Arai umi
The Wild Sea
- Release Date
- October, 15th, 1969
- Running Time
- 183 min
- Genre
- Feature
- Color
- Color
- Screening Format
- -
- Screen Size
- Cinema Scope (1:2.35)
[ Directed by ]
[ Cast ]
[ Staff ]
- NAOI Kinya ── Screenplay
- KASUGA Tomoki ── Cinematography
- AKECHI Mitsumaru ── Lighting
[ Production Company ]
Shinju-Sha
[ Distributor (Japan) ]
NIKKATSU
[ Story ]
The Japanese have always been close to the sea, on which many depend for their livelihood. Yoji Kitami (Tetsuya Watari), a fisherman's son,
is a student in Tokyo. His father had died at sea and Taichiro (Hatsuo Ito), his brother, is sending him to the university. But the outbreak of violence by radical students and blockade of classrooms make studying impossible and Yoji goes home.
There is added rejoicing when Yoji returns, for Taichiro's ship, feared lost at sea, had been rescued by a patrol boat and he, too, returns safe and sound. But their happiness is shortlived.
For Taichiro angrily connects Yoji with all the other militant students wreaking havoc in the universities.
Yoji's misgivings about life deepen. Fortu- nately, he meets Katsuyuki Shinoda ( Hideki Takahashi), a childhood friend, who works on a whaling vessel. At grips with life itself, Katsuyuki has all the confidence of a truly sturdy and stal- wart young man brimming over with vitality. So Yoji decides to join him and rediscover a meaning in life.
But finding sidework on a whaler is not so easy and Ogaki (Tomoo Nagai), a veteran harpooner, curtly turns him down, saying that whaling is not a pleasure trip for rioting Zengakuren students. But finally, deeply touched by Yoji's earnestness, Ogaki reluctantly agrees to take him with them.
Yoji finds shipmates in former miners, office workers, farmers, even a hoodlum who earns money to spend at brothels. Rules are very strict, for even one slight slip-up may jeopardize the safety of the entire ship.
For a long time, it seems like a living hell, but with patience and courage, he begins to learn the ropes. And the day they sight their first whale,
Yoji comes into his own and finds the real meaning of life.
【Quoted from the database of Nikkatsu Corporation】
【Quoted from Unijapan Film Quarterly 1970.13.1】
[ Contact (International) ]
Nikkatsu Corporation
International Sales
3-28-12 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033
Attn: KAWAI Emico, SUNG Tzwei, YAMAMOTO Umi
tel: +81 3 5689 1014
fax: +81 3 5689 1044
E-mail: international@nikkatsu.co.jp
https://intl.nikkatsu.com
