Danger Stalks Near
| Danger Stalks Near | |
|---|---|
| 風前の灯 | |
| Directed by | Keisuke Kinoshita |
| Written by | Keisuke Kinoshita |
| Produced by | Ryōtarō Kuwata |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Hiroshi Kusuda |
| Edited by | Yoshi Sugihara |
| Music by | Chūji Kinoshita |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Shochiku |
Release date | |
Running time | 79 minutes[1][2] |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Danger Stalks Near a.k.a. A Candle in the Wind (Japanese: 風前の灯, romanized: Fūzen no tomoshibi) is a 1957 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Keisuke Kinoshita.[1][2][3]
Plot[edit]
Three young hoodlums intend to rob the home of the Satō family which lies isolated in the outskirts of Tokyo. The trio's plan is thwarted by people endlessly going in and out of the house: housewife Yuriko's sister Sakura tries to borrow money after she's heard that Yuriko and her husband Kaneshige have won in the newspaper lottery, the new lodger fights with his predecessor over the vacant room, and, after various other visitors, the mysterious Akama, who pretends to know Kaneshige from student days, shows up. Akama eventually turns out to be a wanted criminal who demands the Satō's savings, arguing that Tetsu, Kaneshige's mother and owner of the house, embezzled Akama's parents during the war. The police arrive in time to arrest Akama, and the three wannabe burglars give up their plan. During the end titles, Kohei, the most reluctant of the trio, can be spotted making a report at the police station.
Cast[edit]
- Hideko Takamine as Yuriko Satō
- Keiji Sada as Kaneshige Satō
- Akiko Tamura as Tetsu Satō, Kaneshige's mother
- Toshiko Kobayashi as Sakura, Yuriko's sister
- Kōji Nanbara as Akama
Reception[edit]
Film historian Donald Richie titled Danger Stalks Near a "delightful and savage little satire"[4] which "shows the suburbs as home of avarice and violence".[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "風前の灯 (Danger Stalks Near)". Kinenote (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ a b c "風前の灯 (Danger Stalks Near)". Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ "風前の灯 (Danger Stalks Near)". Shochiku Films (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Richie, Donald (1961). Japanese Movies. Japan Travel Bureau. p. 86.
- ^ Richie, Donald (1992). A Lateral View: Essays on Culture and Style in Contemporary Japan. Stone Bridge Press. p. 190. ISBN 9780962813740.
