Empire of Passion (1978)

A kind of horror tale/morality play set in 1890's rural Japan. A young man recently returned to his home village from service in the army (Tatsuya Fuji), has an affair with the unusually young looking wife (Kazuko Yoshiyuki) of the local rickshaw driver (Takahiro Tamura). Fuji convinces Yoshiuki to get Tamura drunk then when he's passed out they strangle him and throw the body down an old well in the forest (the well shots are remarkably beautiful). For three years the couple continues to see each other secretly while Yoskiuki puts up a front that Tamura got work in Tokyo. Then Yoshiyuki begins to have visions of the dead Tamura, and later so does Fuji. An inspector (Takuzo Kawatani) comes to town to investigate as more and more locals start to report supernatural happenings. Yoshiuki and Fuji both start to go kind of mad, interestingly each is willing to give up themselves for the other, but neither wants to live without the other so its a wash. This is a beautifully shot film, and the story is certainly unusual, I was surprised to find out how well regarded it is. There is some pretty frank sexuality in this which is kind of uncomfortable, and Yoshiuki's hysterics get kind of old, but again its all so slow and unusual that it becomes kind of hypnotic. This would only be fair if it wasn't for the artistry of the piece. Memorable. Good