking at night.In the original version, Sada seemingly goes unconscious and Ishida checks for her heartbeat. An early scene in which Sada has sex with Ishida while playing a shamisen has been cut by about a minute and a half.This shorter version makes the following changes: Criterion DVD features the cut footage as an extra. The French DVD includes both versions (via seamless branching), while the U.S. This version has been distributed theatrically in some countries (such as France) and is available on video in Australia, the UK, the United States, and France. Producer Anatole Dauman received Oshima's permission to recut the film, resulting in a shorter 102-minute edit.