Sandakan 8 (1974)
"Sandakan hachibanshokan bohkyo" (original title)

Director:

Kei Kumai

Writers:

Tomoko Yamazaki (nonfiction book), Sakae Hirosawa (screenplay),

Stars:

Komaki Kurihara, Yôko Takahashi, Kinuyo Tanaka

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Komaki Kurihara	...	Keiko Mitani
Yôko Takahashi	...	Osaki as a young woman
Kinuyo Tanaka	...	Osaki Yamakawa, as an old woman
Takiko Mizunoe	...	Okiku
Eiko Mizuhara	...	Ofumi
Yoko Todo	...	Oyae
Yukiko Yanagawa	...	Otake
Yoko Nakagawa	...	Ohana
Masayo Umezawa	...	Yukiyo
Ken Tanaka	...	Hideo Takeuchi
Eitarô Ozawa	...	Tarozo
Tomoko Jinbo	...	Moto
Hideo Sunazuka	...	Yajima
Mitsuo Hamada	...	Yasukichi
Kaneko Iwasaki	...	Sato

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

prostitution | world war two | flashback

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese Malay

Release Date:

23 June 1977 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

Sandakan 8

Filming Locations:

Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Haiyu-za Film Production Company Ltd., O&R Productions, Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Osaki was born and raised in Kumamoto. But she speaks the dialect of Oita, the neighbouring prefecture.

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Connections

Referenced in Sneak Previews: The Best of 1976 (1977)

User Reviews

A visual masterpiece, both feminist and humanist

I originally saw this film in 1975 when it was released and later on VHS...and for many years it was my favorite, bar none. Why? It combines the best that movies have to offer....visual grammar, incredibly moving, skillful performances, good directing and a powerful story of the relationship between a young modern Japanese woman and an older more traditional one, who tells of her experiences, being sold into prostitution at age 13, relating it (through flashbacks) to the younger woman. Those are the bare bones of the film...It doesn't begin to evoke the emotion and beauty of what human relationship can mean, as well as the heartless practices that society can inflict on its helpless inhabitants.