Tanin no Kao (1966)
Genre: Drama / Scifi
Duration: 122 minuten
Alternative titles: The Face of Another / Het Gezicht van een Ander / I Have a Stranger's Face / 他人の顔
Country:
Japan
Directed by: Hiroshi Teshigahara
Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Miki Irie and Mikijirô Hira
IMDb score:
7,8 (11.869)
Releasedate: 15 July 1966
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Tanin no Kao plot
In a laboratory fire, successful businessman Okuyama is horribly disfigured. His doctor gives him a mask behind which he can hide. However, the mask not only changes his appearance, but also his personality.
Actors and actresses
Mr. Okuyama
Mrs. Okuyama
Psychiatrist
Nurse
The Boss
Girl with Scar
Apartment Superintendent
Male Patient
Patient at Mental Hospital
Yo-Yo Girl
Reviews & comments
Ferdydurke
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- 1353 messages
- 854 votes
Disappointment.
In contrast to a number of beautiful, sometimes alienating and mysterious scenes, the strong score and the beautiful black-and-white contrasts, there are the difficult and boring dialogues with rather explicit statements, and a very annoying protagonist (literally; the fact that he is unsympathetic does not matter of course). ).
Furthermore, there is a strange insertion of a (quite beautiful in itself) poetic-looking second story, which in my opinion just doesn't want to 'match' with the main story. While that - as evidenced by the 'seduction' sequence that is quickly intersected with scenes of the brother and sister - is apparently the intention.
The 'German' connection - with even recordings of one of Hitler's hysterical speeches accompanied by images of ex-soldiers in a psychiatric institution - is curious, but to be honest the deeper meaning of this also escapes me.
The whole thing is apparently something like a parable about the fear of 'loss of face', the relationship between appearance, physicality and psychological identity, the importance of 'masks' in social intercourse that should not be confused with the 'real' personality, and the Japanese social psyche after World War II; but it doesn't seem very convincing to me.
So I didn't understand much of it. Now, not understanding in itself is not that bad (if you 'understand' everything about something, then you have something very boring), but intuitively and emotionally I can do very little with this. And yet I really liked Suna no Onna.
I will look into why I thought that again in due course. And maybe Tanin no Kao also deserves a third viewing. Later on.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8251 votes
Special film, shot in very beautiful black and white. The story is very interesting and especially the effect that the change in appearance has on the personality really appealed to me.
Teshigahara primarily turns this into a realistic drama, but at times introduces surrealism into it, giving the whole a very special atmosphere. In any case, I thought it was something. Especially the way it begins and ends is powerfully done and visually very strong. I also found the protagonist to be particularly unsympathetic. At times it was very blunt, which was sometimes a bit too much of a good thing.
The subplot with the young woman is applauded here by everyone and I can only agree with that. Great story, well developed, strong acting and I was really touched by this. In short, a very beautiful film, which once again proves that classic Japanese cinema can be very beautiful. Highly recommended.
4.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
As a starting point, of course, a great film. Not least that someone's personality or psyche is played with when it is/becomes deformed. The effect itself is only moderate. I expected a lot more from this. A little more action, a little more tension, a little more threat.
Instead you get a lot of dialogues that are not always interesting. Normally I can usually agree with some philosophical talk, but here it only had a moderate impact. The girl's subplot is rather tacked on.
Furthermore, beautiful stylistic images in those beautiful black and white contrasts and the special approach to the X-ray in the beginning in the laboratory.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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