This movie is a political/espionage thriller, based on a real kidnapping incident of Korean politician, Kim Dae-Jung.
Acting
Koichi Sato's sweating, cornered bureaucrat — pure anxiety.
Direction
Sakamoto's clinical restraint makes the rot feel institutional.
Production
1973 Tokyo recreated with cigarette-stained authenticity.
Director
Junji Sakamoto
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kim Dae-jung later became president AND won the Nobel Peace Prize — making this failed erasure extra humiliating for the KCIA.
Director Sakamoto faced pressure from Japanese right-wing groups for even acknowledging the incident; Korean distributors barely touched it.
JP
