is a 1978

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

psychological drama 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 Directo ...

and written by

Masato Ide Masato Ide ( 井手雅人, いでまさと , ''Ide Masato''?), born on January 1, 1920, in Saga, Japan and died on July 17, 1989, was a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. Selected filmography Cinema * 1951 : ''Sasurai no kōro'' * 1951 : ' ...

, based on the novel by

Seichō Matsumoto was a Japanese writer, credited with popularizing detective fiction in Japan. Matsumoto's works broke new ground by incorporating elements of human psychology and ordinary life. His works often reflect a wider social context and postwar nih ...

Plot

Consumed by the jealousy and power struggles of their own relationships, a man, his mistress and his wife involve three children in their own games-with tragic results. After Sōkichi stops providing his mistress with monetary support, she leaves her three children with him, whom she insists are also his, and disappears. Sōkichi is bewildered and his wife is livid. With regard only for their own discomfort, they go about remedying their situation.

Cast

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 ...

as Sōkichi Takeshita *

Shima Iwashita is a Japanese actress who has appeared in about 100 films and many TV productions. She is married to film director Masahiro Shinoda, in whose films she has frequently appeared. She won the award for best actress at the 2nd Hochi Film Award for ...

as Oume, Sōkichi's wife *

Mayumi Ogawa is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 3rd Japan Academy Prize and at the 4th Hochi Film Award for '' Vengeance Is Mine'' and '' The Three Undelivered Letters''. In 2008, Ogawa got ordained as a Shingon Bud ...

as Kikuyo, Sōkichi's lover * Hiroki Iwase as Riichi, Sōkichi and Kikuyo's 1st son

Awards

*1979 Awards of the Japanese Academy **Won ***Best Actor - Ken Ogata ***Best Director - Yoshitarō Nomura **Nominated ***Best Film ***Best Music Score - Yasushi Akutagawa ***Best Screenplay - Masato Ide *1979 Blue Ribbon Awards **Best Actor - Ken Ogata **Best Director - Yoshitarō Nomura *1978 Hochi Film Awards **Best Actor - Ken Ogata *1979 Kinema Junpo Awards **Best Actor - Ken Ogata *1979 Mainichi Film Concours **Best Actor - Ken Ogata **Best Art Direction - Kyohei Morita **Best Cinematography - Takashi KawamataAwards for Kichiku
imdb.com

References

External links

* * * 1978 films Japanese psychological drama films 1970s Japanese-language films 1970s psychological drama films Films based on Japanese novels Films set in Saitama Prefecture Shochiku films Films directed by Yoshitaro Nomura Films scored by Yasushi Akutagawa 1978 drama films 1970s Japanese films {{1970s-Japan-film-stub