I Just Didn't Do It (2006)

A young man is falsely accused of molesting a high-school girl on a train. He is arrested and charged, and goes through endless court sessions, all the while insisting that he is innocent.

Director:

Masayuki Suo

Writer:

Masayuki Suo

Stars:

Ryô Kase, Asaka Seto, Kôji Yamamoto

19 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ryô Kase	...	Teppei Kaneko
Asaka Seto	...	Riko Sudo, Lawyer
Kôji Yamamoto	...	Tatsuo Saito
Masako Motai	...	Toyoko kaneko
Kôji Yakusho	...	Masayoshi Arakawa, Lawyer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Daisuke Honda
Hirotarô Honda	...	Hideo Mitsui
Yosuke Ishii	...	Keizo Hirayama
Toshiyuki Kitami	...	Takashi Miyamoto
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	Shogo Muroyama
Tôru Masuoka	...	Seiichiro Tamura
Ken Mitsuishi	...	Mitsuru Sada
Nao Ohmori	...	Koji Yamada (as Nao Ômori)
Shin'ya Ohwada	...	Toshio Hiroyasu (as Shin'ya Ôwada)
Toshinori Omi

Storyline

An unemployed young man is on the packed Tokyo subway en route to a job interview when a schoolgirl grabs him by the wrist and fingers him as a molester. A man was feeling her up on the train. The young man is arrested and no one, not the station master, the public defender or the police, seems the least interested in his protestations of innocence. It would be much more efficient if he would accept a plea bargain.

---

Plot Keywords:

opposite sex attraction | bacon | japanese schoolgirl | cop | short skirt uniform | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

Japan's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

User Reviews

A poignant film that reflects a perfect society's imperfections

I applaud the film director, Masayuki Suo, for having the courage to put out such a poignant film that speaks volumes about Japan's flawed justice system as a Japanese citizen. The 99.9% guilty rate is a reality not taken seriously by foreigners and many of those living in Japan. As a foreigner, it was interesting to see how laws are applied within the context of such a seemingly modernized and developed country. We follow the main character, Teppei, who is caught at the wrong place at the wrong time as he is accused of committing a crime he did not commit. With the assumption that standing by his innocence will set him free quickly and painlessly, we soon learn about the psychological battle he and those close to him have to battle.

Japan's judicial system is very different from westernized systems. In Canada for instance, much of our outcries and screams of injustice belies on the fact that the justice system "protects" criminals. More guilty people walk away or serve light sentences for crimes committed here. In Japan, it is quite the opposite and it makes one ponder... how many innocent people exactly are locked up? How easy is it for individuals to take advantage on that "trust" and falsely accuse another person of a crime they did not commit for the purpose of a hefty out-of-court settlement? In all, this film was excellent and is an important tool for us to reflect upon how "justice" is applied in different nations. It is exceptionally accurate in its portrayals of the daily ins and outs of those in Japanese jails. To assume that the Japanese system "can't really be THAT bad" is a slap in the face to all those who had to undergo that kind of psychological hardship as INNOCENT men and women. I am saying this as a fact. My boyfriend had spent close to a month in jail with accusations for a crime he did NOT commit. The prosecutor's only goal is to dig up any kind of confession by any means necessary - verbal coercion, bending stories, refusing or providing menial legal counsel, etc. When your ultimate verdict is guilty from the start, what kind of justice does an innocent individual have left? Is it right for an innocent man to say that he is guilty when he is absolutely innocent? Think about that.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] (English)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

20 January 2007 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Even So, I Didn't Do It

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,666,242

Company Credits

Production Co:

Altamira Pictures Inc., Fuji Television Network, Toho Company

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1