Akitsu Springs

Akitsu Springs (1962) was something of a break for director Yoshshige Yoshida, who must have been a dark horse candidate for this major studio film based on a popular novel from the time.  In 1962 the fledgling New Wave sensation only had three films under his belt before being given this film, Mariko Okada's 100 feature film, which was made in color-Yoshida's first. Two years later Okada and Yoshida would wed and have many more collaborations on screen. The story reminds me somewhat of Osamu Dazai's novel No Longer Human, whose main character has a death wish. Kawamoto (Hiroyuki Nagato) is a student with tuberculosis who is returning to Okayama to evacuate during the war and finds that his aunt has fled to Tottori, however, being too sick to carry on he goes with a worker from a spa in Okayama where he is nursed to health by the spa owner's daughter, Shinko (Okada). He says she has inspired him to live, but he is a morose person who drinks in dissipation and convinces Shinko to commit a double suicide, but she cannot go through with it. over the years he continues to return to Akitsu springs always saying it is his last visit, but he continues to work in Tokyo marries and has a daughter. It is untenable romance that must end tragically. The cinematography is first rate as usual and the location in the mountains of Okayama.