I Want to Be a Shellfish (1958)

  • NR
  • 10/31/1958 (JP)
  • 1h 40m

Overview

Television production of I Want to Be a Shellfish. On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder. According to the accusation by GHQ, Toyomatsu "attemped to kill a US prisoner", which was nothing but an order by his superior and failed after all with hurting the prisoner by weak Toyomatsu. Also, Toyomatsu was driven to corner at the trial by the fact that he fed the US prisoner some burdock roots to nourish him. Toyomatsu believes nothing but being not guilty, but he is sentenced to death by hanging. Prior to the execution, Toyomatsu writes a long farewell letter to his family, the wife and the only son: "If I ever incarnate, I hate to be a human being any more.... Oh yes, I would like to be...a shellfish living on the rock-bottom of the sea."

Tetsutarō Katō

Screenplay

Shinobu Hashimoto

Story

Yoshihiko Okamoto

Director

Cast

Frankie Sakai's headshot

Frankie Sakai

Shimizu Toyomatsu
Mutsuko Sakura's headshot

Mutsuko Sakura

Shimizu Fusae
Toshie Takada's headshot

Toshie Takada

Toshiko
Shin Saburi's headshot

Shin Saburi

Lieutenant-General Yano
Yoshio Ōmori's headshot

Yoshio Ōmori

Staff Officer
Yasumi Hara's headshot

Yasumi Hara

Kôji Nanbara's headshot

Kôji Nanbara

Koji Kiyomura's headshot

Koji Kiyomura

Recommendations