Marriage Counselor Tora-san (男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎, Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Yogiri ni Musebu Torajirō) is a 1984 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Rie Nakahara as his love interest or "Madonna".[1] Marriage Counselor Tora-san is the thirty-third entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.
| Marriage Counselor Tora-san | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster for Marriage Counselor Tora-san (1984) | |
| Directed by | Yoji Yamada |
| Written by | Yoji Yamada Yoshitaka Asama |
| Starring | Kiyoshi Atsumi Rie Nakahara |
| Cinematography | Tetsuo Takaba |
| Edited by | Iwao Ishii |
| Music by | Naozumi Yamamoto |
| Distributed by | Shochiku |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Synopsis
editIn Shibamata, Tokyo, Tora-san's family prepares for a wedding. Meanwhile, the traveling Tora-san meets an old acquaintance in Iwate Province. Tora-san refuses to drink with him, afraid that the acquaintance, now settled and married, will again become attracted to Tora-san's wandering existence. Tora-san becomes attracted to a female barber, but must break off their relationship so that she too can live a secure life. She instead gets into an abusive relationship with a motorcyclist.[2][3]
Cast
edit- Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō[4]
- Chieko Baisho as Sakura
- Rie Nakahara as Fūko Kogure
- Tsunehiko Watase as Tony
- Jun Miho as Akemi
- Shimojo Masami as Kuruma Tatsuzō
- Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt)
- Taisaku Akino
- Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
- Hidetaka Yoshioka as Mitsuo Suwa
- Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetarō Katsura)
- Gajirō Satō as Genkō
- Chishū Ryū as Gozen-sama
Critical appraisal
editStuart Galbraith IV writes that Marriage Counselor Tora-san is a better entry in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series, though it differs considerably from other films in the series, both formally and thematically. Tora-san's wandering life is portrayed harshly, rather than light-heartedly, and his family's stable life is shown in the more positive light. Galbraith concludes, "With its darker tone and atypical structure, Tora-san's Marriage Counselor is like a breath of fresh air following a series of recent, somewhat repetitive entries."[3] The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Marriage Counselor Tora-san three and a half out of five stars.[5]
Availability
editMarriage Counselor Tora-san was released theatrically on August 4, 1984.[6] In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1987 and 1996, and in DVD format in 2005 and 2008.[7]
References
edit- Notes
- ^ "男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 (Madonna)" (in Japanese). www.tora-san.jp. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2010-01-30. (official site)
- ^ 男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ a b Galbraith IV, Stuart (2007-05-15). "Tora-san 33". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ 男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ "Tora-San's Marriage Counselor" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ "男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2014-04-15. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- ^ 男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 (1984) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- Bibliography
- English
- "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO -YOGIRI NI MUSEBU, TORAJIRO". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- Otoko wa tsurai yo: Yogiri ni musebu torajiro (1984) at IMDb
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (2007-05-15). "Tora-san 33". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- German
- "Tora-San's Marriage Counselor" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- Japanese
- 男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 (1984) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- "男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2014-04-15. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- 男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
- 男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
External links
edit- Marriage Counselor Tora-san at www.tora-san.jp (official site)