The Long Darkness

The Long Darkness

1972 · 121 min · ★ 6.5 · Drama, Romance

The relationship between Tetsuro, a university student from a disgraced, burdened family, and Shino, a waitress supporting her impoverished relatives. The couple decides to marry despite the significant emotional and social hardships each faces, viewing their love as a means to overcome the shame and despair inherited from their pasts.

Directed by Kei Kumai · Written by Kei Kumai

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Amazon Video

Cast

Make it a double feature

4h 11m together

The Long Darkness

Rise, Fair Sun

Both from Kei Kumai.

More from Kei KumaiSee all →

Rise, Fair SunRise, Fair Sun · 1973
Rise, Fair Sun
10.01973
MovieDrama
A pioneer farmer's stubborn dream of building Japan's greatest ranch is put to the test when a leisure resort company sets its sights on his village's land.
Cape of the NorthCape of the North · 1976
Cape of the North
9.01976
MovieDramaRomance
A Swiss nun falls in love with a Japanese engineer.
The Call of the FoghornThe Call of the Foghorn · 1960
The Call of the Foghorn
9.01960
MovieActionCrime
A sailor is stuck in the harbor due to an engine failure in his boat, and he learns that a friend of his has died, reportedly from suicide. He begins to investigate the matter himself, and finds there may be more to the story...
An Ocean to CrossAn Ocean to Cross · 1980
An Ocean to Cross
9.01980
MovieHistory
Set in Japan's Tenpyou era (729-749 CE), four young monks are sent to China to study Buddhism and bring a high priest back to Japan with them. The film tells the tale of the four monks' youth and the life and times of the high priest Ganjin.
Willful MurderWillful Murder · 1981
Willful Murder
8.01981
MovieDrama
The president of the Japanese National Railways is found dead during a period in which train service is plagued by numerous layoffs, strikes and shutdowns. The government says that the president was murdered; the police claim it was a suicide. A quizzical reporter follows the case for years, but the basic question remains unanswered: was the victim killed by members of the burgeoning Communist movement in Japan, or was the death stage-managed by the authorities in hopes of discrediting the Communists?
Sandakan No. 8Sandakan No. 8 · 1974
Sandakan No. 8
7.71974
MovieDramaHistory
A young journalist interviews an elderly woman about being forced into prostitution in Borneo at a brothel called Sandakan No. 8.
HiroshimaHiroshima · 1953
Hiroshima
7.41953
MovieDramaHistory
Historical fiction about the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on 6 August 1945, and its effects on various civilians, especially children, of that city.
Deep RiverDeep River · 1995
Deep River
7.31995
MovieDrama
A group of Japanese tourists try to forget their pasts and find themselves in India.
The Sea and PoisonThe Sea and Poison · 1986
The Sea and Poison
7.01986
MovieDramaWar
Two interns and a nurse are interrogated by American MPs for their involvement in an atrocity during the war: the vivisections of a downed American air crew.
The Sands of KurobeThe Sands of Kurobe · 1968
The Sands of Kurobe
7.01968
MovieDrama
Kitagawa is an engineer charged with construction of a gigantic tunnel through the Japan Alps for the transportation of equipment in the building of the massive Kurobe Dam. The tunnel crosses an earthquake fault and Kitagawa is beleaguered not only by cave-ins and flooding, but by strife between management and the workers's union. Adding to Kitagawa's stress is the knowledge that as his attention is pulled inexorably toward the tunnel construction, his youngest daughter is dying from leukemia.
A Chain of IslandsA Chain of Islands · 1965
A Chain of Islands
6.81965
MovieDramaMystery
When a US army sergeant is found drowned in Tokyo Bay, an investigation is launched to determine how and why he lost his life. The investigation uncovers a black market scheme involving counterfeit money, murder, and conspiracy.
Darkness in the LightDarkness in the Light · 2001
Darkness in the Light
6.82001
MovieDrama
A middle-aged salaryman with a typical family, living quietly in a provincial city (Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture), wakes up one morning in the summer of 1994 to find himself the prime suspect in the biggest mass-murder case of the decade.
To LoveTo Love · 1997
To Love
6.71997
MovieDramaRomance
Mitsu works in a factory and has a crush on Tsutomu, a young man she met on the Tokyo streets. One day the two go out, and after some deception, Tsutomu manages to have his way with her. Coming from a broken home, he is frightened by love, so he cruelly allows her to wake up alone. A month passes and a more grown-up Tsutomu returns. The lovers joyously reunite and move in together. All is blissful until both notice a strange sore on Mitsu's arm. The doctors diagnose it as leprosy. Without telling Tsutomu, Mitsu checks into a leper sanitarium. Hanging out with society's pariahs gives her much insight. She discovers the old lepers to be wonderful people. In turn, Mitsu becomes their source of joy and renewed hope. Still, she misses her Tsutomu. One day, the doctors inform her that they erred and that the sore is not leprosy. Happily she heads back to her true love until she realizes with a guilty pang that to return to him would mean unhappiness for her newfound friends
Apart from LifeApart from Life · 1970
Apart from Life
6.21970
MovieDrama
A film set in Nagasaki examining prejudice against atom bomb victims.
Luminous MossLuminous Moss · 1992
Luminous Moss
6.21992
MovieDrama
A headmaster and a novelist, looking for inspiration, regard a strange natural phenomenon before sharing stories of their own.
The Sea Is WatchingThe Sea Is Watching · 2002
The Sea Is Watching
5.82002
MovieDramaRomance
O-Shin is a young brothel worker who, one night, helps a young samurai escape from his pursuers. Against the warnings of her fellow workers, particularly Kikuno and the brothel's owner, O-Shin falls in love with the samurai.

More Like This

Best FriendsBest Friends · 1982
Best Friends
5.31982
MovieComedyRomance
When a professional couple, who have lived and worked together for many years, finally decide to marry, their sudden betrothal causes many unexpected difficulties. They soon find that being married is often quite different from being "best friends."
The Prisoner of ZendaThe Prisoner of Zenda · 1937
The Prisoner of Zenda
7.51937
MovieRomanceAdventure
A kingdom's ascending heir, marked for assassination, switches identities with a lookalike, who takes his place at the coronation. When the real king is kidnapped, his followers try to find him, while the stand-in falls in love with the king's intended bride, the beautiful Princess Flavia.
ThirstThirst · 1949
Thirst
6.41949
MovieDrama
A fractured portrait of desire and isolation, following a failing marriage and parallel stories of emotional entrapment as memories surface during a train journey through postwar Europe. Told through flashbacks and multiple narrative threads, the film signals Ingmar Bergman’s emerging mature style.
The Last DetailThe Last Detail · 1973
The Last Detail
7.01973
MovieDramaComedy
Two Navy men are ordered to bring a young offender to prison, but decide to show him one last good time along the way.
The Castle of SandThe Castle of Sand · 1974
The Castle of Sand
7.41974
MovieCrimeMystery
Two detectives are tasked to investigate the murder of an old man, found bludgeoned to death in a Tokyo rail yard.
Last Train to ChristmasLast Train to Christmas · 2021
Last Train to Christmas
5.52021
MovieFantasyDrama
When successful 80s nightclub manager Tony Towers boards a magical train at Christmas, he discovers that each carriage harbours a different stage of his life and the actions he takes in one carriage directly affect his life in the next. Can Tony change his life – and the lives of the people he loves – for the better, or will he just make things worse?
Advantages of Travelling by TrainAdvantages of Travelling by Train · 2019
Advantages of Travelling by Train
6.52019
MovieDramaThriller
After interning her insane husband in a remote psychiatric hospital, book editor Helga Pato returns home by train, where she meets a mysterious man who identifies himself as a psychiatrist.
Mr. Bean's HolidayMr. Bean's Holiday · 2007
Mr. Bean's Holiday
6.42007
MovieFamilyComedy
Mr. Bean wins a trip to Cannes where he unwittingly separates a young boy from his father and must help the two reunite. On the way he discovers France, bicycling and true love, among other things.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter