| Director: | Shôhei Imamura |
|---|---|
| Production: | Imamura Production |
| Running Time: | 175’ |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Country: | Japan |
| Year: | 1968 |
| Main Cast: | Rentarô Mikuni, Chôichirô Kawarasaki, Hideko Okiyama |
| Screenplay: | Shohei Imamura, Keiji Hasebe |
| Cinematographer: | Masao Tochizawa |
| Editor: | Mutsuo Tanji |
| Production Designer: | Takeshi Omura |
| Music: | Toshiro Mayuzumi |
| Sound: | Kenichi Benitani |
| Restoration: | Nikkatsu |
| Laboratories: | Imagica Entertainment Media Services |
|---|
On the remote tropical island of Kurage reverence for gods and devout religious practice is deeply ingrained. 20 years earlier, Kurage was struck by a ferocious storm, which swept a towering red rock into a rice field where crops were grown as offerings to the gods. The islanders feared that they had incurred the gods’ wrath and blamed the calamity on Nekichi Futori, who had committed several immoral deeds. Before long, a rumor spread about alleged incest between Nekichi and his younger sister Uma. Island headman Ryugen Ryu consequently put Nekichi in shackles, and ordered him to dispose of the giant rock by digging a pit to drop it in. For the next 20 years, Nekichi continued to excavate, and Uma became Ryu’s mistress. What’s more, Nekichi’s son Kametaro found himself ostracized by his peers due to his father’s sullied reputation. On yet another blazingly hot day, engineer Kariya arrives on Kurage from Tokyo, sent by a sugar manufacturing company to carry out a survey for the island’s refinery. Kametaro becomes Kariya’s assistant, eagerly seizing his chance to hopefully escape the island one day and live somewhere more civilized.
If mythology is a mystery, this movie is a sort of enigma. In this sense a film that presents
a mystery in such a powerful way and takes us on a journey in search of its meaning can truly be considered a work of art.
Sato Tadao, Kinema Junpo, January 1969, from the Italian trans. in Cinema giapponese degli anni ‘60. Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema, Quaderno informativo no. 42 (Pesaro 1972), 43-45.
PRODUCTION: Imamura Production
406, 3-39-4, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku
151-0053 – Tokyo, Japan
international@nikkatsu.co.jp
RESTORATION CURATED BY: Nikkatsu Corporation
3-28-12, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku
113-0033 – Tokyo, Japan
Tel. +81 356891014
international@nikkatsu.co.jp
http://intl.nikkatsu.com/
LABORATORY: Yoko Arai, Kensuke Nakamura, Hisashi Kuroki – Imagica Entertainment Media Services, Inc.
1-14-2 Kaigan, Minato-ku
105-0022 – Tokyo, Japan
Tel. +81 357776371
archiving@imagica-ems.co.jp
http://www.imagica-ems.co.jp/en/
WORLD SALES: Taku Kato – Nikkatsu Corporation
3-28-12, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku
113-0033 – Tokyo, Japan
Tel. +81 356891014
international@nikatsu.co.jp
http://intl.nikkatsu.com
PRESS OFFICE: Gloria Zerbinati
Tel. +33 0786800282
gloria.zerbinati@gmail.com
