Flickering Flames

1977 1h 31m JA

🤯

10.0

MASTERPIECE

★10.0TMDB · 1

MysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the early hours of April 13th, a five year old hemophiliac child was kidnapped by someone from Tanemura General Hospital in Tokyo, Setagaya. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Inspector Kitahara, who received the report, goes quickly to the Tanemura home, along with other police to speak to the family of the child. Then, suddenly, the phone rings. The kidnapper wants money.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Mikijiro Hira
Meiko Kaji
Atsuo Nakamura
Hiroshi Fujioka
Tetsuro Tamba
Mieko Harada
Takeshi Ōbayashi
Shin Saito

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Masahisa Sadanaga
Writers: Kyuzo Kobayashi, Kyuzo Kobayashi, Kengo Inomata
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

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Masahisa Sadanaga, shot by Takashi Kawamata. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Mikijiro Hira and Meiko Kaji and Atsuo Nakamura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2415254 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Masahisa Sadanaga directs. Takashi Kawamata behind the camera. Tōru Takemitsu scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Masahisa Sadanaga, shot by Takashi Kawamata. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Tōru Takemitsu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Mikijiro Hira and Meiko Kaji and Atsuo Nakamura carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt2415254 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.