No Blood Relation (1932) Nasanunaka (original title)

Director:

Mikio Naruse

Writers:

Shunyo Yanagawa (novel) and
Kôgo Noda

Release Date:

16 December 1932 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Yoshiko Okada	...	Tamae Kiyooka
Shin'yô Nara	...	Shunsaku Atsumi
Yukiko Tsukuba	...	Masako, Atsumi's wife
Toshiko Kojima	...	Shigeko, Atsumi's daughter
Fumiko Katsuragi	...	Kishiyo, Atsumi's mother
Joji Oka	...	Masaya Kusakabe
Ichirô Yuki	...	Keiji Makino
Shozaburo Abe	...	Gen the Pelican
Ken'ichi Miyajima	...	Secretary
Kanji Kawahara	...	Detective
Kenji Ôyama	...	Lodger
Kikuko Hanaoka	...	Waitress
Tomio Aoki	...	Neighbour's child
Ryuko Fuji	...	Boarding house lady

Directed by
Mikio Naruse

Writing credits
Shunyo Yanagawa		(novel)
Kôgo Noda

Cinematography by
Eijirô Fujita
Suketaro Inokai
Masao Saito

Art Direction by
Tatsuo Hamada

Set Decoration by
Sadaji Hokari
Matasaburo Okuno		(as Matasaburo Jitsuno)
Yakichi Otani

Makeup Department
Harue Haga	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Masashi Katayama	....	assistant director
Minoru Matsui	....	assistant director
Toshihiko Nagata	....	assistant director

Camera and Electrical Department
Shozo Noguchi	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michihiro Mori	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Kiyomitsu Hinata	....	text photography
Toshimi Nassho	....	photographic process
Tomoyasu Shiga	....	title designer
Tayû Tajiri	....	stage manager

Production Companies

• Shochiku Company
• Shochiku Kinema (Kamata)
• Shôchiku Eiga

Distributors

• Shochiku Company (1932) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Nasanunaka" - Japan (original title)
"The Stepchild" - International (English title) (literal English title)

Runtime:

94 min | 105 min (18 fps) (16 mm version)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Shochiku Company

Excellent

A touching melodrama about a custody battle. Yoshiko Okada plays an actress who has won fame and fortune making movies in America. She now returns to Japan hoping to reunite with her six year-old daughter, who currently believes her ex-husband's second wife (Yukiko Tsukuba) is her biological mother. The ex-husband is sent to prison for mismanaging his company's funds, and the wealthy actress has an advantage over the now destitute Tsukuba. The film initially comes off as morally simplistic - Okada is the Westernized woman who is palling around with her two criminal brothers (the younger of whom provides some entertaining comic relief, but in general they aren't very useful characters) and Tsukuba is the noble, more traditionally Japanese woman who's willing to throw herself in front of a car to save her stepdaughter - but the characterization is beautifully done. In the end, both Okada and Tsukuba come off as sympathetic. Okada is the clear MVP among the actors - her final moment in particular is incredible. The little girl is absolutely adorable. Some things could be clearer. I was never clear who exactly the guy with the beard who helps Tsukuba was supposed to be. A friend? A brother? I feel like I missed something there. The filmmaking is wonderfully dynamic - tons of pans and tracking shots and perfectly edited. This one is pretty close to great.