House on Fire (film)

1986 film by Kinji Fukasaku

House on Fire

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Kinji Fukasaku
Written by| Kazuo Dan (novel)
Fumio Konami (screenplay)
Based on| House on Fire
by Kazuo Dan
Starring| Ken Ogata
Cinematography| Daisaku Kimura
Edited by| Isamu Ichida
Music by| Takayuki Inoue
Distributed by| Toei Company

Release date

* April 12, 1986 (1986-04-12)

Running time

| 132 minutes
Country| Japan
Language| Japanese

House on Fire (火宅の人, Kataku no hito) is a 1986 Japanese film directed by Kinji Fukasaku.[1] It was chosen as Best Film at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony.[2] The film grossed ¥1.010 billion in Japan.[3]

## Plot

[edit]

Kazuo's parents split up when he is young and he later experiences difficulties in his own relationships. Kazuo grows up to be a writer who wins the Naoki Prize for his literature. His son Jiro develops meningitis, leaving him paralyzed and mentally disabled. His wife Yoriko turns to spiritual religion and their marriage breaks down. He is invited to the construction of a memorial to his old friend Dazai in Aomori on August 9, the day his son fell ill, and Yoriko says that the spirits tell her that evil will ensue that day at the hand of a woman. Kazuo takes his young assistant Keiko with him to Aomori and they consummate their affair. When he returns, he confesses to Yoriko that he was with Keiko in Aomori and she says that she knows because she knows everything he does. Yoriko leaves him and threatens a costly divorce, while his children reject Keiko. Kazuo considers selling his house but one stormy evening Yoriko returns and comforts the children. She tells Kazuo that she will stay with the children and he can leave.

Kazuo rents an apartment for himself and Keiko in Asakusa. One day a year later they find that it has been burgled by Kazuo's eldest son Ichiro from his first wife Ritsuko. Ichiro admits that he read Kazuo's book about his adultery and asks if he will write about the burglary. Keiko becomes pregnant but when Kazuo won't marry her she angrily says that she will have it aborted to continue her acting career and storms out. Mr. Nakajima from the publishing house tells Kazuo a rumor that Keiko has been sleeping with the power broker Mr. Shimamura, a man with underworld connections who may kill Kazuo. Despite the fact that his next manuscript is due the next day, Kazuo drowns his sorrows in alcohol and gets into a series of fistfights, waking up with his writing hand bandaged in the apartment of a helpful girl who calls herself Yoko. Without Keiko to help him, Kazuo asks Yoriko to type what he dictates in order to finish his manuscript by the pending deadline. The two then sorrowfully put Jiro in a care facility in order to simplify their own lives. Keiko has an abortion and returns to Kazuo, but when she learns that he had Yoriko help him with his manuscript she becomes incensed. Kazuo slaps her and she fights back. The neighbors break down the door because of the noise and ultimately Keiko kicks Kazuo out of the apartment.

Kazuo leaves Tokyo with cracked ribs and sails aimlessly across Japan while writing a serial about his journey. On the boat he encounters Yoko and accompanies her to her home on Nozaki Island, where he learns that her real name is Tokuko and that she was impregnated by her stepfather and had a stillborn child. As he is departing for Nagasaki, she jumps aboard his boat and runs away with him as her mother cries. They wander for three months living from fishing until Christmas, when she tells him that she is leaving him to accept a marriage proposal from a rich man from Singapore.

Kazuo goes to Keiko's apartment but finds that she is not there. He brings a yellowtail as a gift to Yoriko on New Year's Eve but must ask for money to pay for the taxi. On New Year's Day he finds his publishers gathered at his home to celebrate with Yoriko. During the celebrations he rushes out to visit Keiko but she has entered into a new love affair with her castmate Sasako. Yoriko calls Kazuo at Keiko's apartment to tell him that Jiro has died. Kazuo rushes to the hospital, where the doctor explains that Jiro dove headfirst into a wall imitating swimmers on television. Keiko sends Kazuo's possessions from their apartment back to his family home but keeps an old pair of shoes as a pretext to ask him to visit one last time. Keiko has emptied their old apartment and packed to leave. She gives him a photo they took of themselves in front of a waterfall in Aomori, then they drink one last glass of beer together. He suggests another but she says that she has an engagement. On the walk home, Kazuo throws away the shoes and tears up the photo. His wife finds him there while on her way to go shopping and his children attempt to identify the other person in the photo but she stops them. Kazuo asks her to buy some Chinese cabbage to pickle because he will be staying a while. She says that she thought he would say that because she knows everything he does. Kazuo lets all of his children climb on him and he happily carries them home.

## Cast

[edit]

* Ken Ogata as Katsura Kazuo
* Ayumi Ishida as Katsura Yoriko
* Mieko Harada as Yajima Keiko
* Keiko Matsuzaka as Tanayoshi Tokuko
* Chu Arai
* Fumi Dan as Kazuo's mother
* Hisashi Igawa
* Renji Ishibashi
* Atomu Shimojō
* Hatsuo Yamatani
* Hiroyuki Sanada as Chuya Nakahara

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ 火宅の人 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
2. ^ "Awards for Kataku no hito (1986)" (in Japanese). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
3. ^ "過去興行収入上位作品 一般社団法人日本映画製作者連盟".

## External links

[edit]

* House on Fire at IMDb
* 火宅の人 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
* "KATAKU NO HITO". The Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
* 火宅の人 (in Japanese). www.walkerplus.com. Archived from the original on 2005-03-25. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
* "Variety Japan" 火宅の人 (in Japanese). Variety Japan. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Kinji Fukasaku

1960s|

* Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley (1961)
* Drifting Detective: Black Wind in the Harbor (1961)
* Hepcat in the Funky Hat (1961)
* Hepcat in the Funky Hat: The 20,000,000 Yen Arm (1961)
* High Noon for Gangsters (1961)
* The Proud Challenge (1962)
* Gang vs. G-Men (1962)
* League of Gangsters (1963)
* Jakoman and Tetsu (1964)
* Wolves, Pigs and Men (1964)
* The Threat (1966)
* Kamikaze Man: Duel at Noon (1966)
* Rampaging Dragon of the North (1966)
* Ceremony of Disbanding (1967)
* Gambler's Farewell (1968)
* Black Lizard (1968)
* Blackmail Is My Life (1968)
* The Green Slime (1968)
* Black Rose Mansion (1969)
* Japan Organized Crime Boss (1969)

1970s|

* Bloodstained Clan Honor (1970)
* If You Were Young: Rage (1970)
* Tora! Tora! Tora! (with Richard Fleischer and Toshio Masuda, 1970)
* Sympathy for the Underdog (1971)
* Under the Flag of the Rising Sun (1972)
* Street Mobster (1972)
* Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers (1972)
* Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973)
* Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973)
* Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War (1973)
* Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics (1974)
* Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode (1974)
* New Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1974)
* Graveyard of Honor (1975)
* Cops vs. Thugs (1975)
* Cross the Rubicon! (1975)
* New Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Boss's Head (1975)
* Violent Panic: The Big Crash (1976)
* New Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Last Days of the Boss (1976)
* Yakuza Graveyard (1976)
* Hokuriku Proxy War (1977)
* Doberman Cop (1977)
* Shogun's Samurai (1978)
* Message from Space (1978)
* The Fall of Ako Castle (1978)

1980s|

* Virus (1980)
* The Gate of Youth (1981)
* Samurai Reincarnation (1981)
* Dotonbori River (1982)
* Fall Guy (1982)
* Theater of Life (1983)
* Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983)
* Shanghai Rhapsody (1984)
* House on Fire (1986)
* Sure Death 4: Revenge (1987)
* A Chaos of Flowers (1988)

1990s|

* The Triple Cross (1992)
* Crest of Betrayal (1994)
* The Abe Clan (1995)
* The Geisha House (1998)

2000s|

* Battle Royale (2000)
* Battle Royale II: Requiem (2003)

Awards for House on Fire

* v
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* e

Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Film

* The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
* The Incident (1978)
* Vengeance Is Mine (1979)
* Zigeunerweisen (1980)
* Station (1981)
* Fall Guy (1982)
* The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
* The Funeral (1984)
* Gray Sunset (1985)
* House on Fire (1986)
* A Taxing Woman (1987)
* The Silk Road (1988)
* Black Rain (1989)
* Childhood Days (1990)
* My Sons (1991)
* Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992)
* A Class to Remember (1993)
* Crest of Betrayal (1994)
* A Last Note (1995)
* Shall We Dance? (1996)
* Princess Mononoke (1997)
* Begging for Love (1998)
* Poppoya (1999)
* After the Rain (2000)
* Spirited Away (2001)
* The Twilight Samurai (2002)
* When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2003)
* Half a Confession (2004)
* Always Sanchōme no Yūhi (2005)
* Hula Girls (2006)
* Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (2007)
* Departures (2008)
* Shizumanu Taiyō (2009)
* Confessions (2010)
* Rebirth (2011)
* The Kirishima Thing (2012)
* The Great Passage (2013)
* The Eternal Zero (2014)
* Our Little Sister (2015)
* Shin Godzilla (2016)
* The Third Murder (2017)
* Shoplifters (2018)
* The Journalist (2019)
* Midnight Swan (2020)
* Drive My Car (2021)
* A Man (2022)
* Godzilla Minus One (2023)

* v
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Mainichi Film Award for Excellence Film

1976-1980|

* Seishun no Satsujinsha (1976)
* Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset (1976)
* Brother and Sister (1976)
* The Life of Chikuzan (1977)
* Mount Hakkoda (1977)
* Ballad of Orin (1977)
* Nemu no Ki no Uta ga Kikoeru (1977)
* Third Base (1978)
* Empire of Passion (1978)
* The Love Suicides at Sonezaki (1978)
* Kaerazaru hibi (1978)
* Shōdō Satsujin Musuko Yo (1979)
* The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979)
* Vengeance Is Mine (1979
* No More Easy Life (1979)
* Zigeunerweisen (1980)
* A Distant Cry from Spring (1980)
* The Battle of Port Arthur (1980)
* Virus (1980)

1981-1990|

* Station (1981)
* Willful Murder (1981)
* Kofuku (1981)
* Enrai (1981)
* Suspicion (1982)
* Tōno Monogatari (1982)
* Farewell to the Land (1982)
* The Go Masters (1982)
* The Family Game (1983)
* The Makioka Sisters (1983)
* International Military Tribunal for the Far East (1983)
* The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
* The Funeral (1984)
* MacArthur's Children (1984)
* Mahjong hōrōki (1984)
* Ohan (1984)
* Sorekara (1985)
* Typhoon Club (1985)
* Fire Festival (1985)
* The Burmese Harp (1985)
* Uhohho Tankentai (1986)
* House on Fire (1986)
* Final Take (1986)
* A Promise (1986)
* Itazu Kuma (1987)
* Eiga Joyū (1987)
* Tora-san Goes North (1987)
* The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987)
* The Discarnates (1988)
* Kimurake no Hitobito (1988)
* Tomorrow (1988)
* The Silk Road (1988)
* Shaso (1989)
* Death of a Tea Master (1989)
* Dotsuitarunen (1989)
* Rikyu (1989)
* The Cherry Orchard (1990)
* Dreams (1990)
* The Sting of Death (1990)
* Shiroi Te (1990)

1991–2000|

* Rainbow Kids (1991)
* Rhapsody in August (1991)
* A Scene at the Sea (1991)
* Munō no Hito (1991)
* Seishun Dendeke Dekedeke (1992)
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* Original Sin (1992)
* Tōki Rakujitsu (1992)
* Moving (1993)
* A Class to Remember (1993)
* Byōin de Shinu to Iukoto (1993)
* We Are Not Alone (1993)
* Ghost Pub (1994)
* 119 (1994)
* Crest of Betrayal (1994)
* Natsu no Niwa Friend (1994)
* Bō no Kanashimi (1994)
* Kura (1995)
* Sharaku (1995)
* Deep River (1995)
* Love Letter (1995)
* Village of Dreams(1996)
* A Class to Remember 2 (1996)
* Kids Return (1996)
* Sleeping Man (1996)
* The Eel (1997)
* Yūkai (1997)
* Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997)
* A Class to Remember 3 (1998)
* Dr. Akagi (1998)
* Give It All (1998)
* Hana-bi (1998)
* Kikujiro (1999)
* Jubaku: Spellbound (1999)
* Keiho (1999)
* M/Other (1999)
* After the Rain (2000)
* Gohatto (2000)
* A lass to Remember 4 (2000)
* Nabbie's Love (2000)

2001–2010|

* Waterboys (2001)
* Go (2001)
* Nihon no Kuroi Natsu: Enzai (2001)
* Battle Royale (2001)
* The Firefly (2001)
* Out (2002)
* Amidadō Dayori (2002)
* KT (2002)
* Hush! (2002)
* Like Asura (2003)
* Zatoichi (2003)
* Spy Sorge (2003)
* Doppelganger (2003)
* Nobody Knows (2004)
* Princess Raccoon (2005)
* Hula Girls (2006)
* A Gentle Breeze in the Village (2007)
* All Around Us (2008)
* Mt. Tsurugidake (2009)
* Haru's Journey (2010)

2011–2020|

* Saudade (2011)
* The Kirishima Thing (2012)
* Pecoross' Mother and Her Days (2013)
* The Light Shines Only There (2014)
* Journey to the Shore (2015)
* In This Corner of the World (2016)
* Wilderness (2017)
* The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine (2018)
* The Journalist (2019)
* Underdog (2020)

2021–present|

* Under the Open Sky (2021)
* No Place to Go (2022)
* Shadow of Fire (2023)

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