Themes: Political Corruption, Labor Unions, Conspiracies
Main Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Kei Yamamoto, Kaneko Iwasaki, Ichiro Hashimoto
Release Year: 1982
Country: JP
Run Time: 132 minutes
Plot
Released outside of Japan as Willful Murder, this is based on an actual 1948 case involving the mysterious death of a government official. The president of the Japanese railroads is found dead during a period in which train service is plagued by numerous layoffs, strikes and shutdowns. The government says that the president was murdered; the police claim it was a suicide. A quizzical reporter follows the case for years, but the basic question remains unanswered: was the victim killed by members of the burgeoning Communist movement in Japan, or was the death stage-managed by the authorities in hopes of discrediting the Communists? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
