Alone on the Pacific **** (1963, Yûjirô Ishihara, Masayuki Mori, Kinuyo Tanaka) – Classic Movie Review 9076

Director Kon Ichikawa’s 1963 Japanese adventure classic Alone on the Pacific [Taiheiyô Hitoribotchi] [My Enemy the Sea] stars Yûjirô Ishihara as Kenichi Horie, a young man who defies his parents, the authorities and the sea to sail alone across the Pacific in a small sailboat from Osaka to San Francisco.

Director Ichikawa maintains interest by comic moments, flashbacks and pictorial power, while screenwriter Natto Wada tells a rousing true-life tale, based on a story by Kenichi Horie, with striking Eastmancolor widescreen cinematography by Yoshihiro Yamazaki and Tohru Takemitsu.

It is the first Japanese film at least partly shot on location in the US.

Also in the cast are Masayuki Mori, Kinuyo Tanaka, Ruriko Asaoko and Hajime Hara.

Alone on the Pacific [Taiheiyô Hitoribotchi] [My Enemy the Sea]  is directed by Kon Ichikawa, runs 103 minutes, is made by Ishihara-Nikkatsu, is released by Connoisseur Film (1964) (UK) and Ishihara International (1964) (US), is written by Natto Wada, based on a story by Kenichi Horie, is shot in Eastmancolor and widescreen by Yoshihiro Yamazaki and Tohru Takemitsu, and is produced by Akira Nakai.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9076

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