KYOTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

They are a group of thugs who are known as 893 Gurentai, and they live a stylish and lavish life under a democratic system where they do all kinds of petty crimes such as white-collar crime, extortion, bribes, and petty tricks, with no boss or boss's share, so that the proceeds are equally distributed among everyone in the group.
A war generation yakuza gangster who has just been released from prison joins this group of post World War II thugs who live a lavish lifestyle for a job to steal 10 million yen from a gangster! Based on an original screenplay written by the up-and-coming Sadao Nakajima, this masterpiece is a stylish and sympathetic portrayal of the energetic lives of these hoodlums, free from the stereotypes of hierarchical relationships between bosses and henchmen and the conventional narrative of moral obligation and humane feelings.
The realistic depiction of the lives of these gangsters, presented with a documentary touch using many hand-held cameras throughout the streets of Kyoto, where the film takes place, resonated with people who were unable to find fulfillment in the heated world of the time, and became a career-making work for director Sadao Nakajima.

Hayami, a test driver who was fired from his job due to an eye disease, plans to steal jewelry with his friend Miyoko.
A few days later, after successfully stealing the jewelry, the two escape separately to evade police pursuit.
The operation seemed to have succeeded, but things changed when bank robbers Tanimura and Kirino, who were being chased by the police, get on the bus on which Hayami was on.
An epic car battle between a fleeing bus and pursuing police cars has begun, involving a fledgling actress, a housewife, a hostess, an elementary school student, a chindonya drumming solicitor, and a jewel thief! The bus drives madly, smashing through the emergency lines, and the passengers are filled with tension and fear. The escalating terror of the people caught up in the insanity leads to more and more crimes!

Starting with the Sakuradamon Incident, the omnibus-style recreation of the assassination of Toshimichi Okubo, the February 26 Incident, and other assassination incidents brings the world of the time back to life.
The film also focuses heavily on the League of Blood Incident, in which former Minister of Finance Junnosuke Inoue and Director-General of Mitsui Holding Company Takuma Dan were assassinated, and describes in detail the background of the assassin, Sho Onuma (Tadashi Onuma in the film), and the process leading up to the assassinations.
An unprecedented all-star cast depicts one hundred years of assassinations spanning the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras. The assassin Tadashi Onuma is played by Shinichi Chiba, who realistically portrays the assassin's emotions. Chiezo Kataoka plays Nissho Inoue, a priest of the Nichiren sect who guides Onuma, giving the story a sense of gravity.
In addition, a star-studded cast of actors including Tomisaburo Wakayama, Bunta Sugawara, Ken Takakura, and Koji Tsuruta all appear in the film.

The masterpiece feature film Appassionata (Jo No Mai) depicts the tumultuous life of Shoen Uemura, a painter who took the world by storm with her paintings of beautiful women from the Meiji Era to the early Showa Era, and was the first woman to be awarded the Order of Culture. Veteran director Sadao Nakajima has completely adapted the 17th Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature-winning novel by female writer Tomiko Miyao into a literary epic.
Set in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) in Kyoto, an ancient capital that respected old customs, the film features Shosui Shimamura (Tsuya), an unmarried mother and strong female painter, and depicts her love and hate with her mother Sei, as well as her life as a Japanese painter who achieved great success while being involved with three men, her master, her former teacher, and an art school student. The heroine Shosui (Tsuya) is played by Yuko Natori, who plays a leading role for the first time in this film.

Director Sadao Nakajima has built up his film career in Kyoto spanning over half a century. As a filmmaker, Nakajima examines the chanbara (samurai fighting films) produced in Kyoto from their core. Nakajima talks to a wide range of film experts, including fighters, actors, film scholars, and critics about the fascination of chanbara films that cannot be seen by simply following the story including the background to the creation of period dramas and the Japanese view of life and death in chanbara films. The documentary part highlights Japan's pride in its art and culture, and the original chanbara fighting scenes featuring actors Shogo Kimura, Chihiro Yamamoto, performers from the Toei Tsurugikai troupe and others under the guidance of director Nakajima, along with the making of the scenes. The film follows how the chanbara fighting scenes are created, and ends with a completed scene.