#Mikijiro Hira

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[roseillith]

THE FACE OF ANOTHER (1966) dir. HIROSHI TESHIGAHARA

[omercifulheaves]

Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)

[myfilmsbox]

The Face of Another (1966) dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara

[clemsfilmdiary]

Sword of the Beast / Kedamono no ken (1965, Hideo Gosha)

獣の剣　（五社英雄）

6/5/23

[byneddiedingo]

The Face of Another (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1966)

Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Machiko Kyo, Mikijiro Hira, Kyoko Kishida, Miki Irie, Eiji Okada, Minoru Chiaki, Hideo Kanzi, Kunie Tanaka. Screenplay: Kobo Abe, based on his novel. Cinematography: Hiroshi Segawa. Production design: Masao Yamazaki. Film editing: Yoshi Sugihara. Music: Toro Takemitsu.

Kobo Abe based the screenplay for The Face of Another on his own novel, and I suspect that adherence to the source weakens the film, which dwells heavily on ideas about identity and morality that are more efficiently explored in literature than in cinema. The central narrative deals with Okuyama (Tatsuya Nakadai) who, having been disfigured in an industrial accident, sees a psychiatrist (Mikijiro Hira) who devises an experimental mask that gives Okuyama an entirely new identity. Wearing the mask, Okuyama seduces his own wife (Machiko Kyo), who tells him that she knew who he was all along and assumed that he was trying to revive their marriage, which had been troubled since his accident. She is enraged when she learns that he was in fact testing her fidelity. But there is a secondary narrative about a beautiful young woman (Miki Irie) who bears scars along one side of her face that, it is suggested, are the result of exposure to radiation from the Nagasaki atomic bomb. In the novel, this story comes from a film that was seen by Okuyama, but Hiroshi Teshigahara withholds this explanation for including it without apparent connection to Okuyama's story. I'm not troubled by the disjunction this creates in the film, because Teshigahara and production designer Masao Yamazaki have developed a coherent symbolic style that creates an appropriate air of mystery throughout The Face of Another. The weakness lies, I think, in the dialogue, especially in the too didactic exchanges between Okuyama and the psychiatrist about the limits and potential of a mutating identity. Nevertheless, it's a fascinating, flawed film, more disturbing than most outright "horror" movies.

[honeygleam]

the lab the face of another (1966) dir. hiroshi teshigahara

[present--absence]

Sword of the Beast, 1965

[japanfilmclub]

Amagi Pass『天城越え』(1983)   Written by Haruhiko Mimura 三村晴彦 & Tai Kato 加藤泰 Directed by Haruhiko Mimura 三村晴彦 

[catvcr]

Amagi Pass『天城越え』(1983)   Written by Haruhiko Mimura 三村晴彦 & Tai Kato 加藤泰 Directed by Haruhiko Mimura 三村晴彦  Poster by me :) 18 x 24

[cesarescabinet]

I was tagged by @nitrateglow​ to list my favorite discoveries of 2020. This is just a small sliver of films and television I felt like deserves the mention!

1. Sword of the Beast (1965)

A treasure hunt set in a jidaigeki with noir elements, Hideo Gosha’s Sword of the Beast is a interesting take on the genre. Mikijiro Hira was always a side character in many of the Tatsuya Nakadai and Toshiro Mifune vehicles I've watched and this time, he got to show off how formidable he is as a leading man. 

2. Persuasion (1995)

As somebody who’s always been around Jane Austen aficionados yet could never claim to be one herself, Persuasion 1995 is a film that makes me understand why there's such an appeal. Achingly romantic with a tender story, Persuasion is an Austen adaptation at it’s strongest. 

3. When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

This TV series lives up to it’s reputation. Part murder mystery, part romance, and part comedy, this show is a perfect example of what the best of Korean drama can offer. Also, in my opinion, it should be a primer on how to write women of all types with complexity. It also wins that coveted achingly romantic label, which is a must for a good love story. 

4. New Trial (2017)

A story of police corruption and the lawyer that’s trying to remedy it, New Trial (2017) is a movie about justice, redemption, and hope. Based on real events, I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t a hard sit. Part of it has to do with the performances. In particular, I’m going to highlight Kang Ha-Neul for this one. I’ve posted a lot about him on this blog, but his talents cannot be understated. His character has gone through hell and absolutely looks it with an attitude to match. Yet, he maintains that sympathy that compels the audience and the lawyer to want the best for him. Just a great movie all-around. 

5. A Taxi Driver (2017)

Another film based on a true story, A Taxi Driver is remarkable look into the Gwangju Uprising of 1980 and how a humble taxi driver(played by Song Kang-ho) gets roped into helping  a journalist (played by Thomas Kretschmann) in the midst of political turmoil. Well shot with a main duo with great chemistry, there’s a reason why I’ve been talking about Korean media in this list so much. 

[videomessiah]

Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (1988)

[myself-85]

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQXkmRYag94から)

[omercifulheaves]

Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)

[folie-atwo]

他人の顔 The Face of Another (1966, Hiroshi Teshigahara)

[kujorukaen3]