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| Ineko Arima in Love Under the Crucifix |
Cast: Ineko Arima, Tatsuya Nakadai, Ganjiro Nakamura, Mieko Takamine, Osamu Takizawa, Koji Nanbara, Manami Fuji, Yumeji Tsukioka, Hisaya Ito. Screenplay: Masahige Narusawa, based on a novel by Toko Kon. Cinematography: Yoshio Miyajima. Art direction: Junpei Oosumi. Film editing: Hisashi Sagara. Music: Hikaru Hayashi.
As deliberate and slow as the tea ceremony that it features, Kinuyo Tanaka's Love Under the Crucifix is a story of love thwarted by conflicting codes: Christian moral doctrine vs. the laws and traditions of 16th century Japan. Ineko Arima plays Ogin, daughter of Rikyu (Ganjiro Nakamura), a master of the tea ceremony. When a wealthy merchant seeks her hand in marriage, Ogin is forced to accept, even though she has loved Takayama Ukon (Tatsuya Nakadai) since they were children together. Ukon, however, is not only already married, but also a Christian and opposed to divorce. When Christianity is banned in Japan, he is forced into exile. Eventually Ogin and Ukon will meet again under perilous circumstances and their enduring love will be tested. Beautifully designed and filmed, Love Under the Crucifix is weighed down by exposition-heavy dialogue and its somewhat over-familiar story line. Arima is superb as Ogin, but Nakadai is wasted in a role that gives him little to do.
