Director Kon Ichikawa is well known for his literary adaptations for the screen and in 1955 he did an adaptation of one Japan's most loved classics, Natsume Soskei's Kokoro. It is yet another artfully filmed period piece about the sociological and psychic changes people experienced with the transition from the Meiji era to the Taisho era as embodied by Nobuchi (Masayuki Mori), an idle married man with a secret past. The story is told through flashbacks and mainly from a letter written by Nobuchi for his young friend and disciple, Hioki (Shoji Yasui). I am beginning to see why Paul Schrader was eager to meet the famous director while filming Mishima: A History: A Life in Four Chapters in Japan. Each subsequent Ichikawa film reveals a visual artistry and storytelling style that is distinctive, yet defies easy labeling. There are many more films to peruse as he lived a long and productive life as a filmmaker.
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