Muddy River (film)

Muddy River (泥の河) is a 1981 Japanese drama film directed by Kōhei Oguri. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was also entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Silver Prize.

Plot
In Osaka, 1956, Shigeo, a child living with his parents Shinpei and Sadako in a small diner near the river mouth, meets a boy named Kichi. Kichi lives on a houseboat moored across from the diner, is the same age as Shigeo, and his sister, Ginako, is 11. Neither Kichi nor Ginako attend school. Rumors circulate that their mother entertains customers on the boat for a living, but Shigeo doesn't fully comprehend.

One day, when Kichi and Ginako visit the diner, rumors spread among the customers that Kichi is promoting the houseboat's services, which upsets Shinpei. This causes Kichi and even Ginako to feel dejected.

One day, Shigeo is informed that one of Shinpei's "acquaintances" is on their deathbed and wishes to see Shinpei and his children in Kyoto. The woman turns out to be Shinpei's ex-wife, whom he left for Sadako after returning from the war. Both parents bear guilt, and Sadako tearfully apologizes to Shinpei's ex-wife.

One day, when Shigeo visits the boat, neither Kichi nor Ginako is there, and he is summoned to the back room by the mother, Shouko. Shigeo feels unsettled in Shouko's presence, as she is unlike his own mother in every way.

On the day of the festival, Shigeo and Kichi receive pocket money from Sadako to go out but lose it on the way home. That night, Shigeo visits the boat, where Kichi shows him a treasure trove of crabs. Kichi initiates a cruel game of burning crabs in oil, causing one to escape into the back room. Peeking through a small window, Shigeo witnesses Shouko in an intimate embrace with a tattooed man. Feeling awkward, Shigeo leaves without speaking to Kichi and remains silent as he passes Ginako on his way out.

The next day, as the boat begins to move away from the shore, Shigeo notices and rushes out, calling Kichi's name. Despite his efforts, he fails to catch up as the boat drifts away.

Cast

 * Takahiro Tamura as Shinpei Itakura
 * Mariko Kaga as Shoko Matsumoto, Kiichi and Ginko's mother
 * Nobutaka Asahara as Nobuo Itakura
 * Makiko Shibata as Ginko Matsumoto
 * Minoru Sakurai as Kiichi Matsumoto
 * Yumiko Fujita as Sadako Itakura, Nobuo's mother
 * Gannosuke Ashiya as Shinoda, the horse cart man

Production
As Oguri recounted during lectures and other events, the president of a small to medium-sized company, originally a film enthusiast, had another project in the works that had to be abandoned due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the impulsive president quickly procured a 35mm film and enlisted Oguri to direct a film using it. This led to the idea of adapting the novel by Teru Miyamoto, a project the president had long been interested in pursuing.

The original story unfolds along the Tosabori River in the city of Osaka. Despite Oguri's inability to find a suitable filming location in Osaka, he scoured Hiroshima and Tokyo without success. Ultimately, the decision was made to shoot the film along the Nakagawa Canal in Nagoya.

Due to Mariko Kaga's prior commitments, a boat was transported to Toho Studios, where all scenes involving her were shot within a six-hour timeframe.

While the initial production costs were set at 35 million yen, the budget exceeded by an additional 10 million yen. To cover this shortfall, producer Motoyasu Kimura had to secure a loan.

Distribution
Distribution posed a challenge initially due to the film being in black and white. Oguri turned to Nobuhiko Obayashi, a close friend from his early filmmaking days, who introduced the film to the Sogetsu Hall. Shigeru Okada, President of Toei, was deeply moved upon viewing the preview, describing it as an excellent film. Subsequently, Toei Central Film, a subsidiary of Toei, acquired the rights for 60 million yen and released the film nationwide through the Toei Pallas System.

Awards

 * Kinema Junpo Best Ten:
 * First place
 * Japanese Film Director Award
 * Best Supporting Actress: Mariko Kaga
 * Japan Movie Pen Club: First place
 * Mainichi Film Competition:
 * Best Film/Best Director
 * Best Actor Award: Takahiro Tamura
 * Blue Ribbon Award for Best Work
 * Japanese Academy Award for Best Film and Best Director
 * Excellent Film Award from the Agency for Cultural Affairs
 * Silver Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival
 * Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
 * Newcomer Encouragement Award from the Japan Film Directors Association