Kiga kaikyo (1965)

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Director:

Tomu Uchida

Writers:

Naoyuki Suzuki (screenplay)
Tsutomu Minakami (novel)

Release Date:

15 January 1965 (Japan)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot Keywords:

Nail | Arson | Robbery | Prostitute | Poverty

Awards:

7 wins

Cast

Rentaro Mikuni	...	Takichi Inukai aka Kyôichirô Tarumi (as Rentarô Mikuni)
Sachiko Hidari	...	Yae Sugito
Koji Mitsui	...	Motojima (as Kôji Mitsui)
Yoshi Kato	...	Yae's Father (as Yoshi Katô)
Sadako Sawamura	...	Motojima's Wife
Susumu Fujita	...	Police Chief
Akiko Kazami	...	Toshiko
Seiichirô Kameishi
Shûsuke Sone	...	Owner of Asahi Spa
Mitsuo Andô	...	Chûkichi Kijima
Rinichi Yamamoto	...	Priest (as Rin'ichi Yamamoto)
Shôken Sawa
Tadashi Suganuma	...	Detective Satô
Sachi Shindô	...	Yumisaka's Wife
Yuriko Anjô	...	Tokiko Katsuragi

Also Known As:

A Fugitive from the Past (International: English title)
Straits of Hunger (Japan: English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

183 min | Japan:167 min (cut version)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Toei Company

all that and a bag of chips

This just ran at MoMA's extraordinary survey of films from the Japan Film Institute, and it was one of the best in the series. A real eye opener--previous commenters nailed it. Definitely makes you want to explore the director's other work. Fits in that uniquely Japanese genre of the whodunnit where the process of detection requires travel throughout the country and specifics of local cultures and habits--so the travelogue is half the fascination. Getting a young Ken Takakura plus Rentaro Mikuni in the same picture is extra added bonus. If you like later films of this type such as *Castle of Sand* or *Vengeance Is Mine*, you'll like this one.