The Man Who Left His Will on Film explained

The Man Who Left His Will on Film (Japanese: 東京戦争戦後秘話 Tokyo senso senyo hiwa; Secret History of the Post-Tokyo-War Period^[1]) is a 1970 Japanese film directed by Nagisa Ōshima and starring Kazuo Goto and Emiko Iwasaki. The film is also known as He Died After the War.^[2]

Premise

The plot revolves around young activists in Tokyo in the wake of the 1968 student protests. While being chased by the police, one of them, a filmmaker, dies.

Cast

• Kazuo Goto as Shoichi Motoki
• Emiko Iwasaki as Yasuko
• Kazuo Hashimoto as Takagi
• Sukio Fukuoka as Tanizawa
• Kenichi Fukuda as Matsumura
• Hiroshi Isogai as Sakamoto
• Kazuya Horikoshi as Endo
• Tomoyo Oshima as Akiko

Analysis and reception

The Man Who Left His Will on Film is considered one of Oshima’s best achievements^{[3] [4]} It has been compared to Fellini's 8½ for its complex point of view^[5]

The film is also remembered for its soundtrack by Tōru Takemitsu.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Book: Vicari, Justin . Japanese Film and the Floating Mind: Cinematic Contemplations of Being . 2016-06-05 . McFarland . 978-1-4766-2496-9 . en.
2. Web site: The Man Who Left His Will On Film (Tokyo Senso Sengo Hiwa) BAMPFA . 2023-05-26 . bampfa.org.
3. Web site: Linnarz . Rouven . 2022-02-11 . Film Review: The Man Who Left His Will on Film (1970) by Nagisa Oshima . 2023-05-22 . Asian Movie Pulse . en-US.
4. Web site: The Man Who Left His Will on Film . 2023-05-22 . TIFF . en.
5. Book: Branigan, Edward . Point of View in the Cinema: A Theory of Narration and Subjectivity in Classical Film . 2012-01-02 . Walter de Gruyter . 978-3-11-081759-1 . en.
6. Book: Cooke, Mervyn . A History of Film Music . 2008-09-25 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-316-26486-7 . en.