Japanese

  • Kore-eda Hirokazu – Kaibutsu AKA Monster (2023)

    2021-2030DramaJapanKore-eda HirokazuMystery
    Kaibutsu (2023)
    Kaibutsu (2023)

    PLOT: When her young son Minato starts to behave strangely, his mother feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher and child, the truth gradually emerges.Read More »

  • Mikio Naruse – Meshi AKA Repast (1951)

    1951-1960ArthouseDramaJapanMikio Naruse
    Meshi (1951)
    Meshi (1951)

    In many of his most successful films, Naruse depicted common people, living their lives. With Repast the director set his characters to the task of navigating their way amidst a pungent atmosphere of fading love. Set shortly after World War II, Repast is about a struggling marriage between salaryman Hatsunosuke (Ken Uehara) and his wife Michiyo (Setsuko Hara). It focuses on the emotional crisis of the bored housewife. The tedium of her domestic life – consumed by repetitive tasks such as cooking and cleaning – is brought into focus by a visit from Hatsunosuke’s niece, Satoko (Yukiko Shimazaki). Satoko’s arrival, and the amount of attention Hatsunosuke devotes to her charms, leads to further unhappiness for Michiyo, who is forced to confront her future. In the hands of master director Naruse, this adaptation of an unfinished novel by Fumiko Hayashi offers a fascinating exploration of married life, from the habitual routine of everyday existence to the hope for a better tomorrow that may or may not keep such relationships alive. Eureka VideoRead More »

  • Kenji Mizoguchi – Meito bijomaru AKA The Famous Sword Bijomaru (1945)

    Kenji Mizoguchi1941-1950ClassicsDramaJapan
    Meito bijomaru (1945)
    Meito bijomaru (1945)

    Synopsis:
    Kiyone Sakurai, an apprentice swordmaker makes a sword for his guardian, Kozaemon Onoda. Onoda breaks the sword while defending his lord which eventually leads to his death at the hands of Naito, when Naito demands to marry his daughter Sasae. Sasae vows to avenge her father’s death and pleads for Kiyone Sakurai to make a special sword for her. So Kiyone and his fellow swordmaker Kiyotsugu go to the master swordsmith Kiyohide Yamatomori to learn their craft and forge the sword.Read More »

  • Shinobu Hashimoto – Maboroshi no mizuumi aka Lake of Illusions (1982) (HD)

    1981-1990JapanSci-FiShinobu Hashimoto
    Maboroshi no mizuumi (1982)
    Maboroshi no mizuumi (1982)

    A 1982 sci-fi cult drama about a grudge of a woman whose dog was murdered.

    Clive Davies wrote:
    I was lucky enough to see this wrongheaded 164 mins epic (a cult favourite in Japan) on a big-screen during an all-night movie show in Tokyo. Hashimoto was a celebrated screenwriter of both commercial and critical hits (including several for Akira Kurosawa), when he was given an awful lot of money to helm this seriously pretentious non-categorisable oddity.Read More »

  • Kazuya Shiraishi – Mesunekotachi AKA Dawn of the Felines (2017) 

    Kazuya Shiraishi2011-2020DramaJapan
    Mesunekotachi (2017)
    Mesunekotachi (2017)

    A story of three escort girls living in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. They work at the same escort service while feeling lonely in their urban lives.Read More »

  • Kenji Mizoguchi – Yôkihi aka The Empress Yang Kwei Fei aka Princess Yang Kwei-fei (1955)

    1951-1960DramaJapanKenji MizoguchiRomance
    Yôkihi (1955)
    Yôkihi (1955)

    Yôkihi is a panoramic period romance about the legendarily beautiful and graceful common-born woman loved by the last T’ang Emperor Xuan Zong. The pure love shared by the royal couple is offset by the political turmoil and corruption of the 8th century, as a dynasty breathes its last dying gasps.Read More »

  • Mitsuo Yanagimachi – Saraba itoshiki daichi AKA Farewell to the Land (1982)

    Mitsuo Yanagimachi1981-1990DramaJapan
    Saraba itoshiki daichi (1982)
    Saraba itoshiki daichi (1982)

    Saraba Itoshiki Daichi (Farewell to the Land) takes up the question of what happens when the balance of an extended family in rural Japan is upset. The main character blames himself for the deaths of his two sons in a boating accident and leaves his wife and parents behind. He takes on a mistress, to the shame of his family, and he pops stimulants to keep up with his work schedule as a truck driver. Growing increasingly irritable and irrational, he goes through various conflicts with his brother, his colleagues, his boss, and his wife. The film ends in an act of violence for which no explanation is given.Read More »

  • Hiromichi Horikawa – Shiro to kuro aka Pressure of Guilt (1963)

    Hiromichi Horikawa1961-1970DramaJapan
    Shiro to kuro (1963)
    Shiro to kuro (1963)

    Google translate:
    A masterpiece of crime suspense where a seasoned prosecutor uncovers the perfect crime committed by a young lawyer. In addition to director Hiromichi Horikawa’s direction, you can also enjoy the skills of first-class filmmakers, such as the screenplay by Shinobu Hashimoto and the shadowy imagery of cinematographer Hiroshi Murai. Lawyer Hamano kills the wife of his former teacher who had an affair. After that, Wakita, a thief, was arrested, and after being pursued by prosecutor Ochiai, Wakita confessed to murdering her wife. Hamano gets involved with Ochiai, saying, “The real culprit must be someone else,” out of remorse.Read More »

  • Yûji Nakae – Hoteru haibisukasu AKA Hotel Hibiscus (2002)

    2001-2010ComedyDramaJapanYûji Nakae
    Hoteru haibisukasu (2002)
    Hoteru haibisukasu (2002)

    “Hotel Hibiscus” is a unique cinematic gem crafted by the visionary hands of esteemed director, Yuji Nakae, who is renowned for his subtle yet profound depictions of life in the Ryukyu Islands. Nakae’s “Nabbie’s Love” has been celebrated for their deep cultural immersion and vivid character sketches, and “Hotel Hibiscus” is no exception. Released in 2002, the film transports viewers to the languid tropical paradise of Okinawa, skillfully amalgamating a cocktail of comedy, drama, and the vibrancy of island life.Read More »

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