is a 1986 Japanese autobiographical film written and directed by

Kaneto Shindō was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film producer, and writer, who directed 48 films and wrote scripts for 238. His best known films as a director include ''Children of Hiroshima'', ''The Naked Island'', '' Onibaba'', ''Kuroneko'' and ' ...

Plot

Haru, an aged scriptwriter living alone in a house in the mountains, reminiscences his childhood in

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

. The youngest child of four, Haru grows up as the son of a wealthy landowner. His passive father serves as a guarantor of someone else's debts, and slowly loses the family's fortune. Haru's older brother confronts the father for his inactivity, even threatening him with a knife during a violent dispute. Unable to change the father's mind, the brother leaves the house and joins the police force. The old Haru is paid a visit by a woman who delivers food to his remote residence. She discovers his draft for a novel, asking if he stopped writing screenplays. Haru replies that he is too old and, being the last surviving member of the family, wants to keep his mother's memory alive. The oldest sister of the young Haru accepts the marriage proposal of an émigré whom she does not love, on the condition that he pays 2,000

yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...

to help pay the family's debts. Still, neither her dowry nor the younger sister's leaving for the city can prevent the bankruptcy. After selling the estate, Haru and his parents move into the warehouse, while the main house is demolished to sell the usable parts. Eventually, the mother dies. Back in the present, the old Haru hears his mother's voice, calling him for supper, a reminder of the opening scene.

Cast

Keiju Kobayashi was a Japanese actor who appeared in 253 films in a career spanning 67 years. Born in Gunma Prefecture, he began acting at the Nikkatsu studio after dropping out of Nihon University and made his film debut in 1942. In 1956 he moved to Toho film ...

– Old Haru * Nobuko Otowa – Mother * Ichiro Zaitsu – Father * Midori Sono – Older sister * Shiori Wakaba (as Shiori Suwano) – Younger sister * Shinsuke Kawamichi – Older brother * Kazuki Yamanaka – Young Haru *

Taiji Tonoyama was a Japanese character actor who made many appearances in films and on television from 1939 to 1989. He was a close friend of Kaneto Shindo and one of his regular cast members. He was also an essayist. In 1950 he helped form the film company Ki ...

– Sakuzo *

Meiko Kaji is a Japanese actress and singer. Since the 1960s, she has appeared in over 100 film and television roles, most prominently in the 1970s with her most famous roles as outlaw characters, best known for her performances in the film series '' Stra ...

– Woman who comes to the mountain *

Rokkō Toura was a Japanese stage and film actor active from 1960 to 1993.「個性光る、名脇役」　Asahi Shimbun読売新聞1993 March 26 朝刊31面 He is mostly associated with the films of director Nagisa Ōshima. Biography Toura was born Mutsuhi ...

– Bailiff

Production

The house in the mountains where the old man lives was director Shindō's actual mountain retreat, and is the same building as in ''

A Last Note is a 1995 Japanese comedy-drama film directed by Kaneto Shindo. It was the last film of actresses Haruko Sugimura and Nobuko Otowa. Plot Yoko Morimoto, an aged but still active widowed actress, takes a rest from rehearsals and the hot temperatur ...

''.

Reception

Reviewer Ben Sachs of the

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...

regarded ''Tree Without Leaves'' as a "clinically observant work about a terminally detached person", whose methods eventually "cumulate to "powerful effect".

References

External links