Muddy River (film)

1981 Japanese film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Muddy River (Japanese: 泥の河, Hepburn: Doro no Kawa) is a 1981 Japanese drama film directed by Kōhei Oguri and based on the short story with the same title by Teru Miyamoto. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.^[1] The film was also entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Silver Prize.^[2]

Directed byKōhei Oguri

Screenplay byTakako Shigemori

Based on

Doro no Kawa
by Teru Miyamoto

Produced byMotoyasu Kimura

Quick facts Directed by, Screenplay by ...

Muddy River
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kōhei Oguri
Screenplay by	Takako Shigemori
Based on	Doro no Kawa by Teru Miyamoto
Produced by	Motoyasu Kimura
Starring	Takahiro Tamura Mariko Kaga Nobutaka Asahara
Cinematography	Shōhei Andō
Edited by	Nobuo Ogawa
Music by	Kurōdo Mōri
Production company	Kimura Productions
Distributed by	Toei Company
Release date	30 January 1981 (1981-01-30) (Japan)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Plot

In 1956 Osaka, Nobuo, a child living with his parents Shinpei and Sadako in a small diner near the river mouth, meets a boy named Kiichi. Kiichi, who lives on a houseboat moored across from the diner, is the same age as Nobuo, and his sister, Ginko, is 11. Neither Kiichi nor Ginko attend school. Rumors circulate that their mother entertains customers on the boat for a living, but Nobuo doesn't fully comprehend.

Kiichi and Ginko visit the diner together, and rumors spread among the customers that Kiichi is promoting the houseboat's services, which upsets Shinpei. This causes Kiichi and even Ginko to feel dejected.

One day, Nobuo is informed that one of Shinpei's "acquaintances" is on their deathbed and wishes to see Shinpei and his children in Kyoto. The woman turns out to be Shinpei's ex-wife (and Nobuo's biological mother), whom he left for Sadako after returning from the war. Both parents bear guilt, and Sadako tearfully apologizes to Shinpei's ex-wife.

Later, when Nobuo visits the boat, neither Kiichi nor Ginko are there, and he is summoned to the back room by the mother, Shouko. Nobuo feels unsettled in Shouko's presence, as she is unlike his own mother in every way.

On the day of the festival, Nobuo and Kiichi receive pocket money from Sadako to go out but lose it on the way home. That night, Nobuo visits the boat, where Kiichi shows him a treasure trove of crabs. Kiichi initiates a cruel game of burning crabs in oil, causing one to escape into the back room. Peeking through a small window, Nobuo witnesses Shouko in an intimate embrace with a tattooed man. Feeling awkward, Nobuo leaves without speaking to Kiichi and remains silent as he passes Ginko on his way out.

The next day, as the boat begins to move away from the shore, Nobuo notices and rushes out, calling Kiichi's name. Despite his efforts, he fails to catch up as the boat drifts away.

Cast

Takahiro Tamura as Shinpei Itakura
Mariko Kaga as Shoko Matsumoto, Kiichi and Ginko's mother
Nobutaka Asahara as Nobuo Itakura
Makiko Shibata as Ginko Matsumoto
Minoru Sakurai as Kiichi Matsumoto
Yumiko Fujita as Sadako Itakura, Nobuo's mother
Gannosuke Ashiya as Shinoda, the horse cart man

Production

As Oguri recounted during lectures and other events, the president of a small to medium-sized company, originally a film enthusiast, had another project in the works that had to be abandoned due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the impulsive president quickly procured a 35mm film and enlisted Oguri to direct a film using it. This led to the idea of adapting the novel by Teru Miyamoto, a project the president had long been interested in pursuing.

The original story unfolds along the Tosabori River in the city of Osaka. Despite Oguri's inability to find a suitable filming location in Osaka, he scoured Hiroshima and Tokyo without success. Ultimately, the decision was made to shoot the film along the Nakagawa Canal in Nagoya.

Due to Mariko Kaga's prior commitments, a boat was transported to Toho Studios, where all scenes involving her were shot within a six-hour timeframe.

While the initial production costs were set at 35 million yen, the budget exceeded by an additional 10 million yen. To cover this shortfall, producer Motoyasu Kimura had to secure a loan.

Distribution

Distribution posed a challenge initially due to the film being in black and white. Oguri turned to Nobuhiko Obayashi, a close friend from his early filmmaking days, who introduced the film to the Sogetsu Hall. Shigeru Okada, President of Toei, was deeply moved upon viewing the preview, describing it as an excellent film. Subsequently, Toei Central Film, a subsidiary of Toei, acquired the rights for 60 million yen and released the film nationwide through the Toei Pallas System.