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IMDbPro

Kita no hotaru

  • 1984
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
117
YOUR RATING
Kita no hotaru (1984)
Drama

During the Meiji era, a brutal prison warden terrorizes convicts sentenced to forced labor to build the roads needed to open up the territory in the icy wilderness of Hokkaido.During the Meiji era, a brutal prison warden terrorizes convicts sentenced to forced labor to build the roads needed to open up the territory in the icy wilderness of Hokkaido.During the Meiji era, a brutal prison warden terrorizes convicts sentenced to forced labor to build the roads needed to open up the territory in the icy wilderness of Hokkaido.

  • Director
    • Hideo Gosha
  • Writer
    • Kôji Takada
  • Stars
    • Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Shima Iwashita
    • Kôichi Satô
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    117
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hideo Gosha
    • Writer
      • Kôji Takada
    • Stars
      • Tatsuya Nakadai
      • Shima Iwashita
      • Kôichi Satô
    • 1User review
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations

    Photos

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    Top cast

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    Tatsuya Nakadai
    Tatsuya Nakadai
    • Takeshi Tsukigata
    Shima Iwashita
    Shima Iwashita
    • Yu Nakamura
    Kôichi Satô
    Kôichi Satô
    • Yakichi
    Ai Saotome
    • Setsu Furuya
    Daisuke Ryû
    Daisuke Ryû
    • Nagakura
    Kunihiko Mitamura
    • Masaki
    Reiko Nakamura
    • Hamagiku
    Junko Takazawa
    • Hanayakko
    Shunsuke Kariya
    Hatsuo Yamaya
    Hatsuo Yamaya
    • Marutoku
    Shirô Kimura
    Arase
    Masaya Nihei
    • Tomosaburo Kumagai
    Kinzô Satô
    Hiroshi Miyauchi
    Happou Tsukitei
    • Clothing company owner
    Kyôichi Satô
    Kai Atô
    • Ryuzo
    • Director
      • Hideo Gosha
    • Writer
      • Kôji Takada
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    User reviews1

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    aka Fireflies in the North
    Kita no hotaru is an icy cold drama it opens with a narration, a brief historical background accompanied with original photos, the foundations of this fascinating tale. The story setting is the frigid untamed wilderness of Hokkaido during the early days of the Meiji era 1868-1912. This is a Hideo Gosha film , typical a dizzying mixture of history, politics, brutality, sexuality, romance, and bloody violence. Beautifully filmed, skilfully stylish, Gosha masterly blends all of these elements to create a compelling action packed historical drama.

    Nakadai Tatsuya stars in a brilliant lead performance as Kiyoshi Tsukigata who in real life was the first warden of Kabato Prison 1881, It was here at this remote outpost that a prisoner rebellion broke out, brought on by the endless abuse & mistreatment. The Japanese government had established a European-style civil police system in 1874, and began using political prisoners as slave labour, many of the men came from former samurai clans now outlawed. Rounded up from prisons across the country the prisoner workforce was critical for building infrastructure roads/railroads to open up the snowbound wilds. The prisoners suffered a terrible fate in the harsh conditions, there was a heavy death toll among them.

    There is a polished gleam to this production, very 1984, missing is that gritty raw edge of his earlier masterpieces eg Hitokiri (1969), however no way is this a detraction,. Kita no hotaru is a tense action packed adventure, a thought provoking twisting tale of intrigue and passion loyalty and honour, it is enthralling cinema, superior artistry, nothing less from the Japanese master Hideo Gosha..
    helpful•5
    0
    • manfromplanetx
    • Jan 13, 2018

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 1, 1984 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Fireflies in the North
    • Filming locations
      • Egami, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Haiyuza Eiga Hoso Company
      • Toei Inc.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 hours 5 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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