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DramaRomance

The Idiot

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Kameda, who has been in an asylum on Okinawa, travels to Hokkaido. There he becomes involved with two women, Taeko and Ayako. Taeko comes to love Kameda, but is loved in turn by Akama. When Akama realizes that he will never have Taeko, his thoughts turn to murder, and great tragedy ensues.

Release Date : 1951-05-23

Language :Japanese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Shochiku

Production Country : Japan

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Setsuko Hara

Character Name : Taeko Nasu

Original Name : 原節子

Gender : Female

Masayuki Mori

Character Name : Kinji Kameda

Original Name : 森雅之

Gender : Male

Toshirō Mifune

Character Name : Denkichi Akama

Original Name : 三船敏郎

Gender : Male

Yoshiko Kuga

Character Name : Ayako

Original Name : 久我美子

Gender : Female

Takashi Shimura

Character Name : Ono, Ayako's father

Original Name : 志村喬

Gender : Male

Chieko Higashiyama

Character Name : Satoko, Ayako's mother

Original Name : 東山千栄子

Gender : Female

Eijirō Yanagi

Character Name : Tohata

Original Name : 柳永二郎

Gender : Male

Minoru Chiaki

Character Name : Mutsuo Kayama, the secretary

Original Name : 千秋実

Gender : Male

Noriko Sengoku

Character Name : Takako

Original Name : 千石規子

Gender : Female

Kokuten Kōdō

Character Name : Junpei

Original Name : 高堂国典

Gender : Male

Bokuzen Hidari

Character Name : Karube

Original Name : 左卜全

Gender : Male

Eiko Miyoshi

Character Name : Madame Kayama

Original Name : 三好栄子

Gender : Female

Chiyoko Fumiya

Character Name : Noriko

Original Name : 文谷千代子

Gender : Female

Mitsuyo Akashi

Character Name : Madame Akama

Original Name : Mitsuyo Akashi

Gender : Male

Daisuke Inoue

Character Name : Kaoru

Original Name : 井上大輔

Gender : Male

Fumio Tooyama

Character Name :

Original Name : Fumio Tooyama

Gender : Male

Jun Yokoyama

Character Name :

Original Name : 横山準

Gender : Male

Atsumi Nakama

Character Name :

Original Name : Atsumi Nakama

Gender : Male

Kunio Teshirogi

Character Name :

Original Name : Kunio Teshirogi

Gender : Male

Shoichi Kofujita

Character Name :

Original Name : 小藤田正一

Gender : Male

Yoichi Osugi

Character Name :

Original Name : Yoichi Osugi

Gender : Male

Keiko Izumi

Character Name :

Original Name : Keiko Izumi

Gender : Female

Haruko Chichibu

Character Name :

Original Name : Haruko Chichibu

Gender : Female

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-02-12

"Kameda" (Masayuki Mori) is a Japanese soldier suffering from what looks like a degree of PTSD after he only narrowly escaped a firing squad for a crime he did not commit in his country's war with Russia. His mental status is distinctly precarious when he heads home. Along the way he encounters the savvy "Akama" (an on-form Toshirô Mifune) who is also a man on a bit of a mission - to wed his sweetheart "Taeko" (Setsuko Hara) who has been the kept woman of an older man for many a year. She is effectively put up for sale, and her potential buyer is a man - "Kayama" (Minoru Chiaki) - who is associated with a man who might be able to help "Kameda" reintegrate, but who is also in love with the feisty and head-strong "Ayako" (Yoshiko Kuga). The course of true love never runs smoothly and, upon meeting, she and "Kameda" find themselves drawn to each other. Now without giving too much away, the remainder of the film is an intricately constructed adaptation of Dostoyevky's original story of love, deception, integrity and loyalty that requires concentration and pays off if you do. It deals well with the implications of wartime illnesses and of the role of women in a society that still regarded them as (porcelain) chattels - as well as proving us with a more traditional, good old, love-triangle scenario. It is entertainingly structured with intensity and a degree of humour woven into a character study that offers a myriad of personalities and no obvious "right answer". What soon becomes clear though, is that the eponymous moniker attributed to "Kameda" is as ill-applied as could be. The photography amidst the snow-capped mountains of Sapporo is effective as a conduit for some of the emotional barren-ness and the score compliments well the evolving, frequently stalling, story that meanders towards a conclusion that ultimately demonstrates that a strong and characterful cast and a great story can easily carry almost 2¾ of cinema effortless and engagingly. Certainly worth a big screen viewing if you can. Well worth it.