Film Noir

2000 1h 26m JA

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 4

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The movie is absurd, and a thoroughly original take on the morale in Japanese society. The images are beautiful, and the people are as cold as the snow that surrounds them. The take on Melville's "Samoraï" from -67 is obvious, but Kobayashi turns the image around and portrays the killer as the weakest person in the movie - haunted by his demanding wife and the moaning contractor, who is one of the most mysterious characters ever portrayed in a movie.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ryo Ishibashi
Yuji Hamazaki
Nene Otsuka
Kazuko - Yuji's wife
Ken Ogata
Client
Ken Mitsuishi
Kimio Komatsu
Sanshō Shinsui
Taxi Driver
Takashi Yamamoto
Yasushi Hasegawa

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Masahiro Kobayashi
Writers: Masahiro Kobayashi
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 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Masahiro Kobayashi, shot by Akira Sako. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Ryo Ishibashi and Nene Otsuka and Ken Ogata carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0248948 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Masahiro Kobayashi directs. Akira Sako behind the camera. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
226 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Masahiro Kobayashi, shot by Akira Sako. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Ryo Ishibashi and Nene Otsuka and Ken Ogata carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0248948 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 4 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.