Nagisa Ōshima (1932-2013) was Japan's preeminent cinematic modernist, and his prolific filmmaking was fecund and stylistically heterodox. Ōshima's willingness to adopt and rigorously pursue a new formal approach with each film is one of the reasons his often highly topical works have such enduring power, but it also makes it challenging to delineate his auteurial style. One exception to this is his treatment of color.

Follow the links below to discover our new Color Exhibition and learn more about Ōshima's shifting approach, from the early 1960s films in which he "banished green" to the chromatically expressive enigmas that marked his late work. Both Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) and his final film Taboo (1999, extracted here) feature extraordinary collaborations with actor-director Takeshi Kitano and the late composer Ryūichi Sakamoto (1952-2023). Stay tuned for related Exhibitions in 2025.

The Case of Nagisa Ōshima (in the Color Exhibition):
www.filmsecession.com/exhibition/color/room/modern…

About Film Secession:
www.filmsecession.com/about-us

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