The Real Meaning of Ai No Corrida

[Teddybear]

"Ai No Korrida" is the Japanese title of the movie called "In the Realm of the Senses" (or "Empire of the Senses") by Oshima Nagisa. The word Korrida was named after the Spanish word Corrida, which means Bullfight, and in Spain, but not in Latin America, it is a slang for Ejaculation. So the name of the film would be "Corrida of Love (Ai)", with a sense of challenge, struggle, death, and probably sex.

The words and music of Ai No Corrida are by Chaz Jankel & Kenny Young. In an interview, Chaz explains how the name of the film ended in the song covered by Quincy Jones:

One night in 1979 we played in Amsterdam and after the gig we went back to the Hotel American and we’d acquired some rather attractive female company to accompany us back.

To discuss music, of course. And poetry. Suddenly I’m in my hotel room with this beautiful Dutch model. [...] Next thing I know, this melody pops into my head, but I realised that the melody wasn’t suitable for the Blockheads [Jankel's band]. I gave a cassette with the melody on to Kenny Young, who’d co-written ‘Under The Boardwalk’. Anyway, he calls me from MIDEM. ‘Chaz, I’ve got this great idea for your melody: "Ai No Corrida, that’s where I am…"’ I had no idea what he was talking about. So he told me all about this movie by Oshima, In The Realm Of The Senses (the Japanese name was Ai No Corrida). It was a true story about a geisha who fell in love with the madame’s husband but because of the class system there was no chance they could have a relationship.

In their sexual encounters, the woman would strangle the chap to the point where he nearly passed out. One day, in their depression at the fate of their relationship she kept pulling on the knot and he died. She was so distressed, she cut off his meat’n’two veg and put it in her pocket. She was wondering the streets, completely off her head and got locked up and stayed incarcerated for about 30 years. She became a feminist icon and when she came out in the 70s Oshima made a movie about her.

One last point: Phonetically, "Ai No Corrida" sounds like the Spanish phrase: "Hay No Corrida", spoken in the lips of an American who wouldn't know the Spanish language. The right sentence would be: "No hay corrida", or "there is no bullfight", but this would be a wrong meaning for the title of the song.

[Disco Funk]

I have the film, and its very sexually explicit. I'm surprised it wasn't categorized as pornographic. Nice tune by the Q, though! :)

Disco Funk

[wever]

hahaha that about the meaning in spanish is true

i haven't seen that film

[osses]

yeah,its very pornographic for me...quite disgusting though...it was banned in few countries..

[Videoskooter]

yeah,its very pornographic for me...quite disgusting though...it was banned in few countries..

In Belgium, when it was released in movie theatres in 1976 , under the title "L'empire des sens", it was immediately confiscated and forbidden. The ban was lifted in the early 90's.

Now they show it on public television :icon_exclaim:

[Paulo]

In Belgium, when it was released in movie theatres in 1976 , under the title "L'empire des sens", it was immediately confiscated and forbidden. The ban was lifted in the early 90's.

"O Império dos Sentidos" here in Brazil

[paul]

So rate the movie for on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best and 1 is awful.

[ol'skinflint]

"Ai No Korrida" is the Japanese title of the movie called "In the Realm of the Senses" (or "Empire of the Senses") by Oshima Nagisa. The word Korrida was named after the Spanish word Corrida, which means Bullfight, and in Spain, but not in Latin America, it is a slang for Ejaculation. So the name of the film would be "Corrida of Love (Ai)", with a sense of challenge, struggle, death, and probably sex.

The words and music of Ai No Corrida are by Chaz Jankel & Kenny Young. In an interview, Chaz explains how the name of the film ended in the song covered by Quincy Jones:

One night in 1979 we played in Amsterdam and after the gig we went back to the Hotel American and we’d acquired some rather attractive female company to accompany us back.

To discuss music, of course. And poetry. Suddenly I’m in my hotel room with this beautiful Dutch model. [...] Next thing I know, this melody pops into my head, but I realised that the melody wasn’t suitable for the Blockheads [Jankel's band]. I gave a cassette with the melody on to Kenny Young, who’d co-written ‘Under The Boardwalk’. Anyway, he calls me from MIDEM. ‘Chaz, I’ve got this great idea for your melody: "Ai No Corrida, that’s where I am…"’ I had no idea what he was talking about. So he told me all about this movie by Oshima, In The Realm Of The Senses (the Japanese name was Ai No Corrida). It was a true story about a geisha who fell in love with the madame’s husband but because of the class system there was no chance they could have a relationship.

In their sexual encounters, the woman would strangle the chap to the point where he nearly passed out. One day, in their depression at the fate of their relationship she kept pulling on the knot and he died. She was so distressed, she cut off his meat’n’two veg and put it in her pocket. She was wondering the streets, completely off her head and got locked up and stayed incarcerated for about 30 years. She became a feminist icon and when she came out in the 70s Oshima made a movie about her.

One last point: Phonetically, "Ai No Corrida" sounds like the Spanish phrase: "Hay No Corrida", spoken in the lips of an American who wouldn't know the Spanish language. The right sentence would be: "No hay corrida", or "there is no bullfight", but this would be a wrong meaning for the title of the song.

thanks for explaining this, every time I hear the song I'd wonder what it meant, and NOW I understand why Quincy Jones didn't explain it in the liner notes on "The Dude"....

[buckaroo]

I have the film, and its very sexually explicit. I'm surprised it wasn't categorized as pornographic. Nice tune by the Q, though! :)

Disco Funk

Well, it's considered as an artistic film, so it's kind of gets away with the sexy bits.

So rate the movie for on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best and 1 is awful.

I saw it in the early '90s at an arthouse cinema [The now defunct Scala in king's cross, to any UK readers] and I quite liked it. From my dark memory, I'd give it ***.

[paul]

thanks buckaroo.

[Nano]

In my teenage disco years, this was one of the most famous movies prohibited by the military regime. So the rich kids who went to Punta del Este (Uruguay) for their vacation could see it in a movie house specialized in films that couldn't be seen in Argentina, like CALIGULA (Tinto Brass), LAST TANGO IN PARIS (Bertolucci) or A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Kubrick). VHS wasn't in the market yet.

All those films were released here in theaters in 1984-85, with banners reading "now in Democracy we can see it!" :icon_razz: So much sex for a 19-year old. Those were the days... :icon_cool: