The Most Beautiful (1944) Ichiban utsukushiku (original title)

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writer:

Akira Kurosawa

Release Date:

June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

During World War II, the management of a war industry of optical instruments for weapons requests an...

Plot Keywords:

Shoe | Weapon Making | World War Two | Factory Worker

Cast

Takashi Shimura	...	Chief Goro Ishida
Sôji Kiyokawa	...	Soichi Yoshikawa, Chief of General Affairs Section
Ichirô Sugai	...	Ken Shinda, Chief of Labor Section
Takako Irie	...	Noriko Mizushima, dorm mother
Yôko Yaguchi	...	Tsuru Watanabe, president of women workers
Sayuri Tanima	...	Yuriko Tanimura, vice president of the women workers
Sachiko Ozaki	...	Sachiko Yamazaki
Shizuko Nishigaki	...	Fusae Nishioka
Asako Suzuki	...	Asako Suzumura
Haruko Toyama	...	Masako Koyama
Aiko Masu	...	Tokiko Hiroda
Kazuko Hitomi	...	Kazuko Futomi
Shizuko Yamada	...	Hisae Yamaguchi
Itoko Kono	...	Sue Okabe
Toshiko Hattori	...	Toshiko Hattori
Emiko Rei	...	Chie Shima
Haruko Mii	...	Haruko Kawai
Minori Toyohara	...	Minori Yoyota
Eiko Hirayama	...	Yoshiko Shirayama
Harue Yamashita	...	Kiyo Mishima
Mineko Mashiro	...	Mineko Bando
Isuzu Miyakawa	...	Shizue Miyazaki
Michiko Oikawa	...	Michiko Ayukawa
Teruko Kato	...	Teruko Sato
Akitake Kôno	...	Fife and drum band instructor
Unpei Yokoyama	...	Dormitory worker
Chieko Nakakita	...	Student worker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Koyuri Tanima	...	Factory worker

Directed by
Akira Kurosawa

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Akira Kurosawa

Produced by
Motohiko Itô	....	producer
Jin Usami	....	producer

Original Music by
Seiichi Suzuki

Cinematography by
Jôji Ohara

Production Design by
Teruaki Abe

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hiromichi Horikawa	....	assistant director
Jin Usami	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Hisashi Shimonaga	....	sound effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Masaki Onuma	....	lighting technician
Taizo Shin	....	still photographer

Music Department
Hisashi Iuchi	....	music producer

Other crew
Hisahsi Iuchi	....	fife and drum band instructor

Production Companies

• Toho Company

Distributors

• Toho Film Distributing Co. Ltd. (1944) (Japan) (theatrical)
• R5/S8 (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Toho Company (????) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Eclipse edition)
• WoWow (2012) (Japan) (TV)

Other Companies

• Toho Studios  sound stages

Also Known As:

"Ichiban utsukushiku" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

The Information Section of the Japanese Navy, just after the success of Sanshiro Sugata (1943) approached Akira Kurosawa about making a film focusing on Zero fighter pilots. Due to budget issues at this stage in the war, he instead made "The Most Beautiful" (1944).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kurosawa: The Last Emperor (1999) (TV)

'Rosie The Riveter', Japanese Style...

Ichiban utsukushiku (1944) 'THE MOST BEAUTIFUL' is Akira Kurosawa's tribute to Japanese Women who supported the war effort (WWII) at the 'Home-Front'. It is analogous to films made in other countries at that time. The nations that participated in the conflict all called upon Women too help in the manufacturing process. Some successfully like Great Britain, Soviet Russia and the U.S.A. Others like China, Fascist Italy or Nazi Germany less so, with Imperial Japan falling in between. Not from lack of effort, but of resources.

Like LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (2006) the film shows the war from the Japanese perspective. This is a propaganda film. That does not invalidate its message compared with the other participants in the conflict, it is just another point of view, made in wartime. The Women work in a optical factory which could pass for a 'Dickensian Workhouse'. Their work is important and they know it. The pressure of increased productivity with limited resources is clearly shown. It effects them all emotionally, physically and psychologically. The Men of the factory for the most part are unseen drones, except for the managers of the plant. They take a sensitive interest in the well being of their Female staff, without taking advantage of them. The War is largely unseen, but you know it is out there and getting closer all the time. The Director could see the end was coming, even if the Imperial General Staff could not.

The principal cast of Women actors are largely unknowns whose careers were brief before and after this film. They are all convincing in their roles and give believable characterizations. The only 'Star' recognizable too Western audiences would be the great TAKASHI SHIMURA. SHIMURA was a 'jake of all trades' for the TOHO Studios, Japan. His acting range spanned Business Men, Criminals, Detectives, Samurai and Scientists. Films of note, SHICHININ NO SAMURAI (1954) 'The Seven Samurai', GOJIRA (1954) 'Godzilla', CHIKYU BOEIGUN (1957) 'The Mysterians' and YOJIMBO (1961) 'Yojimbo, The Bodyguard'.

Those who have TCM or a well stocked local Library can take advantage of the films of AKIRA KUROSAWA and they should.