is a 1951 Japanese film directed by

Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 44 feature films in a career spanning 59 years. The most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki, his films have had a significant influence on the film industry. Honda enter ...

, his first feature film. The story is based on ''Umi no haien'' (). It is about a pearl divers and is filmed in a semi-documentary style. The film was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd in Japan on August 3, 1951.

Plot

Young

ama diver are Japanese Underwater diving, divers famous for collecting pearls, though traditionally their main catch is seafood. The vast majority of are women. Terminology There are several sea occupations that are pronounced "ama" and several words th ...

Noe (Yukiko Shimazki) falls in love with the town's new lighthouse attendant/school teacher Nishida (

Ryō Ikebe was a Japanese actor. He graduated from Rikkyō University and originally wanted to be a director, but ended up debuting as an actor at Tōhō in 1941. He did not achieve popularity until starring in a series of youth films in the late 1940s. H ...

), who recently moved in from

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. Nishida's outsider ways inspire Noe to abandon her unwanted arranged marriage and hard life of diving. The couple's love is scorn by the locals and the two are split apart by Riu (Yuriko Hamada), a former ''ama'' diver, who returns from Tokyo after 2 years. Noe's parents forbid her from seeing Nishida and Riu seduces Nishida in her absence, spreading rumors that Noe is pregnant with his bastard child. The two women try to settle their score by diving to retrieve the legendary ''Dai nichi ido'' pearl, said to bring about true love, however, the locals fear it is cursed and should be left undisturbed. Riu finds the pearl but her hand gets stuck between rocks and drowns. Noe nearly drowns trying to save Riu. Believing her responsible for Riu's death, the villagers demonize Noe, who is guilt-ridden and haunted by the voice of Riu calling from the sea. The film ends with Noe advancing the sea, following Riu's haunting cries.

Cast

Yukiko Shimazaki was a Japanese actress and singer. She appeared in more than twenty films from 1950 to 1964. She was married to film director Tatsumi Kumashiro was a Japanese film director known for his critically acclaimed, award-winning ''Roman Porno'' ...

as Noe *

as Nishida * Yuriko Hamada as Riu *

Sachio Sakai , born , was a Japanese actor. In 1947, he made his film debut with Akira Kurosawa's ''One Wonderful Sunday''. He often worked with Akira Kurosawa and Kihachi Okamoto. Filmography Films * ''One Wonderful Sunday'' (1947) as Ticket seller * '' Dr ...

as Yanagiya *

Takashi Shimura was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1934 and 1981. He appeared in 21 of Akira Kurosawa's 30 films (more than any other actor), including as a lead actor in '' Drunken Angel'' (1948), ''Rashomon'' (1950), ''Ikiru'' (1952) a ...

as lighthouse keeper

Themes

In their biography of Honda, film historians Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski note that the film features characters that challenge the status quo, noting that Nishida's arrival triggers conflicts paralleling "Japan's universal post-war identity crisis", stating, "old traditions versus modern thinking; doubts about arranged marriage and feudalistic customs; a generational gulf between conservative adults and liberated youths; the emergence of assertive, independent-minded women; pastoral virtue versus urban decay." They also note that Noe and Riu, who dream of being liberated, end up paying with their lives.

Production

The project was inspired by Honda's experiences filming ''Ise-Shima'' and was suggested by Honda's friend Sojiro Motoki, one of Japan's leading film producers at the time. Honda left with Akira Kurosawa to an inn at Atami for a writing retreat. Honda and Motoki chose to adapt Katsuro Yamada's prize winning novella ''Ruins of the Sea'' as the basis for the film.

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...

gave Honda three months to scout locations and conduct research on the

Ise-Shima The region of Japan, also called the , refers to the areas of eastern Mie Prefecture in or around Ise-Shima National Park, which include the cities Ise, Toba, Shima, and parts of the town of Minami-Ise. The area thrives on tourism, with many res ...

area due to the post-strike slowdown. Honda became a familiar face with the locals and was granted access not usually given to tourists. The film is notable for being the first Japanese feature film to feature underwater photography. Cinematographer Tadashi Iimura placed a portable camera onto a metallic body that acted as a special waterproof device. With it under his arms, he dove into the water from a pontoon. Iimura also had two professional divers to assist with the camera. Honda and his assistant director would watch from the boat using glass scopes and Honda would direct Iimura by writing on Kent paper and having a diver send the message to Iimura.

Release & Reception

The film was released on August 3, 1951 and received favorable reviews. Many praising its underwater scenes, technical aspects, and Honda's promising directing.

References

;Bibliography * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Pearl, The 1951 films Films directed by Ishirō Honda Films set in Shima Toho films Japanese black-and-white films