| Cast: Koji Yakusho: Shoichiro Kuki Hitomi Kuroki: Rinko Matsubara Kinugawa: Akira Terao Tomoko Hoshino: Fumie Kuki Toshio Shiba: Haruhiko Matsubar |
| Running time: 119 min. Based on a novel by Jun-ichi Watanabe Directed by Yoshimitsu Morita Scinario: Tomomi Tsutsui Music: Michiru Oshima |
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| LOST PARADISE /Shitsurakuen (1997) |
| Kuki (53), a large publishing company's editor, meets Rinko, a 38 year-old married woman at an art gallery. It doesn't take time for them to fall in love. Kuki's relationaship with his wife is getting worse, while Rinko's love toward her husband has died out. |
| As Kuki and Rinko's love deepens, they start cohabiting secretly, whereas their passionate love affair comes to be disclosed to Rinko's husband, Kuki's wife and his publishing company's boss. |
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| Rinko's firm wish that she wants to die in the prime of life makes Kuki determin to commit double-suicide with her. They choose to die in the middle of ecstasy in bed with the help of wine with poison in it. |
| A magazine interview: Koji Yakusho's view about "Lost Paradise" --- Pymmik's unofficial translation --- When the role offer came, I hesitated at first, thinking about the hero's age as he was 10 years older than I was. But I made up my mind to play the role, as I had long wanted to have an opportunity to work with the director, Yoshimitsu Morita. As expected, bed scenes were really tough to shoot. Eroticism in the novel needed expressing properly. I feel that each of such scenes conveys the director's enthusiasm and individuality. It was worth acting the role of Kuki. I feel that this is rather a new "Lost Paradise", based on the original novel. I don't totally agree to the view that their love is adult love; they are simply overwhelmed by their passionate love. Anybody may pine for such a type of love as agreeing to die for somebody whom one truly loves. Our age doesn't matter. What actually matters is our feeling, isn't it? Kuki does not die just because he finds his life hard to live on; he determines to die for the woman he loves, because she wishes to die in the prime of life. |
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| The dialogue between Kuki and Rinko at the last scene in the snow: Rinko: When I was seven, I got lost in a lotus field. The sun going down... I was so lonely. Kuki: When I was nine, my dad bought me a baseball glove. I was so happy I went to sleep wearing it. Rinko: When I was 14, I first wore stockings. My feet were sliding around in my loafers. Kuki: When I was 17, John Kennedy was assassinated. I sat glued to TV. Rinko: When I was 25, I made an arranged marriage. There was a typhoon at our wedding day. Kuki: When I was 27, my daughter was born. I was too busy with work to even go to the hospital Rinko: 38 years of age, summer. I met you, and fell in love. Kuki: When I was 50, I first lost my heart to a woman. Rinko: 38 years of age, winter. I am with you now, and always will be...forever. Kuki: Forever. (Eien- ni) |
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| Koji Yakusho, 1997 (Kinema Jumpo) |
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