The Fossil (film)

The Fossil (化石, Kaseki) is a Japanese TV miniseries which screened in eight parts between 31 January and 20 March 1972. It was directed by Masaki Kobayashi and based on a novel by Yasushi Inoue.^[1][3] The series received the same year's Nippon Television Technology Award for photography.^[4]

The Fossil
Kanji	化石
Revised Hepburn	Kaseki
Directed by	Masaki Kobayashi
Screenplay by	Shun Inagaki Takeshi Yoshida
Based on	Kaseki by Yasushi Inoue
Produced by	Masayuki Sato Gin'ichi Kishimoto
Starring	Shin Saburi Mayumi Ogawa Keiko Kishi
Cinematography	Kōzō Okazaki
Edited by	Keiichi Uraoka
Music by	Tōru Takemitsu
Production companies	Haiyuza Theatre Company Shiki no kai
Distributed by	Toho (theatrical)
Release dates	1972 (1972) (TV)[1] October 4, 1975 (1975-10-04) (theatrical)[2][3]
Running time	450 minutes (TV) 200 minutes (theatrical)
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

A re-edited version was released theatrically in 1975.^[1][2][3] The theatrical version was Japan's submission to the 47th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film,^[5] but was not accepted as a nominee.

Plot

Tokyo business tycoon Tajihei Kazuki is given a diagnosis of terminal cancer and must now re-assess his life and values.

Cast

• Shin Saburi as Tajihei Kazuki
• Mayumi Ogawa as Akiko Kazuki
• Keiko Kishi as Woman (Death)
• Komaki Kurihara as Kiyoko Kazuki
• Haruko Sugimura as Mother-in-law
• Hisashi Igawa as Funazu

See also

• List of submissions to the 47th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References

1. "化石 (The Fossil)". TV Drama Database (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 August 2021.
2. "化石 (The Fossil)". Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 August 2021.
3. "化石 (The Fossil)". Kinenote (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 August 2021.
4. "日本テレビ技術賞 受賞一覧 (List of Nippon Television Technology Awards)" (in Japanese). Motion Picture and Television Engineering Society of Japan. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
5. "List of Japanese films submitted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film" (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Retrieved 16 August 2021.

External links

• The Fossil (theatrical version) at IMDb
• Canby, Vincent (10 September 1976). "Screen: Monument From Japan". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
• "Entry for the TV miniseries at Wikipedia Japan" (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 August 2021.