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The Naked Island (Hadaka no Shima)

 

  Written and Directed by Kateno Shindo

Japan 1961 / Drama / 94 min / Black &White / Monaural / 2.35: 1 Widescreen Anamorphic / PAL /  In Japanese with Optional English Subtitles

Nobuko Otowa - Toyo, the mother
Taiji Tonoyama - Senta, the father
Shinji Tanaka - Taro, the elder son
Masanori Horimoto - Jiro, the younger son

Kaneto Shindo's Naked Island tells the story of a small family unit and their subsistence as the only inhabitants of an arid, sun-baked island. Daily chores, captured as a series of cyclical events, result in a hypnotising, moving, and beautiful film harkening back to the silent era. With hardly any dialogue, Shindo combines the stark 'Scope cinematography of Kiyoshi Kuroda with the memorable score of his constant collaborator Hikaru Hayashi, to make a unique cinematic document.

 
       


Bonus Features:

Audio commentary by Kaneto Shindo and Hikaru Hayashi. Production stills gallery.