The Naked Island (1960)
"Hadaka no shima" (original title)

Deals with the intolerably hard life of a family of four, the only inhabitants of a very small Japanese island in the Setonaikai archipelago. Several times a day they row over to the ... See full summary »

Director:

Kaneto Shindô

Writer:

Kaneto Shindô

Stars:

Nobuko Otowa, Taiji Tonoyama, Shinji Tanaka

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Nobuko Otowa	...	Toyo, the mother
Taiji Tonoyama	...	Senta, the father
Shinji Tanaka	...	Tarô - the elder son
Masanori Horimoto	...	Jirô - the younger son

Storyline

Deals with the intolerably hard life of a family of four, the only inhabitants of a very small Japanese island in the Setonaikai archipelago. Several times a day they row over to the neighboring island to fetch water for their miserable fields.

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Plot Keywords:

island | water | seasons | fish | japan | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Release Date:

10 September 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Island

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kindai Eiga Kyokai

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Hadaka no shima' was made, in the words of its director, "as a 'cinematic poem' to try and capture the life of human beings struggling like ants against the forces of nature."

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Connections

Referenced in 100 Years of Japanese Cinema (1995)

User Reviews

perfect is the right word

I saw this movie twenty years ago and I still remember it fondly. It should be part of the training of movie directors to see and analyze this movie. The naked island (as it was named in France) shows the hard struggle of a fisherman's family to survive in a very harsh environment. It is very emotional yet does not call on any modern artifice to carry the message. The music will stay with you forever. My only regret is that I can't get a copy to show my children what movie making can be.