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Antarctica (南極物語, Nankyoku Monogatari, lit. "South Pole Story") is a 1983 Japanese film directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara and starring Ken Takakura. Its plot centers on the 1958 ill-fated Japanese scientific expedition to the South Pole, its dramatic rescue from the impossible weather conditions on the return journey, the relationship between the scientists and their loyal and hard-working Sakhalin huskies, particularly the lead dogs Taro and Jiro, and fates of the 15 dogs left behind to fend for themselves.
The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 56th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. It entered into the 34th Berlin International Film Festival, and at the Japan Academy Awards was nominated for the best film, cinematography, lighting, and music score, winning the Popularity award for the two dogs Taro and Jiro as most popular performer, as well the cinematography and reader's choice award at the Mainichi Film Award. It was a big cinema hit, and held the Japanese box office record for a domestic film until it was surpassed by Miyazaki Hayao's Princess Mononoke in 1997.
The original electronic score was created by Greek composer Vangelis, who had recently written music for Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner. The soundtrack is available worldwide on CD-audio as Antarctica.
Original Release
03/20/1983
US Release
03/30/1984
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Ken Takakura | Akira Ushioda / Ushioda |
Tsunehiko Watase | Kenjirô Ochi / Ochi |
Eiji Okada | Chief Ozawa / Ozawa Taicho |
Masako Natsume | Keiko Kitazawa / Ozawa Keiko |
Keiko Oginome | Asako Shimura / Shimura Asako |
Takeshi Kusaka | Morishima Kyoju |
Shigeru Kôyama | Horigome Taicho |
Sô Yamamura | Iwakiri Sencho |
Jun Etô | Tokumitsu Taiin |
Kôichi Satô | Toda Taicho |
Directors
Writers
Tatsuo Nogami, Toshirô Ishidô, Koreyoshi Kurahara, Susumu Saji
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Ken Takakura | Akira Ushioda / Ushioda |
Tsunehiko Watase | Kenjirô Ochi / Ochi |
Eiji Okada | Chief Ozawa / Ozawa Taicho |
Masako Natsume | Keiko Kitazawa / Ozawa Keiko |
Keiko Oginome | Asako Shimura / Shimura Asako |
Takeshi Kusaka | Morishima Kyoju |
Shigeru Kôyama | Horigome Taicho |
Sô Yamamura | Iwakiri Sencho |
Jun Etô | Tokumitsu Taiin |
Kôichi Satô | Toda Taicho |
Shin Kishida | Kissaten Master |
Takeshi Ôbayashi | Nonomiya Taicho |
Shinji Kanai | Ozaki Taicho |
Shinshô Nakamaru | |
Masafumi Satô | |
Shôichirô Sakata | |
Keijirō Shiga | |
Morihiko Uchiyama | |
Keishi Kawaguchi | |
Kazuyo Ichimaru |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Hiroshi Furuoka | Executive Producer |
Hisashi Hieda | Executive Producer |
Koreyoshi Kurahara | Producer |
Masato Hara | Producer |
Tomohiro Kaiyama | Producer |
Masaru Kakutani | Producer |
Koretsugu Kurahara | Producer |
Tsuneyuki Morishima | Producer |
Haruo Shikanai | Producer |
Juichi Tanaka | Producer |
Akira Yoshioka | Producer |