Photo: Rita Molnár / CC BY-SA 2.5 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Nagisa Ōshima is, to me, one of cinema's great agitators. A Kyoto University intellectual and committed leftist, he used film as a scalpel against postwar Japanese complacency, and the results still unsettle. In the Realm of the Senses is reckless in the best sense, while Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence pairs beauty with deep ache. His haul, the Cannes Best Director prize, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, two Mainichi screenplay awards, confirms a mastery his provocations sometimes obscured. He divided audiences precisely because he refused to soothe them. I deeply admire artists who treat discomfort as a duty, and Ōshima did so to the end.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Nagisa Ōshima
- Name (Japanese)
- 大島渚
- Reading
- 不明
- Born
- March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Monkey
- Origin
- Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- screenwriter / film director / film producer / film editor / director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Kyoto University
Awards & achievements
- 1978 Cannes Best Director Award
- 2000 Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Director
- 1976 Sutherland Trophy
- 2000 Medal with Purple Ribbon
- 1972 Mainichi Film Award for Best Screenplay
- 1984 Mainichi Film Award for Best Screenplay
- 1961 Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Newcomer
- 1961 Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B3%B6%E6%B8%9A
Frequently asked questions
When was Nagisa Ōshima born?
March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013.
Where is Nagisa Ōshima from?
Nagisa Ōshima is from Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
What does Nagisa Ōshima do?
Nagisa Ōshima works as screenwriter, film director, film producer, film editor, director.
Screenwriter — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.