Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean
| Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Shinji Higuchi |
| Produced by | Chihiro Kameyama |
| Written by | Harutoshi Fukui Satoshi Suzuki |
| Music by | Naoki Sato |
| Cinematography | Akira Sato |
| Distributed by | Toho Fuji TV |
| Release date(s) | March 5, 2005 |
| Running time | 128 min. |
| Language | Japanese |
Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean (ローレライ Rōrerai) is a Japanese film directed by Shinji Higuchi. A fictional story of the Japanese military saving Tokyo from the third atomic bomb during the waning days of the Second World War, it was the highest-grossing film in Japan during the week of its release.[1]
The story of "Lorelei", based on a best-selling novel written by Harutoshi Fukui, is a departure from the last 50 years of Japanese cinema by weaving a tale using a "what if" fictional narrative with a tip of the hat to modern manga storylines and styles.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
In the last months of the Second World War, the Empire of Japan receives a final gift from the collapsing Nazi Germany: the I-507, a highly-advanced submarine equipped with experimental technology.[2]
The mission, as revealed by the grim Chief of Staff Asakura (Shinichi Tsutsumi) following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is to intercept U.S. ships transporting a third nuclear weapon to Tinian Island, the principal base from which American B-29s Bombers are striking the Japanese home Islands. The man charged with the mission is Commander Masami (Yakusho Koji) - a brilliant destroyer of enemy ships relieved of his command when he opposed the navy's increasing reliance on suicide tactics. Given a last chance to redeem himself, he is burning with zeal, but is ignorant of the various secrets the I-507 carries on board.
Once at sea, Lt. Takasu (Ken Ishiguro), the owlish technician in charge of the imaging system, refuses to tell Masami what it is or how it works. Masami also discovers that two crew members belong to the "kaiten" suicide corps. He has no idea why they are there -- and neither, for the moment, do they.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is tracking the I-507 with more than usual interest. What, Masami wonders, is going on here? Enough to say that a sweet-voiced teenage girl (Yu Kashi) is part of the master plan and that one of the minisub pilots (Satoshi Tsumabuki) becomes her protector -- and something more.
[edit] Cast
Starring
- Koji Yakusho - Masami Shin'ichi
- Satoshi Tsumabuki - Yukito Origasa
Supporting Cast
- Toshiro Yanagiba - Kizaki Toshiro
- Yu Kashii - Paula Atsuko Ebner
- Shin'ichi Tsutsumi - Asakura Ryokitsu
- Ken Ishiguro - Narumi Takasu
- Isao Hashizume - Sadamoto Nishimiya
- Masato Ibu - Eitaro Narazaki
- Takaya Kamikawa - Man
- Kreva - Shunpei Komatsu
- Jun Kunimura - Matoi Tokioka
- Takehiko Ono - Shichigoro Iwamura
- Shugo Oshinari
- Ryuta Sato - Kikuo Kiyonaga
- Pierre Taki - Tokutaro Taguchi
- Yoshiyuki Tomino - Ouwada
- Shingo Tsurumi - Sankichi Oominato
[edit] References
- ^ Groves, Don (2005-03-13). "'Hitch' finds perfect pitch in Germany". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117919281.html. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ This sleek behemoth bears a strong resemblance toward the French submarine Surcouf and is equipped with imaging technology that is far in advance of the era's primitive Sonar technology.
[edit] Reviews
- "Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean". Kamikaze Images at Wesleyan University. http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/films/japanese/lorelei/index.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
[edit] Sources
- Lorelei at the Internet Movie Database
- "ローレライ" (in Japanese). Variety (Japanese edition). http://search.varietyjapan.com/moviedb/cinema_36540.html. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- Schilling, Mark (March 25, 2005). "Lorelei: The Witch Of The Pacific Ocean". Screen International (1494): 24.
