Provocative and controversial, In the Realm of the Senses is described by many as one of the most controversial films of all time, having become famous for its explicit sexual content, which at the time was rarely seen on the mainstream circuit. Based on real events that took place in Japan in the 1930s, against a backdrop of social tensions and the rise of authoritarianism, the story tells of the intense and tragic love story between a former geisha and the owner of an inn. Their relationship transcends social norms and taboos, involving them in a destructive spiral of desire. The intense depiction of eroticism and unsimulated sex scenes earned Ōshima a court case for obscenity and censorship in several countries.