Fukkatsu no hi (1980)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Kinji Fukasaku

Writers:

Kôji Takada (screenplay) &
Kinji Fukasaku (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 June 1980 (Japan)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The entire world is a graveyard

Plot:

A military-engineered virus, released during a plane crash, kills the entire human population. The only survivors are scientists in Antarctica...

Plot Keywords:

Antarctica | Virus | Disaster Film | Nuclear War | French

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Masao Kusakari	...	Shûzô Yoshizumi
Tsunehiko Watase	...	Yasuo Tatsuno
Isao Natsuyagi	...	Nakanishi Taichô (as Isao Natsuki)
Sonny Chiba	...	Yamauchi Hakase (as Shin'ici Chiba)
Kensaku Morita	...	Ryûji Sanazawa
Toshiyuki Nagashima	...	Akimasa Matsuo
Haruki Kadokawa	...	Taiin
Chû Takatsuki	...	Taiin
Takeshige Hatanaka	...	Taiin
Riki Gonoue	...	Taiin
Eiji Yuki	...	Taiin
George Kennedy	...	Konwei Teitoku
Bo Svenson	...	Kâtâ Shôsa
Stephanie Faulkner	...	Sara Bêkâ (as Sutefanî Fôkunâ)
Julie Khaner	...	Josei Taiin (as Jurî Kânâ)

Also Known As:

Day of Resurrection (USA)
The End (USA) (video title)
Virus (Japan: English title)

Runtime:

156 min | USA:108 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English | French | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Norway:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Argentina:Atp | West Germany:12 | UK:12 (DVD rating) (2004)

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company:

Haruki Kadokawa Films

Trivia:

Interior shots for the two submarines were filmed aboard the Canadian submarine HMCS Okanagan. One of her officers also has a small role in the film.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The ARS (a device that launches many nuclear missiles in retaliation to a strike) is activated by one man pushing a few buttons. Devices that launch nuclear missiles are normally (and believably) portrayed as requiring launch codes, special keys and the authorization of at least two people.

Quotes:

[explaining why a Soviet nuclear missile is aimed at the American polar station]
Captain Nevsky: The United States had no particular monopoly on idiots.

Movie Connections:

References Earthquake (1974)

Soundtrack:

You Are Love (Toujours Gai Mon Cher)

It has good acting, good story and decent production values to boot.

Having read all the bad reviews this movie has received because of its poor videoquality and editing, I nonetheless bought it yesterday on DVD from a local store in Oslo. I just simply had to buy it in spite of the numerous warnings.

The reason is that I'm a huge fan of similar movies like The Andromeda Strain, The Satan Bug and the Cassandra Crossing which are all great.

Regarding the movie itself I was pleasantly surprised. It has good acting, good story and decent production values to boot. All the necessary ingredients for making a compelling movie.

Sadly this is ruined by an almost unviewable videoprint. It seems to me that the DVD-edition I bought used an old VHS videoprint as the source. The sound is equally bad.

Finally, some of the shorter prints of the film is plagued by abruptness. The version I acquired runs approx. 108 minutes. You get the feeling you've missed out on something. Nearing the end of the film one of the main characters returns from Washinghton to Antarctica. But we get no explanation as to how he made the journey. Which off course is a prudent question to ask, since in between his departure and arrival, a nuclear holocaust has transpired and several years have passed.

The longest version runs approx. 150 minutes. Hopefully I'll someday get my hands on that copy. And I urge everyone else to stay clear of the shorter prints and aim for the full 150 minute version instead.

Kind regards, Chris