Her Brother

Her Brother (おとうと) is a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It is based on the novel Otōto by Aya Koda.

Plot
In Taishō era Tokyo, 17-year-old Gen takes care of the household of her family due to her stepmother's rheumatism. Meanwhile, her younger brother Hekiro lives a carefree life, repeatedly getting into trouble and making gambling debts. Neither his stepmother interferes with his behaviour, nor does the detached father, a famous novelist. Only Gen scolds Hekiro from time to time, for which he ridicules her, although she is completely devoted to him. When Hekiro falls terminally ill with tuberculosis and is hospitalised, with his sister by his side every minute she can spare, he finally regrets his behaviour. After Hekiro's death, Gen collapses and is taken back home with anemia by the hospital personnel, but once she awakes, she returns to her role as the housekeeper without questioning.

Cast

 * Keiko Kishi as Gen
 * Hiroshi Kawaguchi as Hekiro
 * Kinuyo Tanaka as Mother
 * Masayuki Mori as Father
 * Kyōko Kishida as Mrs. Tanuma
 * Noboru Nakaya as Patrolman Rokoru Shimizu
 * Kyōko Enami as Nurse Miyata
 * Jun Hamamura as Doctor
 * Hikaru Hoshi as Owner of hiring horse
 * Juzo Itami as Son of Factory owner
 * Noriko Hodaka as Nurse

Background
In order to achieve a desaturated look, the film made use of a cinematographic technique known as bleach bypass. At the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, Her Brother received a special mention by the French association of image and sound technicians (CST).

Reception
Akira Kurosawa cited Her Brother as one of his 100 favorite films.

Awards (selected)
Her Brother was awarded several national film prizes, including:
 * Blue Ribbon Award for Best Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography
 * Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film and Best Director
 * Mainichi Film Concour for Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction (Tomoo Shimogawara), and Best Actors (starring and supporting) Keiko Kishi, Kinuyo Tanaka, and Masayuki Mori

Legacy
In later years, Her Brother has seen repeated screenings at festivals and film museums such as the Cinémathèque Française in 2008 and 2022, the Berlin International Film Festival in 2015, and the Museum of Modern Art in 2018.