Yukio Sumida Movies
- 1997
Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1942, the U.S. government enacted the notorious "Executive Order 9066" which ordered that thousands of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast be placed in special interment camps for the war's duration. Ironically, at the same time, over 2,000 Japanese Americans were serving valiantly overseas as U.S. soldiers. This eye-opening documentary utilizes interviews with aging veterans and archival footage to tell the stories of those who fought so hard for a country that betrayed them. It is also the story of the mainland-based 42nd Regiment and the 100th Infantry Battalion (AKA "The Pineapple Soldiers") from Hawaii who were teamed up and sent to Europe where they proved themselves in numerous battles and were at one point used as cannon fodder by a megalomaniacal general. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Noted filmmaker Kaneto Shindo directs this erotic drama adapted from the autobiographical book by renowned writer Nagai Kafu. Kafu, a noted rake and whoremonger, became one of Japan's more celebrated literary figures by documenting fleeting pleasures and subtle human interactions as he frequented Ginza cafes and Yoshiwara brothels. For this film, Shindo captures the essence of Kafu's work with an episodic structure detailing Kafu's search for his feminine ideal. One day, Kafu (played by Masahiko Tsugawa), while walking along the rain-slicked streets of Tokyo's red light district, happens upon Oyuki (Yuki Sumita), a geisha with a heart of gold. Strikingly beautiful, patrons flock to her in the house she shares with her madame (played by film legend Haruko Sugimura). Kafu too becomes beguiled by Oyuki's beauty, but as years pass and their relationship deepens, he realizes that indeed she is the woman he has been looking for. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Masahiko Tsugawa, Yukio Sumida, (more)
