Yoshitarō Nomura
Yoshitarō Nomura (野村芳太郎 Nomura Yoshitarō, 23 April 1919 in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan-8 April 2005 in Shinjuku, Tokyo) was a prolific Japanese film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His first accredited film (Pigeon (鳩, Hato)) was released in 1953; his last (Kikenna Onna-tachi (危険な女たち, Kikenna Onna-tachi)) in 1985. He has accumulated several awards during his career, including the prestigious Japanese Academy Award for "Best Director" (for his 1978 film The Demon (鬼畜, Kichiku)).
Biography
He was the son of Hotei Nomura, a contract film director at the Shochiku Company film studio. Nomura entered Keio University to study art in 1936, graduated in 1941, and then promptly joined the Shochiku Company as well. He was first hired as an assistant director but before being assigned any projects he was drafted into the army before being discharged in July of 1946. In the fall of the same year, he returned to the Shochiku Company and spent his entire film career working there.
During his years as an assistant director, he worked under the helm of such legendary film directors as Keisuke Sasaki, Yuzo Kawashima, and Akira Kurosawa, whom he worked with on the filming of "the Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky in 1951. In 1952, Nomura was promoted to director and made his directorial debut in 1953 with the film Pigeon (鳩, Hato), which was such a success that the studio gave him five more films to direct the following year.
He is considered as one of the pioneers of Japanese film noir and frequently collaborated with mystery writer Seicho Matsumoto, with whom he made eight films. Nomura directed 89 films in total. He worked in several different genres, including musicals and jidaigeki (period dramas), but was considered most proficient within the thriller genre. Nomura's films frequently contain veiled criticism on Japanese society. His 1974 thriller Castle of Sand (砂の器, Suna no Utsuwa), for which he won the coveted jury prize of the Moscow Film Festival in 1975, is considered by many critics as his best work. Nomura retired from directing in 1985, after which he worked as a TV producer and as consultant to other Japanese directors. In 1995, he was decorated by the Japanese Government with the Order of the Rising Sun, the second highest order of Japan.
He died of pneumonia on 8 April 2005 in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Filmography as Assistant Director
- The Idiot (白痴, Hakuchi) (1951)
- Angels Dream Too (天使も夢を見る, Tenshi mo Yume wo miru) (1951)
- Aihareru Tokoton Dōshi (相惚れトコトン同志, Aihareru Tokoton Dōshi) (1952)
- Konna Watashi ja Nakatta ni (こんな私じゃなかったに, Konna Watashi ja Nakatta ni) (1952)
- Tomorrow is Payday (明日は月給日, Ashita ha Gekkyūbi) (1952)
- Gakusei Shachō (学生社長, Gakusei Shachō) (1953)
Filmography as Director
1950's
- Pigeon (鳩, Hato) (1952)
- Haru wa Camera ni Notte (春はキャメラに乗って, Haru wa Camera ni Notte) (1952)
- Second Son (次男坊, Jinanbō) (1953)
- Foolish Younger Brother (愚弟賢兄, Gutei Kenkei) (1953)
- Kinra Sensei to Ojōsan (きんぴら先生とお嬢さん, Kinra Sensei to Ojōsan) (1953)
- Kurama Tengu Ao Men Yasha (鞍馬天狗 青面夜叉, Kurama Tengu Ao Men Yasha) (1953)
- Seishun Sanbagarasu (青春三羽烏, Seishun Sanbagarasu) (1953)
- The Dancing Girl of Izu (伊豆の踊子, Izu no Odoriko) (1954)
- Keian Mizuden (慶安水滸伝, Keian Mizuden) (1954)
- Seishun Romance Seat Aozora ni Zasu (青春ロマンスシート 青空に坐す, Seishun Romance Seat Aozora ni Zasu) (1954)
- Bikkuri Gojūsantsugi (びっくり五十三次, Bikkuri Gojūsantsugi) (1954)
- Daigaku wa Deta Keredo (大学は出たけれど, Daigaku wa Deta Keredo) (1955)
- Zoku wo Toko Daigaku Shinkon Kyōshitsu (続おとこ大学 新婚教室, Zoku wo Toko Daigaku Shinkon Kyōshitsu) (1955)
- Bōmeiki (亡命記, Bōmeiki) (1955)
- Tōkyō←→Honkon Mitsugetsu Ryokō (東京←→香港 蜜月旅行, Tōkyō←→Honkon Mitsugetsu Ryokō) (1955)
- Hanayome wa Doko ni Iru (花嫁はどこにいる, Hanayome wa Doko ni Iru) (1955)
- Taiyō wa Hibi ni Arata Nari (太陽は日々に新たなり, Taiyō wa Hibi ni Arata Nari) (1955)
- Koko wa Shizuka Nari (ここは静かなり, Koko wa Shizuka Nari) (1956)
- Kakubō Sanbagarasu (角帽三羽烏, Kakubō Sanbagarasu) (1956)
- Tabi Garasu Itarō (旅がらす伊太郎, Tabi Garasu Itarō) (1956)
- Jinanbō Kokyō e Iku (次男坊故郷へ行く, Jinanbō Kokyō e Iku) (1956)
- Hanayome Boshū Chū (花嫁募集中, Hanayome Boshū Chū) (1956)
- Odoru Matenrō (踊る摩天楼, Odoru Matenrō) (1956)
- Sakeout (伴淳・森繁の糞尿譚, Ban Atsushi. Morishige no Funnyōtan) (1957)
- Hanayome no o-Noroke (花嫁のおのろけ, Hanayome no o-Noroke) (1958)
- Chō Komi (張込み, Chō Komi) (1958)
- Gekkyū 13,000 En (月給13,000円, Gekkyū 13,000 En) (1958)
- Modern Dōchū Sono Koi Matta Nashi (モダン道中 その恋待ったなし, Modern Dōchū Sono Koi Matta Nashi) (1958)
- Donto Ikōze (どんと行こうぜ, Donto Ikōze) (1959)
1960's
- Kiiroi Sakuranbo (黄色いさくらんぼ, Kiiroi Sakuranbo) (1960)
- Ginza no o-Niichan Chōsensu (銀座のお兄ちゃん挑戦す, Ginza no o-Niichan Chōsensu) (1960)
- Kanshō Yō Dansei (鑑賞用男性, Kanshō Yō Dansei) (1960)
- Saigo no Kirifuda (最後の切札, Saigo no Kirifuda) (1960)
- Haitoku no Mesu (背徳のメス, Haitoku no Mesu) (1961)
- Zero Focus (ゼロの焦点, Zero no Shōten) (1961)
- Koi no Gashū (恋の画集, Koi no Gashū) (1961)
- Haruno Sanmyaku (春の山脈, Haruno Sanmyaku) (1962)
- Hidarikiki no Sogekisha Tōkyōwan (左ききの狙撃者 東京湾, Hidarikiki no Sogekisha Tōkyōwan) (1962)
- Ano Hashi no Hotori de (あの橋の畔で, Ano Hashi no Hotori de) (1962)
- Ano Hashi no Hotori de 2 (あの橋の畔で 第２部, Ano Hashi no Hotori de 2) (1962)
- Ano Hashi no Hotori de 3 (あの橋の畔で 第３部, Ano Hashi no Hotori de 3) (1963)
- Haikei Tennōheika-sama (拝啓天皇陛下様, Haikei Tennōheika-sama) (1963)
- Ano Hashi no Hotoride Kanketsu Hen (あの橋の畔で 完結篇, Ano Hashi no Hotoride Kanketsu Hen) (1963)
- The Scarlet Camellia (五辧の椿, Go no Tsubaki) (1964)
- Zoku. Haikei Tennōheika Sama (続・拝啓天皇陛下様, Zoku. Haikei Tennōheika Sama) (1964)
- Haikei Sōri Daijin Sama (拝啓総理大臣様, Haikei Sōri Daijin Sama) (1964)
- Suteki Na Konban Wa (素敵な今晩わ, Suteki Na Konban Wa) (1965)
- Ohanahan (おはなはん, Ohanahan) (1966)
- Ohanahan 2 (おはなはん 第二部, Ohanahan 2) (1966)
- Bōkyō To Okite (望郷と掟, Bōkyō To Okite) (1966)
- Danryū (暖流, Danryū) (1966)
- Inochi Hateru Hi nade (命果てる日まで, Inochi Hateru Hi nade) (1966)
- Family of Women (女たちの庭, Onna Tachi no Niwa) (1967)
- Aa! Kimi ga Ai (あゝ君が愛, Aa! Kimi ga Ai) (1967)
- Onna no Isshō (女の一生, Onna no Isshō) (1967)
- Otoko nara Furi Mukuna (男なら振りむくな, Otoko nara Furi Mukuna) (1967)
- Hakuchū Dōdō (白昼堂々, Hakuchū Dōdō) (1968)
- [Konto 55 Gō to Suizenji Kiyoko no] Kamisama no Koibito ([コント５５号と水前寺清子の]神様の恋人, [Konto 55 Gō to Suizenji Kiyoko no] Kamisama no Koibito) (1968)
- Yoake no ni Nin (夜明けの二人, Yoake no ni Nin) (1968)
- Yoake no Futari (Yoake no Futari) (1968)
- Dekkai Dekkai Yarō (でっかいでっかい野郎, Dekkai Dekkai Yarō) (1969)
- Hibari. Hashi no Hana (ひばり・橋の花と喧嘩, Hibari. Hashi no Hana) (1969)
- Konto 55 Gō To Suizenji Kiyoko no Wan.. Panchi Sanhyakurokujūgo Ho no Maachi (コント５５号と水前寺清子のワン・ツウー・パンチ 三百六十五歩のマーチ, Konto 55 Gō To Suizenji Kiyoko no Wan.. Panchi Sanhyakurokujūgo Ho no Maachi) (1969)
- Chinchin 55 Gō Buttobase! Shuppatsu Shinkō (チンチン５５号ぶっ飛ばせ！出発進行, Chinchin 55 Gō Buttobase! Shuppatsu Shinkō) (1969)
1970's
- Nani ga Nan demo Tamegorō (なにがなんでも為五郎, Nani ga Nan demo Tamegorō) (1970)
- The Shadow Within (影の車, Kage no Kuruma) (1970)
- Sandogasa Da Yo Jinsei wa (三度笠だよ人生は, Sandogasa Da Yo Jinsei wa) (1970)
- Kochira 55 Gō Ōtō Seyo! Kiki Hyaku Hatsu (こちら５５号応答せよ！危機百発, Kochira 55 Gō Ōtō Seyo! Kiki Hyaku Hatsu) (1970)
- Konto 55 Gō To Suizenji Kiyoko no Dai Shōbu (コント５５号と水前寺清子の大勝負, Konto 55 Gō To Suizenji Kiyoko no Dai Shōbu) (1970)
- Konto 55 Gō to Mī no Zettaizetsumei (コント５５号とミーコの絶体絶命, Konto 55 Gō to Mī no Zettaizetsumei) (1971)
- Yaruzomite Ore Tamegorō ( やるぞみておれ為五郎, Yaruzomite Ore Tamegorō) (1971)
- Hana Mo Mi Mo Aru Tamegorō ( 花も実もある為五郎, Hana Mo Mi Mo Aru Tamegorō) (1971)
- Hatsu Warai Bikkuri Bushi Michi (初笑いびっくり武士道, Hatsu Warai Bikkuri Bushi Michi) (1972)
- Dame Oyaji (ダメおやじ, Dame Oyaji) (1973)
- Shina no Kawa (しなの川, Shina no Kawa) (1973)
- Castle of Sand (砂の器, Suna no Utsuwa) (1974)
- Tōkyō Do Mannaka (東京ド真ン中, Tōkyō Do Mannaka) (1974)
- Shōwa Karesusuki (昭和枯れすすき, Shōwa Karesusuki) (1975)
- Village of the Eight Tombs (八つ墓村, Yattsu Haka Mura) (1977)
- The Incident (事件, Jiken) (1978)
- The Demon (鬼畜, Kichiku) (1978)
- The Three Undelivered Letters (配達されない三通の手紙, Haitatsusarenai Santsū no Tegami) (1979) based on a novel by Ellery Queen
1980's
- Bad Sorts (わるいやつら, Warui Yatsura) (1980)
- Furueru Shita (震える舌, Furueru Shita) (1980)
- Mayonaka no Shōtai Jō (真夜中の招待状, Mayonaka no Shōtai Jō) (1981)
- Suspicion (疑惑, Giwaku) (1982)
- Meisō Chizu (迷走地図, Meisō Chizu) (1983)
- Nezumi Kozō Kaitō Den (ねずみ小僧怪盗伝, Nezumi Kozō Kaitō Den) (1984)
- Kikenna Onna-tachi (危険な女たち, Kikenna Onna-tachi) (1985)