jgbgraham Review of Empire of Passion

Empire of Passion (1978)

A wonder to look at... Both a visual and thematic feast!

[10/10 · 25 September 2023]

I have seen a few Oshima films and they have all been fantastic. Empire of Passion is no exception. It is a subtle horror story of a lovers affair turned cold blooded murder. Naturally the victim comes back as the undead for some spooky justice. You almost have to wonder if it is just the guilty conscience of the murderous wife that manifests the ghost at first... and then everyone around town starts seeing him and the cops straight up take it as serious evidence of a murder and proceed to investigate. This is why I love movies from the far east. Something like that sounds ridiculous but is totally plausible within the realm of this movie. Besides all the genre fun within this movie it was filmed impeccably. Almost every shot is pure beauty you would hang on your wall, especially the scenes where they're looking down the well that holds their senseless crime. If you liked this movie and are wanting to watch more of his films I recommend In The Realm of the Senses, Japanese Summer: Double Suicide and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.