Tora-san's Cherished Mother (続・男はつらいよ, Zoku Otoko wa Tsurai yo), aka Tora-san's Homeward Journey, Am I Trying? Part II, and Torasan Pt. 2,[1] is a 1969 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Kuruma Torajirō (Tora-san), and Orie Satō as his love interest or "Madonna".[2] Tora-san's Cherished Mother is the second entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.
| Tora-san's Cherished Mother | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Yoji Yamada |
| Written by | Yoji Yamada Shun'ichi Kobayashi Akira Miyazaki |
| Starring | Kiyoshi Atsumi Orie Satō |
| Cinematography | Tetsuo Takaba |
| Edited by | Iwao Ishii |
| Music by | Naozumi Yamamoto |
| Distributed by | Shochiku |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Synopsis edit
Tora-san hears that his mother is still alive and returns to Tokyo to track her down. He discovers that she is a geisha who had had only a brief affair with his father. While visiting the family, he falls in love with Natsuko, the daughter of an old teacher.[3][4][5]
Cast edit
- Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajiro[6]
- Chieko Baisho as Sakura
- Chōchō Miyako as Okiku
- Orie Satō as Natsuko Tsubouchi
- Tsutomu Yamazaki as Kaoru Fujimura
- Chieko Misaki as Torajiro's aunt
- Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
- Masaaki Tsusaka as Noboru Kawamata
- Akiko Kazami as Osumi
- Hisao Dazai as Umetarō Katsura (Print Shop)
Critical appraisal edit
Kiyoshi Atsumi was given the Best Actor award at the Mainichi Film Awards for his performance in this film and the previous entry in the series, It's Tough Being a Man (also 1969). Yoji Yamada was also awarded Best Director at the ceremony for the same two films.[citation needed]
The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora-san's Cherished Mother three and a half out of five stars.[7]
Releases edit
Tora-san's Cherished Mother was released theatrically on November 15, 1969.[8]
Home media edit
In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1983 and 1995, and in DVD format in 2005 and 2008.[9] AnimEigo released the film on DVD in the US along with the other first four films in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series on November 24, 2009.[4]
References edit
- ^ "ZOKU OTOKOWA TSURAIYO". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ "続・男はつらいよ (Madonna)" (in Japanese). www.tora-san.jp. Retrieved 2010-01-18. (official site)
- ^ 続・男はつらいよ (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ a b Rich, Jamie S. (2009-12-21). "Tora-San: Collector's Set 1". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ "ZOKU OTOKO WA TSURAI YO (1969)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ 続・男はつらいよ (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ "Tora-San's Cherished Mother" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ "続・男はつらいよ". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ 続・男はつらいよ(1969) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
Bibliography edit
English edit
- Rich, Jamie S. (2009-12-21). "Tora-San: Collector's Set 1". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- "ZOKU OTOKO WA TSURAI YO (1969)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- "ZOKU OTOKOWA TSURAIYO". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- Zoku otoko wa tsurai yo (1969) at IMDb
German edit
- "Tora-San's Cherished Mother" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
Japanese edit
- 続・男はつらいよ(1969) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- "続・男はつらいよ". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- 続・男はつらいよ (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- 続・男はつらいよ (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
External links edit
- Tora-san's Cherished Mother Archived 2011-03-01 at the Wayback Machine at www.tora-san.jp (official site)