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Kokuho
15
Why watch?
“There’s a lot in the film about the pursuit of excellence, and what that does to individuals and also those who love them… or try to. Here we have shades of other great films which follow the story of great men with big dreams. This isn’t The Godfather, but it’s also got elements of that type of grand story. These big cinematic arcs to the narrative are no doubt part of why the film has broken multiple box office records in Japan as well as winning tremendous critical acclaim. However, none of these things are why I really enjoyed watching Kokuho. The real pleasure of it for me was the glimpse it provided into a world, or more specifically an art form, that I really didn’t know or appreciate with any great depth before going into the film.”
Wendy Cook,
Head of Cinema
Hyde Park Pick: Kokuho
Crowned as the highest-grossing live-action film of all time in Japan, Kokuho is about ambition, loyalty, and the making of a Kabuki legend.
Set in Nagasaki, 1964 – After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre.
For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together — from acting school to the grandest stages — amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals... One of them will become the greatest Japanese master of the art of Kabuki.
Details
