DramaRomance

Double Suicide

Successful and married with children, paper-mill owner Jihei knows better than to contradict the strict social and moral codes of 18th-century Japan. But when he meets the lovely courtesan Koharu, he becomes a man obsessed. Koharu returns his love, even foregoing other customers while Jihei schemes to somehow buy her freedom. His efforts yield ruinous consequences for his business and his family life, and Koharu is meanwhile purchased by another client.

Release Date : 1969-05-24

Language :Japanese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : hyogenshaArt Theatre Guild

Production Country : Japan

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Jihei

Original Name : 二代目中村吉右衛門

Gender : Male

Character Name : Koharu and Osan

Original Name : 岩下志麻

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tahei

Original Name : 小松方正

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mogoemon

Original Name : 滝田裕介

Gender : Male

Character Name : Owner of the Yamatoya

Original Name : 藤原釜足

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gosaemon

Original Name : 加藤嘉

Gender : Male

Character Name : Osan's Mother

Original Name : 河原崎しづ江

Gender : Female

Character Name : Osugi

Original Name : 左時枝

Gender : Female

Character Name : Proprietress

Original Name : 日高澄子

Gender : Female

Character Name : Store Owner

Original Name : 陶隆司

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guest

Original Name : Masashi Makita

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sangoro

Original Name : 赤塚真人

Gender : Male

Character Name : Otama

Original Name : Unko Uehara

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kantaro

Original Name : Shinji Tsuchiya

Gender : Male

Character Name : Osue

Original Name : Kaori Tozawa

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : 浜村純

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Masatsugu Makita

Gender : Male

Reviews

talisencrw

@talisencrw

2021-06-23

Even though I'm Christian and have always been brought up considering the act of suicide a 'taboo' subject, I have always held great respect for both the Japanese way of doing so to save face, and the thoroughly romantic notion, say, from the likes of 'Romeo and Juliet' (with Shakespeare's writings being probably the cornerstone of Western thought)--so from two completely different cultural perspectives--that a life without the one you love is not worth living. I had previously only seen two of Masahiro Shinoda's other works for The Criterion Collection--the earlier works 'Pale Flower' and 'Samurai Spy', and I don't know if it was on purpose by the company in selecting the titles, but I marveled at the breathtaking variety of his scripts, all from such a short timespan (1964-69). Being a patron of the theatre (in many different modes) and as anthropologically cosmopolitan in my approach to life as is conceivable, I salute Shinoda with a profound respect, and look forward to investigating as many of his other works as possible.