4/5 A unique and impressive film
  by Jon P. Olson
Sada, based on the life of Sada Abe, is entirely different in character from In The Realm Of The Senses (I.T.R.O.T.S., if you will), and the two films approach every aspect of the story differently. Unlike I.T.R.O.T.S., Sada is a highly surreal film in which the tragic life of Sada Abe is explored, though not without humor (including a scene or two reminiscent of an old Keystone Cops skit) and basically without the volumes of nudity that I.T.R.O.T.S. contains. It might be said that in contrast to I.T.R.O.T.S., which I found tedious due to its dull plot and extensive focus on obsessive sexuality (if I want porn, I'll rent the real stuff, thank you) Sada is a film which approaches the character of Sada Abe with as much interest in her emotional obsession with being loved and her reaction to being abused as with her sexual obsession. Despite the surreal nature of the film, it provides a more rounded picture of and does a better job of humanizing Sada Abe than I.T.R.O.T.S. did, and the film style itself manages to entertain the viewer while a tragedy takes place on screen before them. A difficult film to explain, it is highly worth seeing, particularly for anyone interested in Asian cinema, unusual film styles, or just the somewhat compelling story of Sada Abe herself.

2/5 Rather artistic, which = kinda boring, no nudity at all!
  by Gadgester (Mother Earth)
Whereas "In the Realm of Senses" is hardcore pornography masquerading as a feature film and features lots of explicit sexual acts, "Sada" sits square at the other end of the content spectrum: it has zero nudity (not even Sada's supposedly cute behind!), but is rather highly stylized, almost like a Broadway musical (except it has no singing or dancing). Some of the scenes are even comic, like the time when Sada works as a prostitute and is visited by her godbrother. There's liberal use of vibrant colors, very unlike the muted hues in "In the Realm of the Senses". In other words, this film can be no more different from its 1970s inspiration in content or style.

Whereas "In the Realm of Senses" presents ABE Sada (Sada is her firstname) as a nymphomaniac who, in her thirst for more and more sex, kills her lover and cuts out his member, "Sada" depicts her more as a maiden who loses her innocence under dubious circumstances (raped or consensual?) and is then forced by the cultural environment into prostitution, who eventually meets a man she desires. Compared to the other film, "Sada" is not convincing as to why Sada kills her lover. Things are just too "peaceful" and "quiet" in this film. "In the Realm of Senses" shocks you with its pornographic scenes and the intensity of the acting on the part of the actress (who's, BTW, not as pretty as the actress in "Sada", in the humble opinion of yours truly, but actually sexier in a very nymph way); anyone watching that film will never forget it. "Sada," in its 130-minute glory, is too lighthearted yet also too boring. It tries too hard to be a stylized film rather than a film that tells a story, and ends up being something I'll probably forget soon. If you are a film student or an art buff, you might like this better. If you are a staight guy and regardless of your artistic taste, you'll probably like "In the Realm of the Senses" better.

Apparently ABE Sada did exist as a real person and did cut out her lover's member after strangling him. Shockingly, she received only six years of prison sentence for her sadistic murder. I hope my significant other doesn't get inspired by this!