W's Tragedy


W's Tragedy is a 1984 Japanese film directed by Shinichirō Sawai, based on the novel by Shizuko Natsuki. At the 9th Japan Academy Prize it won three awards and received three other nominations.

Plot

Natsuki's original book W no Higeki, the story of a rich family torn apart by the murder of their patriarch, and their heiress being accused of the crime, becomes a play and is acted out by a troupe of actors in Osaka. The role of the heroine is contended for by young Shizuka Mita, who dreams of fame and fortune. Shizuka is taken under the wing of famous actress Sho Hatori, whose rich patron died in her arms one night, and who agrees to let Shizuka stand in for her. As the play is acted out, Shizuka realizes that many scenes in the play begin to have parallels with real life...
The film takes the form of a story within a story, in which the original book's characters are acted out by the film's characters.

Cast

Production

Writing

W no Higeki was a popular mystery novel published in 1982 that became the most successful work of Shizuko Natsuki, now considered a master of the genre. In it, a wealthy family, the Watsuji's, are in one of their mansions for New Year's holidays when the daughter and future heiress Mako declares that she has murdered her grandfather with a knife. The director Shinichirô Sawai came up with the idea of using the novel's plot as a stage play within another story instead of write a conventional adaptation.

Filming

On their script Haruhiko Arai and Sawai wanted to pay homage to All about Eve, the classic of Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who both loved, and the character of Shizuka was more ambitious and mean towards Hatori, but that had to be changed by the producer Haruki Kadokawa to "keep clean the image of idol" that Hiroko Yakushimaru had.
Filming began on July 22, 1984, and wrapped on September 22, it took 35 working days and a total of 385 shots. The Osaka performance had 1,300 Yakushimaru fans as extras and the Tokyo performance had 1,500 people.
Due to the difficult role, the troubles to play the stage scenes, something she was not good at, and the strict direction of Sawai, Yakushimaru ended up the production physically and mentally exhausted. Meanwhile the original cut of the movie had many key scenes removed, causing some confusing plot holes.
The final scene was originally supposed to be a happy ending where Shizuka and Akio get together, but Kadokawa requested that they not marry, so the two of them go their separate ways.

Reaction

It grossed 1.55 billion yen, making it the fourth-highest grossing Japanese film of 1985.
After the premiere, Yakushimaru felt very displeased with her own performance and seriously considered leaving her acting career forever. Ironically she won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actress for her performance. After she picked up the award she declared "This movie really burnt me".

Theme song

This song has also been covered by Yumi Matsutoya, Yūko Andō, Akina Nakamori and Ken Hirai, the latter version being used for the 2012 iteration of the book's story into a TV drama.

Awards and nominations

9th Japan Academy Prize
27th Blue Ribbon Awards
10th Hochi Film Award
7th Yokohama Film Festival