Directing

Shirō Moritani

Born September 28, 1931 · Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan

Died December 2, 1984 · aged 53

Shirō Moritani (森谷 司郎, Moritani Shirō, September 28, 1931 – December 2, 1984) was a film director and screenwriter from Japan. Born in Tokyo, he debuted as an assistant director in Akira Kurosawa's 1961 film Yojimbo. His film Mount Hakkoda won Mainichi Film Award for Excellence Film in 1978.

Known For

High and LowHigh and Low · 1963
High and Low
★ 8.41963
MovieDramaCrime
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.
Red BeardRed Beard · 1965
Red Beard
★ 8.21965
MovieDrama
Aspiring to an easy job as personal physician to a wealthy family, Noboru Yasumoto is disappointed when his first post after medical school takes him to a small country clinic under the gruff doctor Red Beard. Yasumoto rebels in numerous ways, but Red Beard proves a wise and patient teacher. He gradually introduces his student to the unglamorous side of the profession, ultimately assigning him to care for a prostitute rescued from a local brothel.
YojimboYojimbo · 1961
Yojimbo
★ 8.11961
MovieDramaThriller
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
The Bad Sleep WellThe Bad Sleep Well · 1960
The Bad Sleep Well
★ 7.71960
MovieCrimeDrama
In this loose adaptation of "Hamlet," illegitimate son Kôichi Nishi climbs to a high position within a Japanese corporation and marries the crippled daughter of company vice president Iwabuchi. At the reception, the wedding cake is a replica of their corporate headquarters, but an aspect of the design reminds the party of the hushed-up death of Nishi's father. It is then that Nishi unleashes his plan to avenge his father's death.
Submersion of JapanSubmersion of Japan · 1973
Submersion of Japan
★ 7.01973
MovieThrillerScience Fiction
A team of geophysicists investigating seismic activity on the seafloor discover that the islands of Japan, after suffering from massive volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, will be pulled into the ocean, killing millions.
Mount HakkodaMount Hakkoda · 1977
Mount Hakkoda
★ 6.61977
MovieDramaHistory
Two infantry regiments of the Imperial Japanese Army—210 men overall—tackled Mt. Hakkoda in the winter of 1902 to prepare for war with Russia.
Bullet WoundBullet Wound · 1969
Bullet Wound
★ 8.01969
MovieCrimeThriller
Yuzo Kayama is an American-Japanese operative working for the US to uncover an arms deal between an American seller and Chinese communists, and to take out both parties. After almost getting assassinated himself, he takes a wounded civilian with him despite living in a world where no one can be trusted.
First LoveFirst Love · 1972
First Love
1972
MovieRomanceDrama
A 1970s Toho coming-of-age film.

Filmography

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