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Antarctica

Original title: Nankyoku monogatari
  • 19831983
  • GG
  • 2h 23m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
44,216
431
Antarctica (1983)
Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. They eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search for the dogs inadvertently marooned there.
Play trailer2:24
1 Video
5 Photos
AdventureDrama
Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. Ushioda and Ochi eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search fo... Read allTwo Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. Ushioda and Ochi eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search for the dogs inadvertently marooned there.Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica. Ushioda and Ochi eventually leave Antarctica, only to return to search for the dogs inadvertently marooned there.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
44,216
431
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Koreyoshi Kurahara
    • Writers
      • Tatsuo Nogami
      • Susumu Saji
      • Toshirô Ishidô
    • Stars
      • Ken Takakura
      • Tsunehiko Watase
      • Eiji Okada
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Koreyoshi Kurahara
    • Writers
      • Tatsuo Nogami
      • Susumu Saji
      • Toshirô Ishidô
    • Stars
      • Ken Takakura
      • Tsunehiko Watase
      • Eiji Okada
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 23User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 5 nominations

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:24
    Trailer

    Photos

    Antarctica (1983)
    Antarctica (1983)
    Antarctica (1983)
    Ken Takakura in Antarctica (1983)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ken Takakura
    Ken Takakura
    • Akira Ushioda
    Tsunehiko Watase
    • Kenjirô Ochi
    Eiji Okada
    Eiji Okada
    • Chief Ozawa
    Masako Natsume
    • Keiko Kitazawa
    Keiko Oginome
    • Asako Shimura
    Takeshi Kusaka
    • Morishima Kyoju
    Shigeru Kôyama
    • Horigome Taicho
    Sô Yamamura
    Sô Yamamura
    • Iwakiri Sencho
    Jun Etô
    • Tokumitsu Taiin
    Kôichi Satô
    Kôichi Satô
    • Toda Taicho
    Shin Kishida
    Shin Kishida
    • Kissaten Master
    Takeshi Ôbayashi
    • Nonomiya Taicho
    Shinji Kanai
    • Ozaki Taicho
    Shinshô Nakamaru
    Masafumi Satô
    Shôichirô Sakata
    Keijirô Shiga
    Morihiko Uchiyama
    • Director
      • Koreyoshi Kurahara
    • Writers
      • Tatsuo Nogami
      • Susumu Saji
      • Toshirô Ishidô
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      It was a big cinema hit, and held the Japanese box office record for a domestic film until it was surpassed by Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (1997) .
    • Quotes

      Girl with Riki: Riki was raised on Kio island. Once winter gets there, the dogs would be left on the island. But people will come back for the winter. The dogs would have to go and find food for themselves. They would survive. Therefore Riki must be surviving on his own also. Because he is a diligent dog. Even if he can survive on Kio by himself, you can't compare Kio with Antarctica. I think so.

      Akira Ushioda: It's impossible for all of them to survive. However, recently I've felt that a few of them might be able to survive. That's what I think.

      Girl with Riki: But the temperature in Antarctica gets to forty below. Even fifty.

      Akira Ushioda: Karafuto dogs can withstand cold weather very well.

      Girl with Riki: Riki will probably find food on his own.

      Akira Ushioda: I hope so.

      Girl with Riki: That's encouraging.

      Akira Ushioda: Up till now, I've still been regretting that we didn't kill the dogs. But that would be wrong. Because that's not the way life is supposed to be. All lives are equal. No one has the right to end the lives of those dogs. It took me such a long time to understand that.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Weakest link: Hitori gachi no hôsoku: Episode #1.3 (2002)
    • Soundtracks
      Ai no ôrora
      Music by Tetsuji Hayashi

      Lyrics by Tokiko Iwatani

      Performed by Keiko Oginome

      Courtesy of Canyon Records

    User reviews23

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    White Wilderness
    **SPOILERS*** True story that took place during the Geographical year 1957-58, in the freezing ice and snow of Anarctica, by a Japanese expedition team on their journey to the Antarctic Mount. Batnnutan and back;a trek of some 500 miles.

    Leaving Showa Base with a team of 16 tough Sakhalin sled dogs the three man expedition of geologist Ushioda meteorologist Ochi and Dr. Ozawa had no trouble reaching their main objective, Mount. Batnnutan. On the way back they ran into heavy snows and fog that caused them to go snow-blind and get lost. Helpless with no way of getting back to their home base the men unleashed two of their sled dogs, Taro & Jiro, who reached Showa Base and brought back a rescue party to save both the three men and 15 sled dogs.

    At the base it's reported that the weather had gotten so severe that they would have to abort the expedition and return back to their icebreaker, the Soya, that would take them back home to Japan. Unable to bring them along the men were forced to leave the dogs, including the two who rescued them Taro & Jiro, at the now deserted Showa Base and; thus leave them to the bitterly cold Antarctica winter that was just starting to set in.

    Heartwarming and true story of men and dogs and how left on their own the sled dogs, answering the call of the wild, formed a wolf-like pack that for over a year survived everything that the inhospitable Antarctic winter had to offer them; a frozen and agonizing death.

    Beautifully photographed with incredible wide angle shots that showed the audience how vast and eerie the Antarctic really is. We see the dogs roaming around like a bunch of dark and unrecognizable black specks in the limitless white background. "Antarctica" also has a number of fascinating views of the Southern Lights, the Borealis Australis, as they illuminate and light up the cold and dark Antarctic winter night.

    By the time the winter was over ,in September 1958, the Antarctic spring set in with the ice packs breaking apart and causing a number of the surviving sled dogs to fall into the open waters where they drowned. Back home in Japan both Ushida and Ochi were heart sick over leaving the dogs behind and a year. later going on another Antarctic expedition mostly to find and take back the frozen bodies of the sled dogs, that were like members of their family. The two never expected to find out just how wrong they were in underestimating their courageous and unconquerable canine friends.

    Not exactly a "Lassie Come Home" type of movie the film "Antartica" shows how deep the bind is between man and his best friend and companion the dog and it will really touch you when at the end of the movie. With all hope gone, for the dogs left behind, like a winter mirage Taro and Jiro materialized out of the snow to the shock and delight, to the point of tears, of those who so sadly were forced to leave them behind and to face certain death.
    helpful•46
    3
    • sol1218
    • Sep 19, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 23, 1983 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • Japanese
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Wolf
    • Production companies
      • Fuji Television Network
      • Gakken Co. Ltd.
      • Kurahara Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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