Will-o'-the-Wisp

1956 0h 46m JA

🤯

9.0

MASTERPIECE

★9.0TMDB · 1

Thriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Daisuke Katō
Keiko Tsushima
Seiji Miyaguchi
Nobuo Nakamura
Yasuko Nakada
Chieko Nakakita
Sachio Sakai
Yutaka Sada

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Motoyoshi Oda
Writers: Ryuzo Kikushima
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 46-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Motoyoshi Oda, shot by Kazuo Yamada. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eiji Ooi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Daisuke Katō and Keiko Tsushima and Seiji Miyaguchi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049576 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Motoyoshi Oda directs. Kazuo Yamada behind the camera. Akira Ifukube scores. Eiji Ooi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 46-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
270 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Motoyoshi Oda, shot by Kazuo Yamada. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Akira Ifukube. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Eiji Ooi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Daisuke Katō and Keiko Tsushima and Seiji Miyaguchi carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0049576 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.