Noruwei no mori (2010)

Director:

Anh Dung Tran

Writers:

Haruki Murakami (based upon the novel)
Anh Dung Tran (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 December 2010 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Toru recalls his life in the 1960s, when his friend Kizuki killed himself and he grew close to Naoko, Kizuki's girlfriend, and another woman, the outgoing, lively Midori.

Plot Keywords:

Grief | Woods | 1960s | Swimming | Reading

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Rinko Kikuchi	...	Naoko
Ken'ichi Matsuyama	...	Toru Watanabe
Kiko Mizuhara	...	Midori
Eriko Hatsune	...	Hatsumi
Kengo Kôra	...	Kizuki
Tetsuji Tamayama	...	Nagasawa
Reika Kirishima	...	Reiko Ishida
Shigesato Itoi	...	Theatre professor
Haruomi Hosono	...	Record shop owner
Tokio Emoto	...	Storm Trooper
Yukihiro Takahashi	...	Gatekeeper
Takao Handa	...	Midori' father
Kentaro Tamura
Yuki Ito
Yusuke
Makoto Sugisawa
Kohei Yoshino

Directed by
Anh Dung Tran

Writing credits
Haruki Murakami		(based upon the novel)
Anh Dung Tran		(screenplay)

Produced by
Satoshi Fukushima	....	co-producer
Joe Ikeda	....	associate producer
Chihiro Kameyama	....	executive producer
Kaoru Matsuzaki	....	associate producer
Mioko Ogawa	....	assistant producer
Shinji Ogawa	....	producer
Keizo Shukuzaki	....	line producer
Masao Teshima	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jonny Greenwood

Cinematography by
Ping Bin Lee		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mario Battistel

Casting by
Tsuyoshi Sugino

Production Design by
Norifumi Ataka
Tran Nu Yên-Khê		(as Yen Khe Luguern)

Set Decoration by
Tetsuya Nomura
Ayaki Takagi

Costume Design by
Tran Nu Yên-Khê		(as Yen Khe Luguern)

Makeup Department
Satoko Takakuwa	....	assistant hair stylist
Satoko Takakuwa	....	assistant makeup artist
Fumi Takeshita	....	key hair stylist
Fumi Takeshita	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Yusuke Taguchi	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hideaki Jimbo	....	second assistant director
Shozo Katashima	....	first assistant director
Yu Koreyasu	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Gen Ito	....	assistant art director
Kenji Iwai	....	set dresser
Hironori Iwamoto	....	assistant art director
Naoko Takemura	....	property master
Miyuki Tanaka	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Philippe Amouroux	....	sound re-recording mixer
Niels Barletta	....	sound mastering engineer
Hiroshi Ishigai	....	dialogue editor
Yujiro Miki	....	sound recordist
Akihiko Okase	....	sound effects supervisor
Kazuhiko Tomita	....	sound recordist
Tomoharu Urata	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Hidekazu Kishiura	....	special effects supervisor
Chuji Shimajiri	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Hajime Matsumoto	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Ryohei Abe	....	assistant lighting technician
Shiyi Gao	....	assistant camera
Alan Gitlin	....	digital imaging technician
Yoshiyuki Iida	....	second assistant camera
Arata Ishizuka	....	best boy grip
Gen Ito	....	assistant camera: Autumn unit
Hiroki Izumi	....	Steadicam operator
Yasuyuki Jitsuhara	....	key grip
Shigeto Kunii	....	second assistant camera
Hideo Kunimatsu	....	assistant to camera department
Koichi Kuroda	....	still photographer
Norito Matsumoto	....	assistant lighting technician
Takahiro Mizuse	....	assistant lighting technician
Yûki Nakamura	....	lighting director
Tai Ouchi	....	digital imaging technician assistant
Takayuki Sugimura	....	first assistant camera
Sean Walker	....	first clapper loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nami Shinozuka	....	key costumer
Sayaka Takahashi	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Yov Moor	....	digital intermediate consultant: post-production
Chikako Namba	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Barrett	....	assistant score mixing engineer
John Barrett	....	technical score engineer
Paul Pritchard	....	assistant scoring engineer
Robert Ziegler	....	conductor

Other crew
Sachiko Hanaoka	....	location manager
Naomi Hatta	....	assistant to the producers
Reiko Katayama	....	assistant to the producers
Yume Murakami	....	production accountant
Natsuko Nezu	....	production accountant
Mariko Nishizawa	....	assistant to Ms. Luguern
Hana Okazaki	....	assistant to Mr. Tran
Masatoshi Saito	....	behind-the-scenes
Atsushi Shimane	....	location manager
Kazuko Shingyoku	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Asmik Ace Entertainment
• Dentsu
• Fuji Television Network
• Kodansha
• Sankei Shimbun
• Sumitomo Corporation
• WoWow

Distributors

• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Curious Films (2011) (Australia) (theatrical)
• EDKO Film (2010) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Lumière Productie (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2012) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Pandora Filmproduktion (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Pretty Pictures (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Red Flag Releasing (RFR) (2012) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Soda Pictures (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Toho Company (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2011) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Aerofilms (2011) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Aerofilms (2011) (Slovakia) (all media)
• CP Digital (2010) (Russia) (all media) (CIS)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2011) (Singapore) (all media)
• EDKO Film (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• EDKO Film (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Fuji Television Network (2011) (Japan) (TV)
• Home Box Office Latin America (HBO) (2011) (Brazil) (TV) (Latin America)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Lusomundo (2010) (Portugal) (all media)
• M6 Vidéo (2012) (France) (DVD)
• Mongkol Major (2011) (Thailand) (all media)
• PCV (2010) (Greece) (all media)
• Sahamongkolfilm Co. (2011) (Thailand) (all media)
• Serenity Entertainment International (2010) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Shanghai Huayu Film Company (2011) (China) (all media)
• Soda Pictures (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• United King Films (2011) (Israel) (all media)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Griffith  crane and grip equipment supplied by
• Imagica  digital intermediate
• Imagica  prints
• Nihon Shomei Co.  transportation services provided by
• Nonesuch Records  soundtrack
• Sanwa Cine Equipment  camera equipment supplied by
• Sanwa Pro Light  lighting equipment supplied by
• Storm Rider Co.  extras casting
• Technicolor  release printing
• Vintage Books  novelization

Also Known As:

"Norwegian Wood" - International (English title) (imdb display title)
"La ballade de l'impossible" - Belgium (French title) (imdb display title), France (imdb display title)
"Naokos Lächeln" - Germany (imdb display title), Germany (imdb display title)
"Норвежский лес" - Russia
"Imkansizin Sarkisi" - Turkey (Turkish title) (imdb display title)
"Norské drevo" - Czech Republic (imdb display title)
"Norvég erdő" - Hungary
"Norwegian Wood" - Sweden (imdb display title)
"Norwegian Wood" - Finland (imdb display title)
"Norwegian Wood" - Denmark (imdb display title)
"Norwegian Wood" - Italy (imdb display title)
"Tokio Blues" - Spain (imdb display title)
"Ya'ar Norvegi" - Israel (Hebrew title) (imdb display title)

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:PG-12 | UK:15 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA (2011) | South Korea:18 | Spain:16

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Asmik Ace Entertainment

Soundtrack:

Norwegian Wood

Japan in 1969

'Norwegian Wood', a Beatles-song from their album 'Rubber Soul' (1965), makes the very clever inspiration here. Its mood amazingly connects with that of the film, as well as that of Haruki Murakami's book from 1987.

Both book and film are very Japanese. So be prepared for a slow pace, allowing you plenty of time to catch up with its story. Be prepared for a Japanese styling as well. The film also follows the book's plot, more precisely than we are used to in our Western world.

Nou doubt the film 'Norwegian wood' peaks with its acting. Here we talk true Japanese high quality. The unfortunate contrast is made by its disappointing picturing. One can only guess if this is due to a lack of money, or to the desire to apply to 1969-shooting methods.

All in all 'Norwegian wood' is an enjoyable & well made film, allowing you a pleasant evening in the cinema. Those around in 1969 will get themselves carried back to their young days.