Yuki ni negau koto (2005)

Director:

Kichitaro Negishi

Writers:

Sho Narumi (novel)
Masato Kato (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 April 2006 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Following a tip, Manabu Yazaki loses his last money betting on the older "banba" horse "Unryu" (jockied by Makie...

Plot Keywords:

Horse Racing | Betting On Horse | Stableboy | Family Conflict | Based On Novel

Awards:

12 wins

Cast

Yusuke Iseya	...	Manabu Yazaki
Kôichi Satô	...	Takeo Yazaki
Kyôko Koizumi	...	Haruko Tanaka
Kazue Fukiishi	...	Makie Shudo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tetsuya Deguchi	...	Yuhara
Denden	...	Tamotsu Fujimaki
Teruyuki Kagawa	...	Ogasawara
Mitsuko Kusabue	...	Shizuko Yazaki
Ryuta Okamoto	...	Tominaga
Kippei Shiina	...	Kurokawa
Masahiko Tsugawa	...	Ozeki
Hiroshi Yamamoto	...	Tetsuo Kato
Tsutomu Yamazaki	...	Tanba

Also Known As:

What the Snow Brings (International: English title)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Australia:PG

Company:

Artist Film

Low-key, unusual subject

The tough, cold life in Hokkaido is matched by the lives of horses and racing crews; the course is hilly, and it's said more than once that the old horses no longer able to race meet a grim fate - as food. This low-key drama covers an unusual topic seriously, with characters who seem suited for the challenging life. There were a few times when I felt a little more could have been done with such an unusual topic, but there's no question that there's a feeling of verisimilitude in the sounds and struggles of these horses. Long after seeing the film, you may be haunted by the gray Hokkaido winter and the hyper-real sounds of the racing life.

The plot is very simple. A salaryman visits the ranch of his brother; but it becomes increasingly clear that he's come to hide. He turns out to be a natural, but there's a nagging sense that he's being tugged by two forces. The tough responsibilities of the ranch are a wake-up call that there are many whose lives embody greater challenge and risk - on a daily basis.

That said, one wonder if the subject matter wouldn't have been better served by a documentary. Certainly, there's an abundance of fascinating material, and there are times when one might prefer to see this sub-world unfettered by plot devices or characters - the kind of thing those quiet BBC documentaries do so well.