is a 2011 Japanese biographical film about
Isoroku Yamamoto
was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II until he was killed.
Yamamoto held several important posts in the IJN, and undertook many of its changes and reor ...
. Other English home media titles of the film are ''The Admiral'',
and ''Admiral Yamamoto''.
English titles not used in home video releases are ''Yamamoto Isoroku, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet'' and ''Admiral Isoroku''.
Plot
The final 5 years of Isoroku Yamamoto's military career is shown through his family life. Yamamoto was a great naval strategist who climbed up the ranks in the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
. Yamamoto was against many of the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
's decisions. He opposed the signing of the
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also known as the Berlin Pact, was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan signed in Berlin on 27 September 1940 by, respectively, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Galeazzo Ciano and Saburō Kurusu. It was a defensive milit ...
with Germany and Italy in 1939 and attempted to prevent the impending conflict with the United States amid
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. This caused disdain from Japanese
war hawk
In politics, a war hawk, or simply hawk, is someone who favors war or continuing to escalate an existing conflict as opposed to other solutions. War hawks are the opposite of doves. The terms are derived by analogy with the birds of the same name ...
s such as newspaper editor Kagekiyo Munakata (portrayed by
Teruyuki Kagawa
is a Japanese actor, kabuki actor and boxing commentator.
Biography
Born in 1965, his parents are the kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke III and the cinema actress Yuko Hama. His grandmother is the film actress Sanae Takasugi.
In the Kabuki world, ...
) and military officials. He was educated in the United States, aware of its strengths, and thought a war would be futile. His superiors increasingly pressured him to plan for a full-scale war with the US. Yamamoto was conflicted by his principles and duties. The Japanese military establishment entangles Yamamoto in the war and orders him to prepare the
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
. Yamamoto was obligated to carry out the orders as the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Imperial Navy's
Combined Fleet
The was the main sea-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Until 1933, the Combined Fleet was not a permanent organization, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units norm ...
. The film also follows the perspective of a Japanese
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was ...
aerial battalion, from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...
and finally to the American ambush of Yamamoto's
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M was a twin-engine, land-based medium bomber formerly manufactured by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. Its official designat ...
.
Cast
*
Kōji Yakusho
, known professionally as , is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his starring roles in ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996), ''Cure'' (1997), ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005), '' 13 Assassins'' (2010), ''The Third Murder'' (2017), '' The Blood of Wolv ...
as Admiral
Isoroku Yamamoto
was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II until he was killed.
Yamamoto held several important posts in the IJN, and undertook many of its changes and reor ...
*
Hiroshi Tamaki
is a Japanese actor, singer, and model from Nagoya, Japan. When he was still in high school, he was discovered by a talent agent while out shopping with friends. He made his debut in the drama ''Am I Weird?'' (私ってへん? ''Watashitte Hen ...
as newspaper reporter Toshikazu Shindo
*
Toshirō Yanagiba as Admiral
Shigeyoshi Inoue
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was commander of the Japanese 4th Fleet and later served as Vice-Minister of the Navy. A noted naval theorist, he was a strong advocate of naval aviation within the Japanese N ...
*
Hiroshi Abe as Rear Admiral
Tamon Yamaguchi
was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and in the Pacific War during World War II. Yamaguchi′s carrier force was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He subsequently participated in th ...
*
Shunji Igarashi as pilot Koichi Makino
*
Kenji Kawahara as pilot Keiji Arima
*
Masahiro Usui as pilot Takashi Saeki
*
Eisaku Yoshida
is a Japanese freelance actor and singer. His ex-wife is model Risa Hirako.
Filmography
TV series
NHK General TV
NHK Educational TV
Nippon TV
Tokyo Broadcasting System
Fuji Television
TV Asahi
TV Tokyo
Wowow
Amazon Prime Vide ...
as Yoshitake Miyake
*
Takeo Nakahara
is a Japanese actor.
Filmography
Film
*'' Okoge'' (1992) – Tochihiko Terazaki
*'' Kaettekita Kogarashi Monjirō'' (1993) - Hachibei
*''Godzilla 2000'' (1999) – Takada
*''Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla'' (2002) – JXSDF Chief Ichiyanagi
*'' ...
as Vice Admiral
Chūichi Nagumo
Chūichi Nagumo (, ''Nagumo Chūichi''; 25 March 1887 – 6 July 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Nagumo led Japan's main carrier battle group, the '' Kido Butai'', in the attack on Pearl Harbor, ...
*Ikuji Nakamura as Vice Admiral
Matome Ugaki
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, remembered for his extensive and revealing war diary, role at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and kamikaze suicide hours after the announced surrender of Japan at the end of the war. ...
*
Bandō Mitsugorō X
Bandō Mitsugorō X ( ja, 十代目 坂東 三津五郎) (January 23, 1956 – February 2, 2015) was a Japanese television presenter and kabuki actor. He was the grandson of Bandō Mitsugorō VIII and son of Bandō Mitsugorō IX.
Filmography
Fi ...
as Vice Admiral
Teikichi Hori
*
Mieko Harada
is a Japanese actress from Tokyo. She has played various roles in many motion pictures, television shows and television dramas since her debut in 1974.
Career
Harada most notably portrayed Lady Kaede in Akira Kurosawa's 1985 film '' Ran'', an ...
as Reiko Yamamoto
*
Asaka Seto
also known as Megumi Ieda, is a Japanese actress who works at Foster Management. She won the award for Best Actress at the 24th Yokohama Film Festival for ''Travail''. She is married to Yoshihiko Inohara of the band V6.
Filmography
;Televisio ...
as Shizu Taniguchi
*
Rena Tanaka
is a Japanese actress and TV personality. In 1999, she won the Japanese Academy Award for "Best Newcomer" for her performance in ''Give It All''; in 2001, she received a "Best Actress" nomination for '' First Love''.
Selected filmography
Fi ...
as Yoshie Kanzaki
*
Masatō Ibu
is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is sometimes credited as Masato Eve.
Filmography
Films
* ''Love Hotel'' (1985)
*'' Maison Ikkoku'' (1986)
*'' Empire of the Sun'' (1987) – Sgt. Nagata
*''Sukeban Deka'' (1987)
*'' Toki o Kakeru Shō ...
as Admiral
Osami Nagano
was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of the leaders of Japan's military during most of the Second World War. In April 1941, he became Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff. In this capacity, he served as the n ...
*
Akira Emoto
is a Japanese actor.
Career
In 1999, he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' Dr. Akagi''. He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award for ''Dotonbori River'' and '' Hearts and F ...
as Prime Minister
Mitsumasa Yonai
was a Japanese general and politician. He served as admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Minister of the Navy, and Prime Minister of Japan in 1940.
Early life and career
Yonai was born on 2 March 1880, in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, the firs ...
*
Kippei Shiina
is a Japanese actor.
Career
Shiina portrayed John Rain and co-starred in Max Mannix's '' Rain Fall'' (2009) with Gary Oldman. He starred in Takeshi Kitano's '' Outrage'' (2010).
Filmography
Film
*''Wangan Bad Boy Blue'' (1992)
*''A Night in Nu ...
as Captain Kameto Kuroshima
*
Nobuko Miyamoto
is a Japanese actress. She was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, and raised in Nagoya. She was married to director Juzo Itami from 1969 until his death in 1997, and regularly starred in his films.
She has been nominated for eight Best Actress Japane ...
as Kazuko Takahashi
*
Teruyuki Kagawa
is a Japanese actor, kabuki actor and boxing commentator.
Biography
Born in 1965, his parents are the kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke III and the cinema actress Yuko Hama. His grandmother is the film actress Sanae Takasugi.
In the Kabuki world, ...
as newspaper editor Kagekiyo Munakata
Filming
The making of the film lasted four years.
Kōji Yakusho was reportedly the only actor considered for the role of Yamamoto, and the film would have been canceled if he turned it down.
Yakusho was offered the role in the summer of 2009, and accepted the role in the winter of 2010. The production staff declared it intended to present an image of "what a Japanese leader should be".
The film was supervised by renowned historical scholar-writer Kazutoshi Hando.
The war movie intended to show the real life of
Gensui Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the
Combined Fleet
The was the main sea-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Until 1933, the Combined Fleet was not a permanent organization, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units norm ...
. It is a
literary work
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
. The award-winning director was
Izuru Narushima.
The lead actor was
Koji Yakusho.
The film was theatrically released in Japan on 308 screens nationwide, the box office revenue reaching ¥150,787,300 Yen. The film was viewed by 124,972 people in the first two days of December 24 and 25, 2011. It first appeared in the audience movie ranking (according to the box office news agency), coming in second place.
In September 2012, more than half a year after its release in Japan, the film was specially invited to be screened at the 36th
Montreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Interna ...
.
Under the supervision of Hando, he focused on the accuracy of the film's depiction, even including the tableware used aboard ship. Ingenuity has been devised to depict personality and humanity, including scenes in which it is shown that Yamamoto liked water steamed buns (Mizumanju) and the traditional Japanese dessert
Shiruko
, or with the honorific , is a traditional Japanese dessert. It is a sweet porridge of azuki beans boiled and crushed, served in a bowl with . There are different styles of , such as with candied chestnuts, or with glutinous rice flour dumpling ...
, personal details not dealt with in other works.
At the time of shooting, the Ministry of the Navy's government building (commonly known as red brick building) did not exist, so the
main building of the
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
, which has a similar appearance, was used for the location.
Music
; Theme song "Makoto"
: Song-
Kei Ogura (
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
) / Lyrics-
Kei Ogura / Composition-Takeo Kato, Masaru Suezaki Exhibition / Arrangement-Takeo Kato
; Love theme "For whom the bell rings"
: Song- Maki Changu (
Vap) / Lyrics / Composition- Maki Changu / Arrangement- Jun Sato
Reception
Rob Schwartz from ''
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big ci ...
'' described the film as a "well-paced and well-acted work", which "is not a bad watch for those interested in a Japanese view of the war".
Schwartz further noted that unlike the
1968 film with the same title, which "was a piece of propaganda", the 2011 film "doesn’t fall into that trap".
Ronnie Scheib from ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' characterised the film as "Izuru Narushima's well-crafted, rather old-fashioned and unquestioning elegy" to Yamamoto, which "succeeds where many biopics fail in fully integrating the private man and the public figure".
[ At the 36th Japan Academy Film Prize, Fumio Hashimoto won an award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording.] Kōji Yakusho was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
Manga
The manga version was serialized in "Grand Jump
is a Japanese semi-monthly seinen manga magazine published by Shueisha under their ''Jump'' line of magazines. Launched in November 2011 as a merging of '' Business Jump'' and ''Super Jump'', it carried over nine series from the former and thre ...
" (Shueisha
(lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
), which was first published on November 16, 2011, from the first issue to the 17th issue (released on July 18, 2012). Supervision: Kazutoshi Hando, Drawing: Rem Sakakibara.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Izuru Narushima
2011 films
2011 war drama films
Japanese war drama films
Biographical films about military leaders
Cultural depictions of Isoroku Yamamoto
Films directed by Izuru Narushima
Films scored by Taro Iwashiro
Pacific War films
World War II films based on actual events
World War II naval films
2011 drama films
Japanese World War II films
2010s Japanese films
World War II aviation films