Based on a non-fiction account of the day leading up to the Emperor's radio broadcast following the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. With the last 24 hours before the end of the war as its focus, this film adaptation simultaneously details the ambivalence of the top-ranking government officials as well as a planned coup d'etat by young military officers. Unfolding with great suspense, the anguish of actual personalities is depicted with realism, giving insight into the end of the war. Attempting to reconstruct historical facts through its spirited direction, this masterpiece makes use of an all-star cast, lead by Ryu Chishu and Mifune Toshiro, whose superb performances contribute to the intensity of the work.
Production: Toho, Tokyo
Screenplay: Hashimoto Shinobu, based on a novel by Oya Soichi
Cinematographer: Murai Hiroshi
Editor: Kuroiwa Yoshitami
Cast: Ryu Chishu, Mifune Toshiro, Miyaguchi Seiji, Yamamura So, Shimura Takashi, Takahashi Etsushi, Nakamura Tadao
Format: 35mm, Cinemascope, black and white
Running time: 157 Minutes
Language: Japanese
Photo: © 1967 TOHO Co., Ltd.
Text: Morimune Atsuko, catalog TOKYO FILMeX 2006
