Home from the Sea (1972)
"Kokyô" (original title)

On a beautiful island in Seto Inner Sea, Seichi and Minko make their living by transporting rocks to construction sites by boat. They cherish the deepest affection for this piece of land ... See full summary »

Director:

Yôji Yamada

Writers:

Akira Miyazaki (screenplay), Yôji Yamada (screenplay),

Stars:

Hisashi Igawa, Chieko Baishô, Chishû Ryû

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Hisashi Igawa
Chieko Baishô
Chishû Ryû	...	Ishizaki Senzo
Gin Maeda
Mayumi Ito
Kiyoshi Atsumi
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chiaki Ito

Storyline

On a beautiful island in Seto Inner Sea, Seichi and Minko make their living by transporting rocks to construction sites by boat. They cherish the deepest affection for this piece of land they call home, and the simple life they lead. But rapid industrial growth makes it all but impossible to continue their chosen living style, and they are forced to leave their beloved hometown in search of a brighter future. But their hometown lingers on their hearts, and they dream of a time when they may once again return.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

18 October 2008 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Home from the Sea

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shochiku Company, Shôchiku Eiga

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

User Reviews

One of my top 10, maybe 5

It's a bit risky to give an unqualified thumbs up to any film -- there are pros out there who could slice me and dice me and serve me for lunch. Nevertheless, this time I'm playing it straight. This was one of the greatest films in my experience.

I saw it once, probably in 1973, on impulse. I had seen and immediately appreciated the Samurai genre in the Japanese theater (since converted into a 5 or 6 plex ordinary commercial theatre) in San Francisco. The then-newer sword films, in color, were especially impressive. Seems to me "Diva" owes a lot to those movies, in terms of beautiful scenes, but it didn't really compare. Maybe "Un Coeur en Hiver" is a better example. Anyhow, I found myself quite sympathetic to the Japanese feeling and aesthetic, so I would often drop in, willing to see anything that theatre was screening.

"Home from the Sea" is not anything to do with Samurai or swords, no physical violence. It is a "simple" story of a contemporary family's livelihood, and a change in circumstances that industry and society imposed on them, destroying that way of life. The family's responses to the change were what made this film great (not that the cinematic craft wasn't superb!)