Chieko-Sho(Portrait of Chieko)
Japan (1967): Drama
Tetsuro Tamba portrays Kotaro Takamura (1883-1956), one of Japan's most celebrated artists. A poet and sculptor, Takamura is married to Chieko (Shima Iwashita), who has artistic aspirations of her own. She gradually comes to realize that her husband has all the talent in the family; as she sinks deeper into depression, Takamura tries to comfort her by writing several poems in her honor. She descends into insanity, while Takamura manifests his despair into some of his greatest artistic achievements. Directed by Noboru Nakamura; screenplay from the poems by Takamura. (Shochiku Films) (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide) A film of the same name (Chieko-Sho) from Takamura's poems was released in 1957.
Takamura's poem, "Difficult Chieko"
1 nominationChieko sees what cannot be seen,
hears what cannot be heard.
Chieko goes to places one cannot go,
does what cannot be done.
Chieko does not see the me that really exists,
yearns for me in back of me.
Chieko throws away the heaviness of suffering now,
wanders out to a vast infinite sphere of esthetic
consciousness.
Though hearing her voice calling me over and over,
Chieko does not have a ticket for the human world anymore.
· Foreign Language Film Award 1967: (Japan) (No producer credited.)