Achilles and the Tortoise (2008)
"Akiresu to kame" (original title)

Machisu is a painter. He never had the success he thinks he is entitled to. Regardless of this, he always remains trying to be successful. His wife Sachiko keeps supporting him, despite all setbacks.

Director:

Takeshi Kitano

Writer:

Takeshi Kitano

Stars:

Takeshi Kitano, Kanako Higuchi, Kumiko Asô

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Takeshi Kitano	...	Machisu Kuramochi
Kanako Higuchi	...	Sachiko
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kumiko Asô	...	Sachiko - young
Aya Enjôji	...	Tomisuke's wife
Kuruo Hatoyama
Miki Hayashida	...	Passenger
Masatô Ibu	...	Akio Kikuta
Taigi Kobayashi
Akira Nakao	...	Risuke Kuramochi
Takashi Nishina	...	Dream artist
Makoto Ohtake
Bobby Ologun	...	Boxer
Susumu Terajima	...	Yakuza pimp
Eri Tokunaga	...	Mari Kuramochi
Mariko Tsutsui	...	Haru Kuramochi

Storyline

Machisu is a painter. He never had the success he thinks he is entitled to. Regardless of this, he always remains trying to be successful. His wife Sachiko keeps supporting him, despite all setbacks.

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Plot Keywords:

animal in title | written and directed by cast member | three word title

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

20 September 2008 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Achille e la tartaruga

Filming Locations:

Nikkatsu Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bandai Visual Company, Office Kitano, TV Asahi

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

A humorless and wearying exercise

Another relentless study by Kitano of an artist with no talent who refuses to give up, this goes on far too long and bludgeons the viewer with its relentless picture of a helpless sycophant trying to become a success by imitating his betters or copying trends that have just gone out of style. There is a disconnect between the early passages of the artist as a boy, which are fable-like, haunting, and touching (but also droll and odd) and the segments of the artist as an adult and "old" man (when Kitano himself takes over), the latter being simply a series of conceptual put-ons. Throughout the film is hurt by its suggestion that art of limited merit has no merit at all; that a child artist wouldn't produce anything of interest. And its later scenes are increasingly brutal and macabre. Another example of Kitano's limits as an "auteur." His work is distinctive and persistent, but there is a coldness, even a cluelessness, about it that is unappealing. The Allociné critic rating of 3.0/70 is full of raves, showing Kitano's strong "auteur" status among the French. Seen in Paris in April 2010.