is a 1974 Japanese
police procedural
The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eith ...
film directed by
Yoshitarō Nomura
was a prolific Japanese film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His first accredited film, , was released in 1953; his last, , in 1985. He received several awards during his career, including the Japanese Academy Award for "Best Director ...
, based on the novel ''
Suna no Utsuwa'' by
Seicho Matsumoto.
Plot
Yoshitaro Nomura's 1974 film of Seicho Matsumoto's immensely popular detective story tells the tale of two detectives, Imanishi (Tetsuro Tamba) and Yoshimura (Kensaku Morita), tasked with tracking down the murderer of an old man, found bludgeoned to death in a rail yard. When the identity of the old man can't be determined, the investigation focuses on the only other clue: a scrap of conversation overheard at a bar between the old man and a younger one. A witness recalls the cryptic phrases "Kameda did this" and "Kameda doesn't change."
This sets off a wide-ranging investigation that covers vast swaths of geography, changing social mores, and time. The investigation ends with an emotional and heartbreaking conclusion, all the more shattering because the reason for the crime need no longer exists in the world.
Cast
*
Tetsuro Tamba – Detective Eitaro Imanishi
*
Go Kato
Go, GO, G.O., or Go! may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Games and sport
* Go (game), a board game for two players
* ''Travel Go'' (formerly ''Go – The International Travel Game''), a game based on world travel
* Go, the starting position lo ...
– Eiryo Waga/Hideo Motoura
*
Kensaku Morita
is a Japanese politician, actor and singer. He was elected as the Governor of Chiba Prefecture in March 2009 to April 2021『』からリンクする知事選挙「開票結果」(Excelファイル)千葉県選挙管理委員会による知 ...
– Detective Hiroshi Yoshimura
*
Yoko Shimada
was a Japanese actress, best known to Western audiences for her portrayal of Mariko in the 1980 miniseries ''Shōgun''.
''Shogun'' miniseries
Shimada was the only female member of ''Shōgun''s massive cast of Japanese actors shown speaking En ...
– Rieko Takagi
*Karin Yamaguchi – Sachiko Tadokoro
*
Ken Ogata
, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor.
Life
Ogata was born in Tokyo, Japan. Ogata is well known for his roles in Peter Greenaway's ''The Pillow Book'', Paul Schrader's '' Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters'' and Shohei Imamura's ...
– Kenichi Miki
*Seiji Matsuyama – Shokichi Miki
*
Yoshi Katō
was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than 175 films between 1949 and 1988. He won the award for Best Actor at the 13th Moscow International Film Festival for his role in '' Hometown''. He married the actress Isuzu Yamada in 1950, but ...
– Chiyokichi Motoura
*
Chishū Ryū
was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting 65 years, appeared in over 160 films and about 70 television productions.
Early life
Ryū was born in Tamamizu Village, Tamana County, a rural area of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, the most south ...
– Kojuro Kirihara
*
Taketoshi Naito
was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1953 and 2003. He died of lymphoma on 21 August 2012.
Selected filmography Film
* ''Mahiru no ankoku'' (1956)
* ''An Actress'' (1956) - Akio Satomi
* '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) - ...
*
Yoshio Inaba
was a Japanese actor best known for his role as Gorobei in Akira Kurosawa's '' Seven Samurai''. In addition to his career in film, Inaba was also a prolific theater actor and a member of the prestigious Haiyuza Theatre Company. He died of a heart ...
*
Shin Saburi
was a Japanese film actor noted for his leading roles in a number of films by the director Yasujirō Ozu including ''Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family'' (1941), '' Tea Over Rice'' (1952), ''Equinox Flower'' (1958) and '' Late Autumn'' (196 ...
– Shigeyoshi Tadokoro
Awards
*1975 Kinema Junpo Award
[IMDB award listing]
**''Best Screenplay'' (Shinobu Hashimoto and Yōji Yamada)
*Readers' Choice Award
**''Best Japanese Film Director'' (Yoshitaro Nomura)
*1975 Mainichi Film Concours
**''Best Director'' (Yoshitaro Nomura)
**''Best Film'' (Yoshitaro Nomura)
**''Best Film Score'' (Kosuke Sugano )
**''Best Screenplay'' (Shinobu Hashimoto and Yōji Yamada)
*
9th Moscow International Film Festival
**''Diploma'' (Yoshitaro Nomura)
**Nominated for ''Golden Prize'' (Yoshitaro Nomura).
References
External links
*
*
1970s crime thriller films
1970s mystery films
1974 films
Films based on Japanese novels
Films directed by Yoshitaro Nomura
1970s Japanese-language films
Procedural films
Shochiku films
Works originally published in Japanese newspapers
Films with screenplays by Shinobu Hashimoto
Films with screenplays by Yôji Yamada
Films set in Ishikawa Prefecture
Films set in Tokyo
Films set in Akita Prefecture
Films set in Yamanashi Prefecture
Films set in Osaka
Films set in Shimane Prefecture
Films set in 1971
1970s Japanese films
Works about leprosy
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