Credited cast: | |||
Seizô Fukumoto | ... | Seiichi | |
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Chihiro Yamamoto | ... | Satsuki Iga |
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Masashi Gôda | ... | Akihiko Kawashima |
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Hirotarô Honda | ... | Kenichi Naganuma |
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Hisako Manda | ... | Mitsuru Tamura |
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Hana Ebise | ||
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Hidekazu Ichinose | ||
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Honoka Ishibashi | ... | Nao Yamazaki |
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Chinu Izumi | ||
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Anna Kawashima | ... | Ayuna |
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Tôru Kazama | ||
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Toshihiko Kido | ||
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Michihiro Kinoshita | ||
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Nenji Kobayashi | ||
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Masahiro Kobori |
The film centers an aged movie extra who specializes to be killed in samurai movies without ever being lit by the limelight. Using Charlie Chaplin's film Limelight as an underlying theme, the admirable story of Seiichi Kamiyama dealing with a new generation and fading craftsmanship is told with melancholy and soul. Written by Anonymous
Uzumasa Limelight traces the dying Samurai filmmaking tradition of Japan. Akin to American Western movies, in the 50's and 60's Samurai films provided the touchstone for Japanese viewers to the romanticized past of Japan. The film focuses on Kamiyama (played by veteran actor Seizo Fukumoto, known to Western audiences as the silent Samurai guarding Tom Cruze in "The Last Samurai"), a kirareyaku - the actor whose main job is to be killed by the lead star. The story tells with real passion the dying of the tradition, while giving hope as the protagonist hands off the tradition to the next generation through charismatic newcomer Chirhiro Yamamoto, playing Satsuki. Very accessible, and a touching story without sappiness.