Dr. Akagi
Dr. Akagi, known in Japan as Kanzō-sensei (カンゾー先生, literally "Dr. Liver"), is a 1998 Japanese Comedy-drama film by director Shohei Imamura. Imamura is much more highly regarded in his home country and Europe as a key figure in the Japanese New Wave, and is little known in the West. Imamura undertook making Akira Kurosawa's final script, and is the only director from Japan to win two Palme d'Or awards. Yosuke Yamashita was awarded "Best Film Score" for Dr. Akagi at the 1999 Mainichi Film Concours.[1][2]
Dr. Akagi | |
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Directed by | Shohei Imamura |
Produced by | Hiso Ino Koji Matsuda |
Written by | Ango Sakaguchi (novel Doctor Liver) Shohei Imamura Daisuke Tengan |
Starring | Akira Emoto Kumiko Asō |
Music by | Yosuke Yamashita |
Cinematography | Shigeru Komatsubara |
Edited by | Hajime Okayasu |
Distributed by | Imamura Productions, Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co. Ltd., Toei Co. Ltd., Tohokashinsha Film Company Ltd., Kino International (USA) |
Release date |
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Running time | 129 min. (Japan) |
Country | Japan |
Language | Japanese |
Plot
The film concerns Dr. Akagi, a doctor on an island in the Seto Inland Sea area during World War II. He runs into conflict with the military while trying to combat a hepatitis epidemic. Akagi earns the nickname "Dr. Liver" (カンゾー先生 Kanzō-sensei) because of his work, though the townsfolk use it as a humorous dig at his persistent diagnosis. Though the broad circumstance of Japan slowly losing the war is the setting, many of the interactions and situations tilt into humor, for instance; the very music used for the doctor running from patient to patient has an upbeat and light-hearted tone.
Cast
- Akira Emoto : Dr. Fûu Akagi
- Kumiko Asō : Sonoko Mannami
- Jacques Gamblin : Pete
- Tomorowo Taguchi : Nosaka
- Yukiya Kitamura : Sankichi
- Misa Shimizu : Gin
- Masatō Ibu : Ikeda
- Masanori Sera
- Ben Hiura
- Kaoru Mizuki
- Sanshō Shinsui
- Eri Watanabe
- Ayumi Ito
See also
References
- "カンゾー先生とは". kotobank. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
- "カンゾー先生". 東映. Retrieved January 2, 2020.