The Shape of Night / Yoru no Henrin
*New Print
1964 / 106 min.
Screenplay: GONDO Toshihide Original Story; OTA Kyoko
Cast: KUWANO Miyuki, HIRA Mikijiro, SONOI Keisuke, IWAMOTO Masuyo, SUGAWARA Bunta
[Introduction]
19-year-old Yoshie falls in love with Eiji, a yakuza. He forces her into an unbearable life of prostitution from which she attempts to escape, but... KUWANO is outstanding as the heroine, who cannot leave her man despite knowing he is no good for her. Its color scheme and camerawork imbue its imagery with a rich beauty and create a lyrical mise en scène.
NAKAMURA Noboru
Born on August 4th 1913 in Shitaya, Tokyo. Passed an assistant director exam at Shochiku upon graduating from Faculty of Letters at The University of Tokyo in 1936, and worked under SAITO Torajiro, SHIMAZU Yasujiro, and other directors at Ofuna Studio. Promoted to director in June of 1941, making his debut with documentary "Seikatsu to Rizumu" (Life and Rhythm, 41). This was followed later that year by his first fiction film, "Kekkon no Riso" (The Ideals of Marriage). Won plaudits for his brilliant direction of the Ofuna-style home drama "Home Sweet Home" (51). For his second color film for Shochiku, "Natsuko no Boken" (Natsuko's Adventure, 53), he exhibited a fittingly gorgeous directorial style that cemented his status as one of the company's leading filmmakers. The KAWABATA Yasunari adaptation "Twin Sisters of Kyoto" (63) melded the seasonal beauty of Kyoto with a unique story in which IWASHITA Shima plays a dual role as twins, and was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. "The River Kino" (66), adapted from ARIYOSHI Sachiko's novel, is a classic in which NAKAMURA depicted a woman who lived through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods, and exhibited his refinement as a veteran filmmaker. Died on May 20th 1981 at the age of 68. Posthumously honored as a member of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class. His "The Shape of Night" was screened to considerable acclaim at the Venice Film Festival in August 2013 on the centenary of his birth.
The Shape of Night / Yoru no Henrin
