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The Naked Island (1960)

Hadaka no shima (original title)
Not Rated | | Drama | 10 September 1962 (USA)
The Naked Island Poster
A family of four are the sole inhabitants of a small island, where they struggle each day to irrigate their crops.

Director:

Kaneto Shindô

Writer:

Kaneto Shindô

Stars:

Nobuko Otowa, Taiji Tonoyama, Shinji Tanaka | See full cast & crew »
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From $2.99 (SD) on Prime Video

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview:
Nobuko Otowa ... Toyo, the mother
Taiji Tonoyama ... Senta, the father
Shinji Tanaka Shinji Tanaka ... Tarô - the elder son
Masanori Horimoto Masanori Horimoto ... Jirô - the younger son
See full cast »
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Storyline

Deals with the intolerably hard life of a family of four, the only inhabitants of a very small Japanese island in the Setonaikai archipelago. Several times a day they row over to the neighboring island to fetch water for their miserable fields. Written by Michael Jurich <jurich@rummelplatz.uni-mannheim.de>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

island | water | japanese new wave | minimal cast | no dialogue | See All (12) »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

None

Release Date:

10 September 1962 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Island See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kindai Eiga Kyokai See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

'Hadaka no shima' was made, in the words of its director, "as a 'cinematic poem' to try and capture the life of human beings struggling like ants against the forces of nature." See more »

Connections

Referenced in Nihon eiga no hyaku nen (1995) See more »

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User Reviews

 
A Film Nonpareil
25 June 2006 | by Garranlahan – See all my reviews

I was living next to the Seto Naikai (Inland Sea) at the time this movie was made, and marvel at its matchless, eclectic choice of images and atmosphere to convey the ambiance of the time and place. The photography, music, and restrained acting are perfection itself. The lack of dialogue helps, rather than hinders, its beautiful, simple story. It has captured a Japanese way of life and culture (actually lived by the director---the movie was made as a tribute to his parents) forever and in the very highest artistic sense. The movie is so genuine, so sympathetic to its participants and subject matter, that the viewer is softly, irresistibly, drawn in to share their travails. For years it has been a wonder to me why this classic film has been forgotten. Of the thousands of movies I have seen in my lifetime, this is the finest.
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