is a 1984 Japanese film directed by
Shinichirō Sawai
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Career
Born in Hamamatsu, Sawai studied German at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Graduating in 1961, he joined the Toei Company as an assistant director and worked under such directors as ...
, based on the novel by
Shizuko Natsuki
is a Japanese novel by author Shizuko Natsuki, originally published in 1982. It has been adapted into several Japanese television dramas and a film.
Plot
"I've stabbed Grandpa to death." With these words, rich heiress Chiyo Wada incriminated h ...
(published in English under the title ''
Murder at Mt. Fuji''). At the 9th
Japan Academy Prize it won three awards and received three other nominations.
Plot
Natsuki's original book ''W no Higeki'', the story of a rich family torn apart by the murder of their patriarch, and their heiress being accused of the crime, becomes a play and is acted out by a troupe of actors in Osaka. The role of the heroine is contended for by young Shizuka Mita (Yakushimaru), who dreams of fame and fortune. Shizuka is taken under the wing of famous actress Sho Hatori (Y. Mita), whose rich patron died in her arms one night, and who agrees to let Shizuka stand in for her. As the play is acted out, Shizuka realizes that many scenes in the play begin to have parallels with real life...
The film takes the form of a
story within a story
A story within a story, also referred to as an embedded narrative, is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story (within the first one). Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes c ...
, in which the original book's characters are acted out by the film's characters.
Cast
*
Hiroko Yakushimaru
is a common feminine Japanese given name.
Name meanings
Hiroko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*裕子, "kind child"
*弘子, "Beautiful child"
*寛子, " small child"
*浩子, "large child"
*博子, "wise child"
* ...
as Shizuka Mita, who plays rich heiress Mako Watsuji on stage
*
Yoshiko Mita
(born October 8, 1941) is a Japanese actress. Born in the city of Osaka, she graduated from Joshibi High School of Art and Design in Suginami, Tokyo. In 1960, she was hired by Toei and made her acting debut. She remained with Toei until 1967, t ...
as Sho Hatori, who plays Mako's mother Yoshie Watsuji
*
Masanori Sera
Masanori Sera ( ja, 世良公則) is a Japanese singer and actor from Fukuyama Hiroshima. He graduated from Osaka University of Arts. As a singer Sera's rock band, Sera Masanori&TWIST appeared in the Kōhaku Uta Gassen twice (1978 and 1979). He ...
as Akio Morita, Shizuka's boyfriend and mentor off stage
*
Kunihiko Mitamura
is a Japanese actor/singer. He is well known for his role in Taiyō ni Hoero! and Hide in the Hissatsu series.
Selected filmography Film
*''Almost Transparent Blue'' (1979) as Ryu
*'' Hissatsu: Sure Death'' (1984) as Hide
*''W's Tragedy'' (198 ...
as Jun Godai, who plays investigator Ukyo Nakazato
*
Miho Takagi as Kaori Kikuchi, the actress Shizuka relegated from the Mako role
*
Ken Nishida
is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is noted for his roles in ''Return of Ultraman'',西田健
at JMDB (Retrieved on May ...
as Koji Shirota, who plays Shohei Mazaki, the victim's doctor
*
Kōjirō Kusanagi
was a Japanese actor.
Biography
He began acting at the Yoshi Hijikatas theatre Company after dropping out of Nihon University. Kusanagi made his film debut in 1953 in ''Yoake Mae'' directed by Kōzaburō Yoshimura. In 1956, he starred in ''Dar ...
as Kaichi Kiuchi, who plays Shigeru Watsuji, Mako's grand-uncle
Theme song
* "Woman (W no Higeki) Yori", original lyrics by
Takashi Matsumoto, vocals by Hiroko Yakushimaru.
This song has also been covered by
Yumi Matsutoya
, nicknamed , is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and pianist. Generally the writer of both the lyrics and the music in her songs, she is renowned for her idiosyncratic voice and live performances, and is one of the most prominent figures ...
,
Yūko Andō,
Akina Nakamori
is a Japanese Singing, singer and Actor, actress. She is one of the most popular and best-selling artists in Japan. Akina achieved national recognition after winning the 1981 season of the talent show ''Star Tanjō!''. Her debut single "Slow M ...
and
Ken Hirai
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and brand ambassador.
During his career, Hirai has released 45 singles and nine studio albums as of January 2019.[TV drama
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...]
.
Awards and nominations
9th
Japan Academy Prize
*Won:
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
-
Shinichirō Sawai
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Career
Born in Hamamatsu, Sawai studied German at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Graduating in 1961, he joined the Toei Company as an assistant director and worked under such directors as ...
*Won: Best Actress in a Supporting Role -
Yoshiko Mita
(born October 8, 1941) is a Japanese actress. Born in the city of Osaka, she graduated from Joshibi High School of Art and Design in Suginami, Tokyo. In 1960, she was hired by Toei and made her acting debut. She remained with Toei until 1967, t ...
*Won: Best Sound Recording -
Fumio Hashimoto
Fumio (written: , , , , , , , or in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese illustrator
*Fumio Abe (1922–2006), Japanese politician
*Fumio Asaki, Japanese ski jumping sports official
*, J ...
*Nominated: Best Picture
*Nominated:
Best Screenplay
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
-
Haruhiko Arai
is a Japanese screenwriter. He is also a publisher and an editor of the ''Eiga Geijutsu'' magazine and a professor of the Japan Institute of the Moving Image.
Career
Arai won the Mainichi Film Award for best screenplay for the film ''W's Traged ...
and
Shinichirō Sawai
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Career
Born in Hamamatsu, Sawai studied German at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Graduating in 1961, he joined the Toei Company as an assistant director and worked under such directors as ...
*Nominated:
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...
-
Hiroko Yakushimaru
is a common feminine Japanese given name.
Name meanings
Hiroko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*裕子, "kind child"
*弘子, "Beautiful child"
*寛子, " small child"
*浩子, "large child"
*博子, "wise child"
* ...
27th
Blue Ribbon Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.
The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers. In 1961, the six major Japanes ...
*Won: Best Actress -
Hiroko Yakushimaru
is a common feminine Japanese given name.
Name meanings
Hiroko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*裕子, "kind child"
*弘子, "Beautiful child"
*寛子, " small child"
*浩子, "large child"
*博子, "wise child"
* ...
10th
Hochi Film Award
The are film-specific prizes awarded by the ''Hochi Shimbun
, previously known as , is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper. In 2002, it had a circulation of a million copies a day.
It is an affiliate newspaper of ''Yomiuri Shimbun''.
...
*Won: Best Supporting Actress -
Yoshiko Mita
(born October 8, 1941) is a Japanese actress. Born in the city of Osaka, she graduated from Joshibi High School of Art and Design in Suginami, Tokyo. In 1960, she was hired by Toei and made her acting debut. She remained with Toei until 1967, t ...
7th
Yokohama Film Festival
The is an annual awards ceremony held in Yokohama, Japan. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year and various awards are given to personnel. The first festival, held on February 3, 1980, was a small affair by fans and film critics. In 1994, ...
*3rd Best Film
References
External links
*
1984 films
1984 drama films
Films based on Japanese novels
Films scored by Joe Hisaishi
Films directed by Shinichirō Sawai
Japanese drama films
Joe Hisaishi albums
Toei Company films
Films with screenplays by Haruhiko Arai
1980s Japanese films
{{1980s-Japan-film-stub