The Heart (1955)

At the end of Meiji era a young student befriend an older man who as a proof of trust but also as a kind of exorcism entrust him his secret, a story about jealousy, betrayal, shame and guilt.

Director:

Kon Ichikawa

Writers:

Keiji Hasebe, Katsuhito Inomata

Stars:

Masayuki Mori, Michiyo Aratama, Tatsuya Mihashi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Masayuki Mori	...	Nobuchi
Michiyo Aratama	...	Nobuchi's wife
Tatsuya Mihashi	...	Kaji
Shôji Yasui	...	Hioki
Tanie Kitabayashi	...	Hioki's mother
Akiko Tamura	...	Widow
Mutsuhiko Tsurumaru	...	Hioki's father
Tsutomu Shimomoto	...	Hioki's elder brother
Masami Shimojô	...	Broker
Akira Hisamatsu	...	Travelling monk
Tomoko Naraoka	...	Kume
Zenji Yamada	...	Nobuchi's uncle
Keiji Itami	...	Kaji's father
Kiyoshi Kamoda	...	Doctor
Nobuo Kawakami	...	Undertaker

Storyline

At the end of Meiji era a young student befriend an older man who as a proof of trust but also as a kind of exorcism entrust him his secret, a story about jealousy, betrayal, shame and guilt.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama

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User Reviews

Mary Poppins it isn't

Kokoro is a dark, cruel drama which I found as a non-Japanese difficult to appreciate totally. Maybe it is difficult for a Japanese too. Certainly it is an extremely powerful film, beautifully acted and well-worth seeing. It is the sort of movie that I will want to see again and again, though it is not light viewing. Ibsen comes to early twentieth century Japan. Highly recommended if you are not prone to depression.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

31 August 1955 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Il cuore

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nikkatsu

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1