Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Ken Takakura | ... | Eiji Mikami | |
![]() |
Chieko Baishô | ... | Kiriko (1979) Michio |
![]() |
Ayumi Ishida | ... | Naoko Mikami (1968) |
![]() |
Setsuko Karasuma | ... | Suzuko Yoshimatsu (1976) |
![]() |
Yûko Kotegawa | ... | Fuyuko Mikami |
Kunie Tanaka | ... | Sugawara | |
![]() |
Ryûdô Uzaki | ... | Yukio Kinoshita |
![]() |
Hideo Murota | ... | Shigeru Morioka |
![]() |
Nenji Kobayashi | ||
Raita Ryû | |||
![]() |
Hideji Ôtaki | ... | Aiba |
Tanie Kitabayashi | ... | Masayo Mikami | |
![]() |
Minori Terada | ... | Chikaraishi |
![]() |
Akira Nagoya | ... | Takada |
![]() |
Masao Komatsu |
Constantly put to the test and faced with tragedy wherever he turns, can a man finally find solace and a modicum of love or rest with what is left of his hometown, his family, love or himself? One of the more prolific pairing of Japanese cinema returns with a film that can only be described as unhappy. Written by aghaemi
This is a Ken Takakura vehicle, and as such follows his formula. Takakura plays to type as the laconic brooder who suffers multiple tragedies with manly stoicism. While the variety of his film varied greatly, his films with director Yasuo Furuhata were always of the highest quality, and this is no exception. Takakura is a cop training to be a sharpshooter for the Olympic games, he divorces his wife and abandons his daughter when he discovers she's had an affair. Later his coach is gunned down by a fleeing criminal. Years later Takakura returns to his snowy hometown and starts an affair with a middle-aged bar owner. The story is a bit thick, with a number of subplots, yet it is extrordinarily melancholic, as Takakura seems to regret everything he's done in his life and is made over and over again to relive his mistakes. There is very little "action" as such, and no yakuzas of any kind; but beyond that this is one of the most lushly beautiful and emotional films you can see (if you can see it), with an excellent score by Ryudo Uzaki.