Synopsis:  Go Beyond The Realm Of The Senses.

The young and beautiful Sada Abe (Junko Miyashita), the daughter of a rich merchant, is banished for losing her virginity after being raped by a college student. Sada wanders the city, becoming a geisha and eventually meeting Kichizo (Hideaki Ezumi), a posh restaurateur who falls under her spell. Together, they embark on a week-long sexual escapade filled with dangerous obsessions. Their descent into complete absorption into each other’s desires culminates in a shocking crime of passion which captures the city’s headlines.

Based on a real event form 1936, A Woman Called Sada Abe (Jitsuroku: Abe Sada, literally “The True Story of Abe Sada”) is a compelling adult drama from Japan’s famed Nikkatsu Studios and director Noboru Tanaka (Walker In The Attic, 1976). Made a year before director Nagisa Oshima’s better-known but sexually explicit international version of the same story, In The Realm Of The Senses (Ai No Corrida, 1976), A Woman Called Sada Abe follows the story beyond its traditional climax and shows the aftermath of Sada’s obsession.
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Jitsuroku Abe Sada 6.0

Being a huge, HUGE fan of Ai no corrida, I was currious to see the same story told from a different perspective. Sadly, this movie was pretty exploitative and lacked the subtle class of Ai no corrida.

Furthermore, what was the appeal of the classic -the heat and emotional bond between the two lovers- was totally squandered by a thin script and totally unconvincing performances; not only do the actors have little to do, but none of their behaviour feels realistic – it looks so much like theatre, that it creates removal instead of involvement.

The only saving grace is in the last 20-25 mins, when they explore the aftermath of the relationship a little bit – something not done in Ai no corrida or Sada (at least from what I can recall – I’ve only seen Sada the one time…).