Shinobugawa - The Long Darkness (1972) By Kei Kumai

xich_lo_vn · Dec 15, 2013

Shinobugawa - The Long Darkness (1972) By Kei Kumai

TITLE: Shinobugawa - The Long Darkness
DIRECTOR: Kei KUMAI
FROM THE NOVEL BY: Tetsuo MIURA
COUNTRY: Japan
YEAR: 1972
RUNTIME: 01:59:56
GENRE: Drama, Romance
LANGUAGE: Japanese
SUBTITLES: English srt (Extensively reworked)
CAST: Komaki Kurihara, Gô Katô, Yasushi Nagata

AWARDS:

Kinema Junpo Awards 1973
Best Film - Kei Kumai
Best Director- Kei Kumai
Best Screenplay - Kei Kumai and Keiji Hasebe

Mainichi Film Concours 1973
Best Film - Kei Kumai
Best Actress - Komaki Kurihara
Best Film Score - Teizo Matsumura

SYNOPSIS/REVIEW:
Kei Kumai, Japan's greatest director, is, sadly, virtually unknown in the United States. I have seen four of his films: Sandakan 8, Death Of A Tea Master, Shinobugawa, and Deep River. They are all amazing and wonderful, but to me the greatest is Shinobugawa. It is the story of a young man and a young woman who, despite suffering and tragedy, find their way to each other. Kumai tells the story with such sensitivity and intelligence and emotion that I was moved to the very depths of my soul. The music by Teizo Matsumura is perfect. It is a great tragedy that not one of Kei Kumai's movies is available on video. I can only hope that this great man's genius will soon be recognized and his films will be made available. -- Richard Hobby (rhobby@maine.rr.com) (Maine)

Though the above reviewer seems a little over the top in some of his praise, I personally like this film a lot. It's also interesting that you can find reviews online that completely pan this film. I think the probably reason for the panning is that it doesn't follow the generally accepted cinematic rules that modern critics often look for.

It is however, and I think significantly, a faithful reproduction of the novel of the same name by Tetsuo Miura. This novel takes a deep look into the psyches of two people as they meet and gradually fall deeply in love. It was well loved in Japan as was the film. The awards for Best Film and Best Director are, I suspect, due not only to director Kumai's subtle and beautiful style, but also to his faithful evocation of the novel's style and its difficult subject, something only too rarely achieved in film.

But this film won't appeal to those looking for fast paced editing and pacing. It moves at the pace of a love affair, not the Hollywood 15 minute flash-in-the-pan passion, but a gradual, evolving more traditional love affair. Not that there isn't passion, there is, with even a little nudity toward the end. For those with the patience and disposition to sit back and let the film happen, the rewards are considerable. You will find a beautiful experience both in the story and the cinematic rendition. There are beautiful still shots, camera angles, lighting, symbols and consistently beautiful 'montage'. If you enjoy such things, then.... please do.

Screen:

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Shinobugawa - The Long Darkness (1972) By Kei Kumai

xich_lo_vn

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