Blue Lake Woman tells the story of Nagare, a painter who wanted to commit a lover’s suicide with Mizue, the wife of his friend and patron Takigawa. Growing afraid at the last moment, he doesn’t go through with it – but Mizue sinks to the bottom of Blue Lake. Some time later, Nagare follows an invitation by Takigawa, who claims to have forgiven everything. To Nagare’s shock, Takigawa’s new wife, Ameko, looks exactly like Mizue. While staying as Takigawa’s guest, Nagare becomes haunted by Mizue’s ghost, who wants to be reunited with him at the bottom of Blue Lake…
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Tag Archives: Japan
Innocence (2004) Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Zoé Auclair, Lea Bridarolli, Bérangère Haubruge, Drama, Mystery
Prepare yourself to be either infuriated or fascinated by this French film. There’s no in-between reaction available here.When people talk about seeing a really weird film where nothing happened and the end didn’t make any sense, this is the film they’re probably talking about. I’d call it fascinating, but I’m well aware that I’m probably in the minority.
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Ukikusa / Floating Weeds (1959) Yasujirô Ozu, Ganjirô Nakamura, Machiko Kyô, Haruko Sugimura, Drama
A troupe of travelling players arrive at a small seaport in the south of Japan. Komajuro Arashi, the aging master of the troupe, goes to visit his old flame Oyoshi and their son Kiyoshi, even though Kiyoshi believes Komajuro is his uncle. The leading actress Sumiko is jealous and so, in order to humiliate the master, persuades the younger actress Kayo to seduce Kiyoshi.
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The Battle of Okinawa (1971) Kihachi Okamoto, Keiju Kobayashi, Yûzô Kayama, Tetsurô Tanba, Drama, War
It is spring, 1945. The war is going badly for the Empire of Japan. Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers of the Empire are being forced back, island by island, towards the homeland.
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Underworld Beauty (1958) Seijun Suzuki, Michitarô Mizushima, Mari Shiraki, Shinsuke Ashida, Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
The moment he’s released from prison, the honorable gangster Miyamoto recovers the stolen diamonds he had stashed before getting pinched. When he returns to his haunt to make good by friend who took a bullet for him, he is diverted by the greedy boss Oyane and his insatiable taste for Miyamoto’s precious stones. Replete with film noir style, “Underworld Beauty” is one of Suzuki’s best nods to the American gangster genre.
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Seijo densetsu / No More God, No More Love (1985) Tôru Murakawa, Hiromi Gô, Shima Iwashita, Miyuki Ono, Crime, Drama, Romance
Released after seven years in prison, an inveterate thug goes from strength to ruthless strength as he makes his way through a succession of dubious jobs, illegal schemes, and brutal romances.
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Rabu sutori o kimini / Memories of You (1988) Shin’ichirô Sawai, Kumiko Goto, Tôru Nakamura, Tomomi Satô, Drama, Romance
University student Akira meets the lovely 14-year-old Yumi, whom he had tutored years ago. Her mother is told by her doctor that the schoolgirl has leukaemia and has only 6 months to live. So the mother entreats Akira to be her special friend. Yumi’s condition remains stable for a while, but on the day that Akira leaves for Nagano for his teacher training, she suddently falls ill in school and then goes to a friend’s villa in the resort town of Karuzawa to recuperate. She is able to visit Akira from time to time, and this eases her fear and suffering. But when summer is over, Yumi’s condition deteriorates, and finally Akira takes her to Mount Hodaka where, as she falls into her final delirium, they express their deep love for each other.
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Yog: The Space Amoeba (1970) Ishirô Honda, Akira Kubo, Atsuko Takahashi, Yukiko Kobayashi, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When a space probe crash-lands on a far-flung Pacific atoll, the craft’s alien stowaways decide to take over their new world one creature at a time. Soon, the parasitic life forms latch onto three indigenous critters – a squid, a crab and a snapping turtle – and transform them into colossal mutant monsters.
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Kaze ni tatsu raion / The Lion Standing in the Wind (2015) Takashi Miike, Ayako Fujitani, Satomi Ishihara, Ryôhei Suzuki, Drama
Jack-of-all-trades director Miike Takashi takes on more serious material in the human drama The Lion Standing in the Wind about the experiences of a Japanese doctor in Africa. Featuring location shooting in Kenya, the film is based on Sada Masashi’s novel and song Kaze ni Tatsu Lion, which were inspired by the true story of a Japanese doctor who operated a mobile clinic in the African nation.
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Shonen / Le Petit Garcon / Boy (1969) Nagisa Ôshima, Fumio Watanabe, Akiko Koyama, Tetsuo Abe, Drama
Based on real events reported in Japanese newspapers in 1966 “Boy” follows the title character, Toshio Omura, across Japan, as he is forced to participate in a dangerous scam to support his dysfunctional family. Toshio’s father, Takeo Omura, is an abusive, lazy veteran, who forces his wife, the boy’s stepmother, Takeko Tamiguchi, to feign being hit by cars in order to shake down the motorists. When his wife is unable to perform the scam, Toshio is enlisted…
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Runway to Hell (1960) Masahiro Makino, Harue Akagi, Koji Arima, Chikage Awashima, Action, Drama
When Kaneko Ichinosuke aims to avenge his father who was wrongly accused of embezzlement, the samurai Kochiyama Soshun agrees to assist.
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Nihon jokyo-den: makka na dokyo-bana / Brave Red Flower of the North (1970) Yasuo Furuhata, Sumiko Fuji, Ken Takakura, Shingo Yamashiro, Action, Crime
An exciting tale of action on the distant northern island of Hokkaido around the beginning of the 20th Century starring two of the biggest names in Yakuza film history, Fuji Junko and Takakura Ken. Since the death of death of her father, Yuki who has traveled from her home in the southernmost part of Japan must fight corrupt local officials seeking to fill her late father’s post. As her life is in danger a mysterious rifleman, played by Takakura Ken watches from the shadows. Can she finish the work her dear departed father started in an untamed land?
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Black Board / Burakkubôdo (1986) Kaneto Shindô, Terutake Tsuji, Nobuko Otowa, Kazuki Minabuchi, Drama
Takeshi Yasui, a junior high school student is found dead in a river. The police investigate it as a murder related to bullying. The dead boy turns out to have been murdered by two of his schoolmates, who he had been bullying.
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Gonin Saga (2015) Takashi Ishii, Masahiro Higashide, Kenta Kiritani, Anna Tsuchiya, Action
Hisamatsu’s son Hayato lives an honest, crime-free life but is best friends with Ogoshi’s son Daisuke, who’s still working as a bodyguard for the gang. It all kicks off when a reporter asks Hayato’s mother to reveal the truth about the original attack on the Goseikei, and soon history is threatening to repeat itself.
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Fort Graveyard / Chi to suna (1965) Kihachi Okamoto, Toshirô Mifune, Makoto Satô, Reiko Dan, Drama, War
Charged with insubordination for punching a superior, Sergeant Kosugi is shipped to China in the last desperate days of the Second World War. His commander, Captain Sakuma, is vicious and dictatorial. Sakuma places Kosugi in charge of training for combat what once was the military band. Kosugi must somehow prepare his inept soldiers for the rigors of combat.
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