The Kii River

The Kii River (Japanese: 紀ノ川, Hepburn: Kinokawa) is a 1966 Japanese drama film directed by Noboru Nakamura, based on the novel The River Ki by Sawako Ariyoshi.^[1][2]

The Kii River
紀ノ川
Directed by	Noboru Nakamura
Screenplay by	Eijirō Hisaita
Based on	The River Ki by Sawako Ariyoshi
Produced by	Masao Shirai
Starring	Yoko Tsukasa Shima Iwashita Chieko Higashiyama Takahiro Tamura Tetsuro Tamba
Cinematography	Tōichirō Narushima
Edited by	Keiichi Uraoka
Music by	Toru Takemitsu
Production company	Shochiku
Distributed by	Shochiku
Release date	11 June 1966 (1966-06-11) (Japan)[1][2]
Running time	173 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Cast

• Yoko Tsukasa as Hana
• Shima Iwashita as Fumio
• Chieko Higashiyama as Toyono
• Takahiro Tamura as Keisaku Maya
• Tetsuro Tamba as Kosaku Maya
• Yuki Arikawa as Hanako
• Kiyoshi Nonomura as Nobuki

Release

The Kii River premiered in Japanese cinemas on 11 June 1966.^[1][2] It was released on DVD in Japan in 2006.^[3]

Reception

The Kii River reached number three on Kinema Junpo's list of the ten best Japanese films of 1966.^[4]

In his Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors, Alexander Jacoby called The Kii River a "richly atmospheric and beautifully acted film".^[5] Film historian Donald Richie titled the film, along with Nakamura's Twin Sisters of Kyoto, a "persuasive" adaptation of its literary source.^[6]

Awards

• 1966 Blue Ribbon Award,^[7] Mainichi Film Award^[8][9] and Kinema Junpo Award^[4] for Best Actress Yoko Tsukasa
• 1966 Blue Ribbon Award for Best Score^[7] Toru Takemitsu

References

1. "紀ノ川 (Kinokawa)". Kinenote (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
2. "紀ノ川 (Kinokawa)". Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
3. "紀ノ川(DVD) (Kinokawa)". Shochiku (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
4. "キネマ旬報 ベスト・テン 1966年・第40回". Kinenote (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
5. Jacoby, Alexander (2008). Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors: From the Silent Era to the Present Day. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-933330-53-2.
6. Richie, Donald (2005). A Hundred Years of Japanese Film (Revised ed.). Tokyo, New York, London: Kodansha International. p. 179. ISBN 978-4-7700-2995-9.
7. "ブルーリボン賞 (1966 Blue Ribbon Awards)" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
8. "毎日映画コンクール 第21回（1966年）". Mainichi.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
9. "紀ノ川 (Kinokawa)". Kotobank (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.

External links

• The Kii River at IMDb
• The Kii River at Shochiku.com (in Japanese)