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| Festival Year |
Festival Section |
| 2001 |
|
| Film Title |
BENI KOMORI |
| Alternative Title 1 |
[CRIMSON BAT, THE] |
| Alternative Title 2 |
[PIPISTRELLO ROSSO PORPORA, IL] |
| Alternative Title 3 |
|
| Country |
Japan |
| Release Date |
1931 |
| Production Co. |
Nikkatsu |
| Director |
Tanaka, Tsuruhiko |
| Format |
|
Speed (fps) |
| 35mm |
|
16 |
| |
|
|
| Footage |
|
Time |
| 6083 ft. |
|
101' |
| Archive Source |
National Film Center |
| |
|
| Print Notes |
Didascalie in giapponese / Japanese intertitles. |
| Cast |
Ryuzaburo Mitsuoka
Motoharu Isokawa
Hazaemon Bando
Koichi Kuzuki
Shinpachiro Asaka |
| |
| Other Credits |
Shin Hasegawa (orig. novel Kurenai-Komori)
Tanimoto, Seishi (ph.) |
| |
| Other Information |
Phil Carli, pianoforte.
prima proiezione / released 6.3.1931 |
| |
| Program Notes |
The author of the source novel, Shin Hasegawa, was one of the most popular Japanese writers at the time this film was made. Hasegawa's novel Kurenai-Komori first appeared in serial form in the Tokyo and Osaka Asahi evening newspapers. As filming the works of popular writers provided a reasonably sure expectation of box-office success, several film companies competed fiercely to adapt the novel, including Kyosaku.
The story concerns the swashbuckling adventures of a pugnacious but patriotic young samurai, Chohachiro Tonami, depicting his lord's family feud, revenge, and his unrequited love. Ryuzaburo Mitsuoka played the lead in Nikkatsu's version, while Ryunosuke Tsukigata starred in Shochiku's. Kunitaro Sawamura played the role for Makino.
The star of this version, Ryuzaburo Mitsuoka, later became famous for his supporting roles in various jidai geki (period films) produced by the Daiei Film Company after World War II. In this film he displays the qualities which formed the basis for his earlier popularity as a leading actor, a manliness and an open-heartedness that belied his fierce appearance. We should always remember that actors like Mitsuoka, who switch their careers from leading to supporting roles after a certain period of time, also made great contributions to jidai geki as well as to Japanese cinema as a whole. - TS
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