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Double Suicide

Original title: Shinjû: Ten no Amijima
  • 1969
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
Double Suicide (1969)
Drama

A doomed love between a paper merchant and a courtesan.A doomed love between a paper merchant and a courtesan.A doomed love between a paper merchant and a courtesan.

  • Director
    • Masahiro Shinoda
  • Writers
    • Monzaemon Chikamatsu
    • Masahiro Shinoda
    • Tôru Takemitsu
  • Stars
    • Kichiemon Nakamura
    • Shima Iwashita
    • Shizue Kawarazaki
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    2.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Masahiro Shinoda
    • Writers
      • Monzaemon Chikamatsu
      • Masahiro Shinoda
      • Tôru Takemitsu
    • Stars
      • Kichiemon Nakamura
      • Shima Iwashita
      • Shizue Kawarazaki
    • 17User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins

    Photos28

    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)
    Double Suicide (1969)

    Top cast

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    Kichiemon Nakamura
    Kichiemon Nakamura
    • Jihei
    Shima Iwashita
    Shima Iwashita
    • Koharu…
    Shizue Kawarazaki
    • Osan's Mother
    Tokie Hidari
    • Osugi
    Sumiko Hidaka
    • Proprietress
    Yûsuke Takita
    • Magoemon
    Hôsei Komatsu
    Hôsei Komatsu
    • Tahei
    Takashi Sue
    • Store Owner
    Masashi Makita
    • Guest
    Makoto Akatsuka
    • Sangorô
    Unko Uehara
    • Otama
    Shinji Tsuchiya
    • Kantarô
    Kaori Tozawa
    • Osue
    Yoshi Katô
    Yoshi Katô
    • Gosaemon
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    Kamatari Fujiwara
    • Denbei
    Jun Hamamura
    Jun Hamamura
    • Director
      • Masahiro Shinoda
    • Writers
      • Monzaemon Chikamatsu
      • Masahiro Shinoda
      • Tôru Takemitsu
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Although released in 1969, director Masahiro Shinoda choose to shoot this film in the standard academy (1.33:1) format instead of the spherical or anamorphic widescreen formats that most features were using by that time.
    • Connections
      Featured in Music for the Movies: Tôru Takemitsu (1994)

    User reviews17

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Shakesperean clash between duty and love
    Based on a 18th century bunraku play (Japanese form of puppet theater) by Chikamatsu, Double Suicide revolves around the star-crossed love of paper merchant Jihei and courtesan Koharu. The problem in Jihei's case however is twofold. First he's a married man and second he can't afford to pay the brothel Koharu works in and redeem her. In the face of their unrequisite and impossible love, Jihei and Koharu decide to commit suicide together - the inevitably tragic conclusion the title refers to.

    Double Suicide is a three-act filmed play but it's director Masahiro Shinoda's command of the craft that transforms it into something more. Since the original is a bunraku puppet play, he opens the film with modern bunraku actors preparing for it and after the credits sequence switches the puppets for real actors.

    The puppet masters however remain present for the entire movie, dressed in black suits, looking all the same, mute and mostly motionless, like artificial props and part of the set decoration they're charged with changing. Indeed they remove and change sets, actively take part in the action and interact with the actors and even freeze narrative time for our convenience but the best part (and a testament to Shinoda's talent) is that they never call attention to themselves as a gimmick.

    They blend seamlessly with the combination of traditional and abstract painted sets and there are times you forget they're even present in the scene until they move. What they do mostly however is observe. Shinoda's direction is as usual perfect - enhanced by Criterion's pristine transfer, Double Suicide is a feast for the eyes shot in stark black and white, where the black is black and the white is white.

    Related to Shinoda's excellent directorial skills, a common conception about him is that he's a director easy to admire but hard to love. I think Double Suicide effectively combines the best of both worlds - the technical prowess of a master cinematician with a touching and tragic love story, with universal roots but a very traditionally Japanese approach - the conflict between duty (giri) and passion (ninjo).
    helpful•10
    2
    • chaos-rampant
    • Oct 17, 2008

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 11, 1970 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Dubbelt självmord
    • Production companies
      • Toho Company
      • Art Theatre Guild (ATG)
      • Hyôgen-sha
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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