Ryôtarô Mizushima is dying. He asks Shin Saburi, the son of an old friend, to take over as head of his hospital and to clear up the mess in his estate; his son, Tatsuo Saitô, has no interest in business or medicine, just in golf, drinking and chasing girls. Saburi agrees, and runs into immediate conflict with the unbelieving Saitô, as well as the hospital gossip and politics. Mizushima's daughter, Mieko Takamine, agrees to his every proposal, but she is engaged to Shin Tokudaiji, a doctor at the hospital.

In short, it's a soap opera set at a hospital. The original movie ran 177 minutes. The copy that was rereleased in 1947 is 124 minutes, and that is the version I looked at. There are some obvious cuts, particularly towards the end, but the story remains intact. Saburi gives a performance that is focused and narrow-minded in its intensity. Miss Takamine is charming, and the other cast members are good under the direction of Kôzaburô Yoshimura. If hospital-based soaps are your cup of tea, this Japanese variation should be interesting.

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

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