Double Suicide

1969 1h 45m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 65

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Successful and married with children, paper-mill owner Jihei knows better than to contradict the strict social and moral codes of 18th-century Japan. But when he meets the lovely courtesan Koharu, he becomes a man obsessed. Koharu returns his love, even foregoing other customers while Jihei schemes to somehow buy her freedom. His efforts yield ruinous consequences for his business and his family life, and Koharu is meanwhile purchased by another client.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Kichiemon Nakamura II
Jihei
Shima Iwashita
Koharu / Osan
Hōsei Komatsu
Tahei
Yūsuke Takita
Mogoemon
Kamatari Fujiwara
Owner of the Yamatoya
Yoshi Katō
Gosaemon
Shizue Kawarazaki
Osan's Mother
Tokie Hidari
Osugi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Masahiro Shinoda
Writers: Tōru Takemitsu, Masahiro Shinoda, Taeko Tomioka
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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Masahiro Shinoda, shot by Tōichirō Narushima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

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#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Kichiemon Nakamura II and Shima Iwashita and Hōsei Komatsu carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0064975 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 65 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Masahiro Shinoda directs. Tōichirō Narushima behind the camera. Tōru Takemitsu scores. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

157 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Masahiro Shinoda, shot by Tōichirō Narushima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Tōru Takemitsu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Kichiemon Nakamura II and Shima Iwashita and Hōsei Komatsu carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0064975 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 65 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Tōichirō Narushima
Original score: Tōru Takemitsu
Production design: Kiyoshi Awazu
Costume design: Kiyoshi Hashimoto
Makeup / hair: Yôko Takahashi
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Double Suicide (1969)

Also by

Masahiro Shinoda

Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-09-22
★ 9/10
Even though I'm Christian and have always been brought up considering the act of suicide a 'taboo' subject, I have always held great respect for both the Japanese way of doing so to save face, and the thoroughly romantic notion, say, from the likes of 'Romeo and Juliet' (with Shakespeare's writings being probably the cornerstone of Western thought)--so from two completely different cultural perspectives--that a life without the one you love is not worth living. I had previously only seen two of Masahiro Shinoda's other works for The Criterion Collection--the earlier works 'Pale Flower' and 'Samurai Spy', and I don't know if it was on purpose by the company in selecting the titles, but I marveled at the breathtaking variety of his scripts, all from such a short timespan (1964-69). Being a patron of the theatre (in many different modes) and as anthropologically cosmopolitan in my approach to life as is conceivable, I salute Shinoda with a profound respect, and look forward to investigating as many of his other works as possible.

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