Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean (2005) Lorelei (original title)

Directors:

Shinji Higuchi
Cellin Gluck

Writers:

Harutoshi Fukui (novel)
Satoshi Suzuki (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 March 2005 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller | War

Plot:

A drama set during World War II where a submarine carrying a secret weapon attempts to stop a planned third atomic bombing of Japan. Based on Harutoshi Fukui's novel Shuusen no Lorelei. |

Plot Keywords:

Weapon | Secret Weapon | Submarine | Japan | Suicide

Cast

Kôji Yakusho	...	Masami Shin'ichi
Satoshi Tsumabuki	...	Yukito Origasa
Toshirô Yanagiba	...	Kizaki Toshiro
Yuu Kashii	...	Paula Atsuko Ebner
Shin'ichi Tsutsumi	...	Asakura Ryokitsu
Ken Ishiguro	...	Narumi Takasu
Colter Allison	...	Lt. Eric Minott
David Austin	...	Lt. Dodet
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nicholas Dombrovskis	...	German Scientist
Christopher Ryan Doyle	...	Captain's Talker
Norman England	...	Sonar Operator #1
Caroline Paris Gluck	...	Girl on Beach
Isao Hashizume	...	Sadamoto Nishimiya
Masatô Ibu	...	Eitaro Narazaki
Takaya Kamikawa	...	Man
Ryûki Kitaoka
Kreva	...	Shunpei Komatsu
Jun Kunimura	...	Matoi Tokioka
Matt Lagan	...	Submarine captain
Dave Monahan	...	Radio Operator
J.J. Mortimer	...	Navy crewman
Takehiko Ono	...	Shichigoro Iwamura
Shûgo Oshinari
Tyrone Power Jr.	...	US Battleship Captain
Ryûta Satô	...	Kikuo Kiyonaga
Fred Spiker	...	Warrant Officer Nick Nelson
Pierre Taki	...	Tokutaro Taguchi
Yoshiyuki Tomino	...	Ouwada
Shingo Tsurumi	...	Sankichi Oominato

Directed by
Shinji Higuchi
Cellin Gluck		(US segment)

Writing credits
Harutoshi Fukui		(novel "Shusen no Lorelei")
Satoshi Suzuki		(screenplay)

Produced by
Karin Beck	....	line producer

Original Music by
Naoki Sato

Makeup Department
Iaso Tsuge	....	creative director

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francois Caillaud	....	second assistant director: second unit
Sonny Lowe	....	first assistant director: second unit

Sound Department
Jacob Balser	....	engineering services
Chris Barron	....	digital sound transferer (as Christopher Barron)
Tim Burby	....	digital editorial services
John Countryman	....	digital sound transferer
Frank E. Eulner	....	supervising sound editor (as Frank Eulner)
Andre Fenley	....	assistant supervising sound editor (as André Fenley)
Doug Ford	....	engineering services
Jonathan Greber	....	digital sound transferer
J.R. Grubbs	....	sound effects editor
Howie Hammerman	....	engineering services (as Howard Hammerman)
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
David Hunter	....	digital editorial services
Brian Magerkurth	....	sound recordist (as Brian D. Magerkurth)
Steve Morris	....	engineering services
Tom Myers	....	sound re-recording mixer
Al Nelson	....	sound effects editor
Timothy Nielsen	....	sound effects editor
Jonathan Null	....	foley editor
George Peterson Jr.	....	foley recordist
Brandon Proctor	....	sound mix technician
Ronald G. Roumas	....	sound recordist
Jurgen Scharpf	....	sound mix technician
Tony Sereno	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Slanec	....	dialogue editor
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Jana Vance	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Tetsuo Ohya	....	visual effects producer

Camera and Electrical Department
Shane Sato	....	still photographer
Garry Waller	....	director of photography: second unit

Other crew
Edwin Dunkley	....	video services (as Ed Dunkley)
Harlan Glenn	....	technical advisor
Brian Kobo	....	production coordinator: USA (as Masato Kobo)
Kristina Konrad	....	language instructor
Mike Lane	....	client services
Gordon Ng	....	client services
Eva Porter	....	client services
Renee Russo	....	client services
John Torrijos	....	video services (as John 'J.T.' Torrijos)

Production Companies

• Cine Bazar
• Fuji Television Network
• Kansai Telecasting Corporation
• King Record Co.
• Protean Image Group
• Toho Company

Distributors

• Toho Company (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Cultmovies (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Skywalker Sound

Other Companies

• Kodak Japan  film stock supplied by
• Sanwa Cine Equipment  camera equipment supplied by

Also Known As:

"Lorelei" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

Japan:128 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:GP | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-13 | Japan:G

Filming Locations:

Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Cine Bazar

Trivia:

The design of the I-507 submarine is based upon a real one : the french submarine 'Surcouf', launched in 1929, was the biggest submarine ever launched at the time.

Soundtrack:

Wiegenlied (Cradle Song)

A Japanese mix of historical fact and supernatural fiction

Lorelei can best be described as a Japanese version of "Das Boot" with a supernatural storyline thrown in. The setting is the last week of WWII, Hiroshima having just been bombed. A Japanese veteran captain is given command of a German-surplus submarine with a secret weapon, the "Lorelei System". As viewers of Japanese movies will know, scenes with English-speaking characters usually end up very awkward, with the English-speakers often being cheap local "talent" grabbed off the street, in most cases with very questionable English credentials. But this movie was just about on-par with the classic Tora Tora Tora, using professional Hollywood and local English-speaking actors that portray their roles to near perfection, making the whole movie flow smoothly. Without giving away spoilers, it's difficult to review this movie. But the advancement of computer graphics has made for some really visually stunning submarine battle action. If anything, the surface vessels come across as being a bit lifeless, as the effort was spent on the underwater sequences. At 140 minutes the movie is long, and by western standards probably somewhat talky, but there is a lot of political maneuvering going on in this movie, plus the diverting from history as we know it, that requires the additional dialogue. All actors put in very decent performances, the soundtrack is fittingly orchestrated and the cinematography excellent. While not being the classic that "Das Boot" was, this movie is very enjoyable, and with subtitles could potentially get a decent western cult following.