Kaneko Iwasaki Movies
Yoichi Higashi directs this blissful look at the magic and terror of childhood. Based on the autobiography of Seizo Tashima -- who along with his identical twin brother Yukihiko became beloved illustrators for children's books -- the film centers on his experiences as a young boy growing up in a rural backwater just after World War II. The two (played by Keigo Matsuyama and Shogo Matsuyama) spend much of their time doing what boys living in a pastoral idyll might: swim, fish, and make mischief. Their mother (Mieko Harada), who recently moved along with her sons and elder daughter to the countryside, teaches at a local grade school while her husband (Kyozo Nagatsuka) works for a government ministry and is perpetually away on business. The locals regard her with suspicion and view the twins as either curiosities or freaks. Their reaction to this dubious social environment is a barrage of Tom-and-Huck-style pranks. They impulsively cut down a neighbor's taro plant, break light bulbs and chuck a classmate's sandals into a nearby rice paddy. Along the way, they befriend a lad who is shunned at school for his poverty and for his birth. Though it is never explicitly stated, the film insinuates that the child is a member of Japan's untouchable class. He shows them how to snatch an eel from a fisherman's trap, the best places to fish and other secrets of the wild. Other encounters prove to be much more mystical: water sprites call to them as they struggle through a raging stream; a forest imp winks at them; and a trio of witches watch over the twins throughout the duration of the movie. E no Naka no Boku no Mura received the prestigious Silver Lion prize at the 1996 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- 1982
Released outside of Japan as Willful Murder, this is based on an actual 1948 case involving the mysterious death of a government official. The president of the Japanese railroads is found dead during a period in which train service is plagued by numerous layoffs, strikes and shutdowns. The government says that the president was murdered; the police claim it was a suicide. A quizzical reporter follows the case for years, but the basic question remains unanswered: was the victim killed by members of the burgeoning Communist movement in Japan, or was the death stage-managed by the authorities in hopes of discrediting the Communists? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tatsuya Nakadai, Kei Yamamoto, (more)
- 1980
Momoe Yamaguchi and Tomokazu Miura co-star in their tenth film together, a melodrama in which both travel to Spain to reconcile with their past. He rekindles an affair with an old flame before his long-lost love falls to her death. She reconciles with her aging father, a guitar maker who is not long for this world. They become caretakers for an orphan who was the son of Miura's former boss before he was fired for his love affair with a flamenco dance student. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Momoe Yamaguchi, Tomokazu Miura, (more)
- 1974
Though a farmer and his fellow villagers in this Japanese film resist the effort to turn the unspoiled region in which they live into a land development, they are ultimately unsuccessful. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1969
In this Japanese romance, a writer travels to a hot-springs resort and finds himself falling in love with a geisha. He completes his vacation and then returns to his wife and family in Tokyo. The next winter he again goes to the resort to see the geisha. Unfortunately for her, he cannot offer her a commitment, and so he decides to return home and never see her again. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The great Zatoichi, gambler and ex-samurai extraordinaire, returns in this installment of the Japanese adventure series. This time, the blind warrior makes friends with another fighter/chess-player during a voyage to Honshu island to attend a gambling match on Mt. Fuji. Zatoichi's new friend finds the old master fascinating. The two become involved in adventure when they are set upon by bandits when landing. During the ensuing battle, a young girl is harmed and Zatoichi heads off to right the wrong ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shintaro Katsu, Mikio Narita, (more)
