Drama

I Live in Fear

Kiichi Nakajima, an elderly foundry owner, is convinced that Japan will be affected by an imminent nuclear war, and resolves to move his family to safety in Brazil. His family decides to have him ruled incompetent and Dr. Harada, a Domestic Court counselor, attempts to arbitrate.

Release Date : 1955-11-22

Language :Japanese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : TOHO

Production Country : Japan

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Kiichi Nakajima

Original Name : 三船敏郎

Gender : Male

Character Name : Domestic Court Counselor Dr. Harada

Original Name : 志村喬

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jiro Nakajima

Original Name : 千秋実

Gender : Male

Character Name : Yamazaki, Yoshi's husband

Original Name : 清水将夫

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toyo Nakajima

Original Name : 三好栄子

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sue Nakajima

Original Name : 青山京子

Gender : Female

Character Name : Yoshi Nakajima

Original Name : 東郷晴子

Gender : Female

Character Name : Kimie Nakajima

Original Name : 千石規子

Gender : Female

Character Name : Asako Kuribayashi

Original Name : 根岸明美

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ryoichi Sayama

Original Name : 太刀川寛

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Kuribayashi father

Original Name : 上田吉二郎

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old man from Brazil

Original Name : 東野英治郎

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ichiro Nakajima

Original Name : 佐田豊

Gender : Male

Character Name : Okamoto

Original Name : 藤原釜足

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judge Araki

Original Name : 三津田健

Gender : Male

Character Name : Factory Worker Ishida

Original Name : 渡辺篤

Gender : Male

Character Name : Satoko

Original Name : 水の也清美

Gender : Female

Character Name :

Original Name : 清水元

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hori, the lawyer

Original Name : 小川虎之助

Gender : Male

Character Name : Psychologist

Original Name : 中村伸郎

Gender : Male

Character Name : Landowner

Original Name : 左卜全

Gender : Male

Character Name : Factory Worker after Fire

Original Name : 土屋嘉男

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chunky Jailbird

Original Name : 谷晃

Gender : Male

Character Name : Workers' Older Family Member

Original Name : 高堂国典

Gender : Male

Character Name : Worker family member

Original Name : 本間文子

Gender : Female

Character Name : Susumu

Original Name : 加藤和夫

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secretary Tamiya

Original Name : Yoshiko Miyata

Gender : Female

Character Name : Susumu's wife Sumiko

Original Name : Toyoko Okubo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Taeko

Original Name : Saoko Yonemura

Gender : Male

Character Name : Factory worker

Original Name : Gorô Sakurai

Gender : Male

Character Name : Skinny Jailbird

Original Name : 大村千吉

Gender : Male

Character Name : Foundry employee (uncredited)

Original Name : 中島春雄

Gender : Male

Character Name : Psychiatric nurse (uncredited)

Original Name : 熊谷卓三

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-11-14

This is a far cry from the usual Kurosawa/Mifune effort; indeed in this, Toshirô Mifune is almost unrecognisable. No brave, honourable Samurai this time, but an elderly foundry-owner who is paranoid about the potential impact of nuclear war on his family. To this end, he is determined to sell up and relocate his family to Brazil. The family don't fancy this idea much and try to have him certified. What ensues is a battle of wills, priorities and personalities set against a traditional set of Japanese family structures and values. Viewed, largely, from the perspective of independent arbiter "Dr. Harada" (Takashi Shimura) who has been drafted in to help settle the matter amicably; we visit the perfectly valid (though frequently selfish) approaches taken by both Mifune and his family - who have plenty of scores to settle amongst themselves - as the film tries to establish the best course of action to satisfy both parties. There is quite an interesting scene mid-way through when at the height of their dispute, the old man returns to the court armed with bottles of pop which he has bought for his family to help combat the unrelenting heat, indicating that he clearly still cares greatly for his family, even though they are at loggerheads... and for me, that rather sums the whole thing up - there isn't necessarily a right or wrong solution; it's about individuality and choice but ultimately the happiness of others; and Mifune is great. I found the last fifteen minutes quite sad, perhaps building on the old adage about families and money. Japan, for a good while, struggled to reconcile itself to the realities of a post-Hiroshima threat, so from an observer some 6,000 miles away it can be hard to understand just how viscerally the danger of repetition was taken by many - this film is a thought provoking, emotional - and, at times humorous, glimpse into that fear.