description Taboo (Gohatto) Overview
Taboo, released in Japan as Gohatto, is a 1999 Japanese historical drama directed by Nagisa Oshima. Set in Kyoto during the final years of the Edo period, it follows the Shinsengumi as the arrival of the attractive young recruit Sozaburo Kano unsettles relationships and discipline within the militia. The film examines sexuality, authority, desire, and violence within a samurai setting, and is suited to viewers interested in Japanese cinema and historical character studies.
help Taboo (Gohatto) FAQ
What is Taboo, also known as Gohatto, about?
Taboo is a 1999 Japanese samurai film directed by Nagisa Oshima about the disruptive effect of an androgynous young recruit on the Shinsengumi militia. Its tension comes from sexuality, discipline, power, and the group's rigid code rather than from a conventional battlefield campaign.
Is Taboo a historical documentary about the Shinsengumi?
No. It is a stylized fiction film set within the historical Shinsengumi, the shogunate's special police force in Kyoto. Oshima uses the period setting to examine desire and institutional control.
Who directed Taboo and when was it released?
Nagisa Oshima directed the film, which premiered in Japan in 1999. It was one of his late feature films and is also known by the Japanese title Gohatto.
How is Taboo different from a conventional samurai action movie?
The film emphasizes atmosphere, erotic tension, suspicion, and group psychology as much as swordplay. The central recruit destabilizes the Shinsengumi from within, so the main conflict is the effect of his presence on the militia's members and rules.
explore Explore More
Similar to Taboo (Gohatto)
See all arrow_forward
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
