aka ''A Cow at Daybreak'' (''Yoake no ushi'') and ''Cowshed of Immorality'' (2003) is a Japanese ''

pink film in its broadest sense includes almost any Japanese theatrical film that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. The Western equiv ...

'' directed by

Daisuke Gotō is a common masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Daisuke can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *大輔, "big, assist" *大介, "big, mediate" *大祐, "big, bless" *大助, "big, help" *大典, "big, law/rule ...

and starring Ryōko Asagi and Horyu Nakamura. It has been shown in film festivals, and was named the fifth best ''

'' released in the year 2003.

Synopsis

Noriko, a young widow, lives with her senile father-in-law, Shukichi. In order to convince Shukichi that his favorite cow is not dead, Noriko rises before dawn, poses as the cow and allows Shukichi to milk her instead. Conflict arises when Shukichi's daughter tries to put an end to this relationship.

Cast

* Noriko * Hidehisa Ebata * Haruki Jō * Sakura Mizuki * Seiji Nakamitsu... Hajime * Hōryū Nakamura... Shukichi * Toshimasa Niiro * Yumeka Sasaki... Mitsuko

Production and critical reception

Director Daisuke Gotō cites

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in t ...

's ''

Late Spring is a 1949 Japanese drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu and written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, based on the short novel ''Father and Daughter'' (''Chichi to musume'') by the 20th-century novelist and critic Kazuo Hirotsu. The film was written and ...

'' (1949) and

Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...

's ''

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

'' (1976) as influences on ''A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn''. The film was screened at the 2004 New School of Pink-Movies, a showcase for the younger generation of ''pink film'' makers. Though Gotō's career extends to the days of

Nikkatsu is a Japanese entertainment company known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio, founded in 1912 during the silent film era. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally ...

's ''Roman porno'' films—he has the distinction of filming the last entry in that long-running series—he was a relative unknown at the time. The film was chosen as the fifth best ''pink film'' release for 2003 at the annual

Pink Grand Prix The or is an annual Japanese film award ceremony which recognizes excellence in the pink film genre. Referred to by Miho Toda as the "Academy Awards of the Pink Film", the ceremony attracts a diverse audience of industry personnel, film schola ...

ceremony. American audiences first saw ''A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn'' at the

Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of ''The Iron Gi ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

in September 2008. In his ''Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema'' (2008), ''pink film'' authority Jasper Sharp writes ''A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn'' is, "pink film at its most inventive, albeit frankly bewildering." The British site, DVDTimes, writes that ''A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn'' is "a film of bittersweet sentiments, which credibly deals with loneliness, greed and the coming to terms with old age." The site judges Hajime Oba's musical soundtrack as "beautifully poignant", and the cinematography, "keeps things visually alluring, with the Japanese countryside providing a pleasant change of pace."

Availability

''A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn'' was released theatrically on April 8, 2003. The U.S. company Pinkeiga released the film on Region 0 DVD on February 23, 2009.

References

Reviews

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External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lonely Cow Weeps At Dawn, A 2003 films Pink films Shintōhō Eiga films 2000s Japanese films