The fall of Japan
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The fall of Japan |
| Original title | 日本 沈没 |
| Country of production | Japan |
| original language | Japanese |
| Publishing year | 1973 |
| length | 98 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Shirō Moritani |
| script | Shinobu Hashimoto |
| music | Masaru Satō |
| camera |
Daisaku Kimura , Hiroshi Murai |
| cut | Michiko Ikada |
| occupation | |
| |
The fall of Japan ( Japanese 日本 沈没 , Nippon Chinbotsu ), alternatively: Panic over Tokyo , is a Japanese disaster film from 1973. The screenplay of the film is based on the novel Japan sinks ( Nippon Chimbotsu ) by Sakyō Komatsu . In Germany, the film first appeared in cinemas on November 7, 1974.
action
Japan is shaken by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, cities and villages are destroyed by fire storms. An island sinks into the sea off the coast. The geophysicist Dr. Tadokoro realizes that the Japanese plate is sinking and Japan will sink into the sea with it. A research submarine under Captain Toshio Onodera dives into the sea trench off Japan and discovers strong tectonic activity. Both the Japanese and US governments are grappling with the problem of saving Japan or evacuating the population in neighboring states.
Toshio and his wife Reiko Abe relax on the beach near Kumamoto . When the nearby volcano Aso erupts, both have to flee. In Numazu , Toshio meets Dr. Tadokoro. You will meet with the American geologists Brody, Furren and Hill. There is a severe earthquake that almost completely destroys the city. The rescue work is interrupted by an aftershock that causes the number of deaths to rise sharply. Toshio tries to help with a group of Japanese geologists with the help of American military. However, gangs have formed. One of them attacks Toshiro's group.
Although Toshio and the soldiers soon restored order, the gang leader Yusuke Yuki does not want to give up and threatens Toshio with a rifle. He threatens to kill Toshio's family if he doesn't stop the rescue work. Sergeant Thompson and Soldier Hilton come to the rescue of Toshio. Nevertheless, Yuki can shoot Brody before he is killed by Hilton himself.
Toshio rushes to Osaka by helicopter . There he discusses the consequences of the Numazu quake with Prime Minister Yamamoto. At the same time, Sendai is destroyed by a terrible tsunami . Toshio, who is also briefing the prime minister about this disaster, learns of geologists' reports that the Japanese islands will be sinking into the sea faster than initially thought. As Toshio wants to leave the country, the disaster reports keep increasing. Osaka falls victim to another tsunami. The Mount Fuji erupts and destroys the area.
A few weeks later, Toshio, who has stayed in Japan, meets with some Japanese scientists in Kumamoto. The Aso breaks out again. Toshio fears his wife will be among the dead. Toshiro joins the stream of refugees. Now Toshio is to lead a ship fleet with refugees by helicopter to Busan , South Korea . However, the ships are hit by a tidal wave and sink with all the refugees.
Toshio learns that his wife is not dead after all. Another tsunami destroys Hakodate . After a death in his family, the Prime Minister also decides to leave the country. He wants the scientist Tadokoro to come too. But he refuses. He feels responsible for the surviving Japanese and wants to help them wherever he can. The prime minister flies to the Chinese capital Beijing . The last camera shot shows the Japanese islands sinking into the sea.
Reviews
The lexicon of international film describes the production as a "utopian catastrophe film with moderate trickery and many heroic sayings."
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times describes the film as a "wretched mistake, a poor attempt to bring together unsuitable special effects and Lorne Greene."
background
In 2006 Shinji Higuchi made a remake called Sinking of Japan ( 日本 沈没 , Nihon Chimbotsu ).
The film became a success in Japan and even turned into a TV series. Roger Corman secured the rights to the film for the US release . However, he had over an hour cut out of the original 143 minutes and re-shot American scenes, which were then released in the USA (there also under the title Tidal Waves ) and in Europe. The added scenes were directed by Andrew Meyer, his cameraman was Eric Saarinen .
Web links
- The demise of Japan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The fall of Japan. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed August 1, 2017 .
- ^ Roger Ebert: Tidal Wave. In: RogerEbert.com. 1975, accessed August 1, 2017 .
- ↑ http://www.molodezhnaja.ch/submersionofjapan.htm