Day of Resurrection (1980)

After a virus devastates the global human population, survivors in Antarctica desperately try to find a cure and save the human race.

Director:

Kinji Fukasaku

Writers:

Kôji Takada (screenplay), Kinji Fukasaku (screenplay)

Stars:

Masao Kusakari, Tsunehiko Watase, Isao Natsuyagi

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Masao Kusakari	...	Dr. Shûzô Yoshizumi
Tsunehiko Watase	...	Yasuo Tatsuno
Isao Natsuyagi	...	Cmdr. Nakanishi (as Isao Natsuki)
Shin'ichi Chiba	...	Dr. Yamauchi (as Sonny Chiba)
Kensaku Morita	...	Ryûji Sanazawa
Toshiyuki Nagashima	...	Akimasa Matsuo
Haruki Kadokawa	...	Team Member - Showa Station
Tadashi Takatsuki	...	Team Member - Showa Station (as Chû Takatsuki)
Takeshige Hatanaka	...	Team Member - Showa Station
Chikara Gonoue	...	Team Member - Showa Station (as Riki Gonoue)
Eiji Yuki	...	Team Member - Showa Station
George Kennedy	...	Adm. Conway
Bo Svenson	...	Maj. Carter
Stephanie Faulkner	...	Sarah Baker
Julie Khaner	...	Secretary - Palmer Station

Storyline

A US military-engineered virus, released during a plane crash, kills almost the entire human population. The only survivors are scientists and military personnel in Antarctica, who desperately try to find a cure and save what is left of the human population from further destruction.

---

Plot Keywords:

virus | antarctica | vaccine | submarine | pandemic | 

---

Taglines:

A story of survival and resurrection.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film gained some international publicity when a Swedish ship, the M.S. Lindblad Explorer, transporting a production unit to Antartica for location shooting, struck a submerged reef and almost sank. Passengers were rescued by Chilean Navy ships.

---

Goofs

Purportedly a version of this film begins with the submarine Nereid visiting Japan, allowing Yoshizumi a last look at his homeland. The trip does not fit in with the sequence this scene fits into, in which the sub is on a desperate race against time from Antarctica to Washington, DC to deactivate a doomsday device. It is improbable that the sub would detour to the other side of the world for nostalgic reasons. However, the extended (Japanese) version begins with a flash-forward to Dr. Yoshizumi walking down to Patagonia and his last trip in the Nereid takes the direct route from Palmer Station to Washington, DC.

---

Quotes

Dr. Krause: Unless a way is found to neutralize this monster, we are left with a doomsday weapon.
Spy Z: Which means a weapon that would never be used.
Dr. Krause: By a rational man, but any student of history can tell you that a rational mind is not always a prerequisite to a position of power.

---

Crazy Credits

The Japanese version mixes English and Japanese writing during the opening credit sequence. The English-speaking actors' names are in English and the Japanese cast and crew members' names are in Japanese.

---

Alternate Versions

As of 2006, the full 155-minute version of this film is officially available on DVD in the United States. BCI Eclipse released the full Japanese version in anamorphic widescreen as part of their Sonny Chiba Action Pack, which also includes the films Golgo 13 and Bullet Train (which are also featured in anamorphic widescreen transfers). This release keeps an original Japanese title card and the Kadokawa logo before the film begins, which is something that the deluxe Japanese DVD set deletes (albeit, it is an inconsequential deletion). The BCI Eclipse release is not the butchered 108-minute cut. It is labeled on the box as the "Uncut International Version".

---

Connections

References Earthquake (1974)

---

Soundtracks

You Are Love (Toujours Gai Mon Cher)
Music by Teo Macero
Lyrics by Janis Ian
Performed by Janis Ian

User Reviews

Only Full Length Version is Worth Watching

I saw the original one in cinema when it first came out in 1980 in Japan. Great adaptation of an original novel by Sakyo Komatsu. It was an epic of more than two hours, which shook my youthful soul with the power of love.

I was flabbergasted by how this epic was mutilated when I saw it again in video in USA. The one you can see in USA has no resemblance to the original version, where, I recall, much longer portion of the film was spent describing "the walk". Also all the episodes in Japan were omitted, so most of the Japanese characters in Antarctica made no sense. In a nutshell, the "American" version only talks about American people, so there is really only half the story left in the film. If you can get the original version, it is a very emotional film, 8/10. The "American" version is not worth anything, 4/10.

Details

Country:

Japan Canada

Language:

English Japanese French German Spanish Russian

Release Date:

26 June 1980 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The End

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Haruki Kadokawa Films, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

156 min 103 min (alternate cut)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1