Release Date

August, 19th, 1958

Running Time

99 min

Genre

Feature

Color

Monochrome

Screening Format

-

Screen Size

Cinema Scope (1:2.35)

Sound Processing

-

[ Directed by ]

• ICHIKAWA Kon

[ Produced by ]

• NAGATA Masaichi

[ Cast ]

• ICHIKAWA Raizo ── MIZOGUCHI Goichi
• NAKAMURA Ganjiro ── TAYAMA Dosen
• NAKADAI Tatsuya ── TOKARI

[ Staff ]

• WADA Natto ── Screenplay
• HASEBE Keiji ── Screenplay
• MISHIMA Yukio ── Based on a novel by
• MIYAGAWA Kazuo ── Photography
• MAYUZUMI Toshiro ── Music
• NISHIOKA Yoshinobu ── Art Director

[ Production Company ]

Daiei (Kyoto)

[ Distributor (Japan) ]

KADOKAWA CORPORATION

[ Story ]

A young Buddhist acolyte fanatically obsessed with Shukakuji Temple despairs at how its beauty is being tarnished by worldly corruption and decides to set it ablaze. The film adapts MISHIMA Yukio's The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, with Ichikawa using the author's personal research notes into the real-life case that inspired the novel to bring out vividly the complex inner struggles of the young priest's state of mind. In the conflagration scene, cinematographer MIYAGAWA Kazuo expertly exploits the stark contrast between light and dark to showcase black-and-white cinema at its most visually resplendent. ICHIKAWA Raizo (no relation to the director) won numerous awards both at home and abroad for his portrayal of the tortured monk, with the role solidifying his status as actor.

Written by KU Mina
Translated by Adam Sutherland

[ Film Festivals, Awards ]

2015 Berlin Film Festival, Forum section (4K restored version)

[ Contact (International) ]

KADOKAWA CORPORATION
International Sales, Literature and Movie Group
2-13-3 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8177
Rep: NATSUNO Takeshi (President)
Attn: ZEZE Miki
tel: +81 80 9693 6348
E-mail: zeze-m@kadokawa.jp
http://www.kadokawa.co.jp