A man arranges one marriage, accidentally falls for another — wartime Japan's most inconvenient meet-cute.
Based on a short story by Dazai Osamu, produced under the national film law. The film's hero falls in love with the youngest daughter of a family he is visiting to arrange an engagement for his friend who has been drafted to fight in the war.
Acting
Hideko Takamine's eyes do all the talking.
Direction
Aoyagi stretches 63 minutes into a lifetime of almost-love.
Writing
Dazai's self-destructive romanticism, government-approved.
Director
Nobuo Aoyagi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made under Japan's 1939 Film Law, which demanded nationalist themes — yet director Aoyagi smuggled in Dazai's characteristic romantic fatalism.
Hideko Takamine was already a major star; this was one of four films she released in 1944 alone.
JP
