Nagisa Ōshima directed 23 feature films between 1959 and 1999, establishing himself as a primary figure of the Japanese New Wave. His career began at Shochiku Ltd. after he graduated from Kyoto University, where he studied political history. He transitioned from studio productions to independent filmmaking, consistently addressing social taboos, class discrimination, and racial prejudice.
Early Career and Studio Departure
Ōshima debuted with A Town of Love and Hope in 1959. His early work for Shochiku, including Cruel Story of Youth and The Sun's Burial, explored youthful rebellion. In 1960, the studio withdrew his film Night and Fog in Japan citing public unrest following the assassination of Inejiro Asanuma. Ōshima responded by resigning and founding his own independent production company.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Thematic Focus and Methodology
Throughout the 1960s, Ōshima investigated xenophobia, particularly targeting anti-Korean sentiment in Japan. In 1961, he directed The Catch, followed by the 1965 documentary Diary of Yunbogi regarding street children in Seoul. His 1968 film Death by Hanging, based on a real-life crime, utilized Brechtian distancing techniques to critique the legal system and racial discrimination.
Experimental Narratives
His later films utilized collage-style structures and fragmented narratives. Diary of a Shinjuku Thief drew upon Jean Genet’s work to examine the connection between sexual and political radicalism. In 1969, he directed Boy, a film based on a true story regarding a family exploiting their child for insurance compensation through staged road accidents.
Legal Battles and Global Recognition
The 1976 release of In the Realm of the Senses, a depiction of fatal sexual obsession, resulted in obscenity charges against Ōshima and his publisher, San’ichishobo. After a prolonged legal battle involving the Tokyo High Court, he was acquitted in 1979. He later won the Cannes Best Director Award in 1978 for Empire of Passion.
Fast facts
- Born: 1932, Kyoto, Japan
- Died: 2013, Fujisawa, Japan
- Education: Kyoto University
- Active Years: 1959–1999
- Total Feature Films: 23
- 1978 Cannes Best Director Award Winner
- Medal with Purple Ribbon recipient: 2000
Questions readers ask
Why was In the Realm of the Senses controversial?
The film featured unsimulated sex, leading the Japanese government to file obscenity charges against the director and his publisher in 1976.
What subjects did Nagisa Ōshima explore in his work?
His films examined political disillusionment, racial and class discrimination, taboo sexuality, and the constraints of the Japanese social and legal systems.
Achievements
- Worked as screenwriter, film director and film producer
