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Imperial Navy (film)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox film

| name = Imperial Navy

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| native_name =

| director = Shue Matsubayashi

| producer = Tomoyuki Tanaka

| writer =

| screenplay = Katsuya Suzaki

| story =

| based_on =

| starring =

| narrator =

| music =

| cinematography = Katsuhiro Kato

| editing =

| production_companies =

| distributor = Toho

| released =

| runtime = 145 minutes

| country = Japan

| language =

| budget =

| gross =

}}

is a 1981 Japanese film directed by Shue Matsubayashi. The film is a retelling of the downfall of Japan's Imperial Navy.

Plot



In 1940, despite the opposition of the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, Isoroku Yamamoto (Keiju Kobayashi) and other officers, Japan signs the Tripartite Pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy as it prepares for expansion in Southeast Asia. Masato Odagiri, son of shipwright Takeichi Odgairi, graduates from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy. A year later, his friend, Eiichi Hongo, is promoted to naval lieutenant.

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Eiichi is in the raid as part of a Val dive bomber crew from the aircraft carrier 'Zuikaku'. The raid is a success, but is tempered by the nonpresence of the American carrier fleet. In February 1942, the battleship 'Yamato' is designated as Yamamoto's flagship, and Takeichi is drafted as a reservist. He is assigned to the ship as a launch pilot.



Not long afterwards, the American navy launches a counterstrike in the Doolittle Raid. Following this, Yamamoto orders a massive naval strike at the American-held island of Midway, but the Japanese carrier force is met and sunk by the US carriers. Several months later, after the Guadalcanal campaign, Yamamoto is assassinated as American pilots intercept and shoot down his plane. Eiichi returns home to Japan and marries his fiance, but is soon recalled to participate in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Off Cape Engao, the 'Zuikaku' is sunk, and Eiichi is among the casualties as he had given his life jacket to Shinji, Masato's younger brother, who was assigned to the ship as a navigator. Elsewhere, the 'Yamato', now serving as the flagship of Takeo Kurita's Center Force, withdraws from Leyte without having engaged in battle.



In April 1945, the 'Yamato' is assigned to participate in Operation Ten-Go, a suicide mission to Okinawa. Shinji has also been reassigned to serve on the battleship. Masato, now a 'kamikaze' pilot, is also due to participate, and asks Shinji to stay with Takeichi during the battle. As the 'Yamato' and her accompanying fleet sails down to Okinawa, it is intercepted by American planes and sunk with a heavy loss of life. Shinji and Takeichi are both killed in battle. Masato observes the sinking, while contemplating on his own death. The film ends on a scene of Eiji's wife, child, and father playing on a beach as the credits roll.

Cast



* Keiju Kobayashi as Isoroku Yamamoto

* Toshiyuki Nagashima as Eiichi Hongo

* Nobuo Kaneko as Chichi Nagumo

* Eitaro Ozawa as Osami Nagano

* Hiroyuki Nagato as Takeda

* Ichiro Nakatani as Ksaku Aruga

* Toru Abe as Takeo Kurita

* Kei Sat as Shigenori Kami

* Jun Tazaki as Soemu Toyoda

* Yoshitaka Tamba as Mogi

* Yko Kotegawa

* Kenichi Kaneda as Shinji Hongo

* Junkichi Orimoto as Obayashi

* Takuya Fujioka as Shigeru Fukudome

* Kji Takahashi as Matome Ugaki

* Kiichi Nakai as Masato Odagiri

* Akihiko Hirata as Shimoda

* Tomoko Naraoka as Utako Hongo

* Susumu Fujita as Koshir Oikawa

* Tatsuya Mihashi as Rynosuke Kusaka

* Tetsur Tamba as Jisabur Ozawa

* Kji Tsuruta (special appearance)

* Hisaya Morishige as Naoki Hongo

Production



Release



'Imperial Navy' was released theatrically in Japan where it was distributed by Toho on 8 August 1981. The film was the highest grossing domestic production in Japan in 1981. The film was released in the United States by Toho International on 28 November 1983. It was released to home video by Sony with an English-language dub.

Historical accuracy



While the film is generally accurate in its portrayal of the Pacific War, two inaccuracies occur during the Battle of Leyte sequence. In the film, the Center Force is seen withdrawing from battle at the San Bernardino Strait. In fact, it had engaged the Taffy 3 unit of the Seventh Fleet for two hours off Samar before withdrawing from the battle; in addition, the sequence in which the 'Zuikaku' is sunk was reversed with the withdrawal.

See also



* List of Japanese films of 1981

References



Footnotes



Sources



*

Category:1981 films

Category:Films produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka

Category:Toho films

Category:Cultural depictions of Isoroku Yamamoto

Category:Films scored by Katsuhisa Hattori

Category:Films about Kamikaze

Category:Films set on aircraft carriers

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