Her Brother
Her Brother (おとうと, Otōto, lit. "Younger brother") is a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. The film is based on the novel Otōto by Aya Koda.[1][2] It was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a prize for Special Distinction.[3]
| Her Brother | |
|---|---|
 Original Japanese poster. | |
| Directed by | Kon Ichikawa |
| Written by | Yōko Mizuki |
| Based on | Otōto by Aya Koda |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | Keiko Kishi |
| Cinematography | Kazuo Miyagawa |
| Edited by | Tatsuji Nakashizu |
| Music by | Yasushi Akutagawa |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Daiei Film |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
In order to achieve a desaturated look for the film, Ichikawa and cameraman Kazuo Miyagawa devised the cinematographic technique known as bleach bypass. Ichikawa had been inspired by the photography for John Huston's 1956 adaptation of Moby-Dick.
Plot
17-year-old Gen takes care of the household of her family due to her stepmother's rheumatism. Meanwhile, her younger brother Hekiro lives a carefree life, repeatedly getting into trouble and making gambling debts. Neither his stepmother interferes with his behaviour, nor does the weak and detached father, a famous novelist. Only Gen scolds Hekiro from time to time, for which he ridicules her, although she is completely devoted to him. When Hekiro falls terminally ill with tuberculosis and is hospitalised, with his sister being the only regular visitor, he finally regrets his behaviour. After Hekiro's death, Gen is taken back home with anemia by the hospital personnel, but once she awakes, she returns to her role as the housekeeper without questioning.
Cast
- Keiko Kishi as Gen
- Hiroshi Kawaguchi as Hekiro
- Kinuyo Tanaka as Mother
- Masayuki Mori as Father
- Kyōko Kishida as Mrs. Tanuma
- Noboru Nakaya as Patrolman Rokoru Shimizu
- Kyōko Enami as Nurse Miyata
- Jun Hamamura as Doctor
- Hikaru Hoshi as Owner of hiring horse
- Juzo Itami as Son of Factory owner
- Noriko Hodaka as Nurse
Legacy
In 2010, director Yoji Yamada released a film of the same title, Otōto, though it was not based on Aya Koda's novel.[4][5]
References
- "おとうと" (in Japanese). Kotobank. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- "おとうと" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- "IN COMPETITION - FEATURE FILMS: OTOHTO". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
- "Berlin Film Festival: Otôto" (PDF). berlinale.de. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "おとうと(2010)". Kinenote (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 January 2022.
External links
- Her Brother at IMDb