Yoshiko Sakuma

  • Yasuo Furuhata – Isan sôzoku AKA Estate Inheritance (1990)

    1981-1990AsianDramaJapanYasuo Furuhata

    The unexpected death of Fujishima Motoharu, president of a medium-sized firm, triggers a fierce battle over his estate inheritance among family members.Read More »

  • Kinji Fukasaku – Gyangu tai G-men AKA Gang Vs G-men (1962)

    1961-1970ActionCrimeJapanKinji Fukasaku

    Quote:
    The young Sonny Chiba is fabulous in this wildly entertaining Kinji Fukasaku film. It’s the 4th movie in the very loosely related Gang series. This instalment sees former gangster (Koji Tsuruta) brought back to action when the police needs his help to bring down a dangerous gang lead by Tetsuro Tamba. Chiba plays an enthusiastic young man who goes undercover even though it’s obviously more than he can handle. Critic Mark Schilling aptly described his character as “the seventh samurai” of this story. Though not an all time classic like some of Fukasaku’s later movies, it’s a very stylish and entertaining film full of 1960s cool. Chiba, bursting with youthful charm and energy, is the film’s biggest asset. This is one of his best performances, often leaving superstars like Tamba and Tsuruta in his shadow, and marked the beginning of his best era as an actor.Read More »

  • Kon Ichikawa – Sasame-yuki AKA The Makioka Sisters (1983)

    Drama1981-1990JapanKon Ichikawa

    This lyrical adaptation of the beloved novel by Junichiro Tanizaki was a late-career triumph for director Kon Ichikawa. Structured around the changing of the seasons, The Makioka Sisters (Sasame-yuki) follows the lives of four siblings who have taken on their family’s kimono manufacturing business, in the years leading up to the Pacific War. The two oldest have been married for some time, but according to tradition, the rebellious youngest sister cannot wed until the third, conservative and terribly shy, finds a husband. This graceful study of a family at a turning point in history is a poignant evocation of changing times and fading customs, shot in rich, vivid colors. (~Criterion)Read More »

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