A Legend or Was It?

A Legend or Was It?

1963 · 83 min · ★ 7.0 · Drama, Thriller, War

A Tokyo family escaping the war relocates to a Hokkaido village; their daughter is set to marry the local leader's son, but her siblings disapprove.

Directed by Keisuke Kinoshita · Written by Keisuke Kinoshita

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Criterion Channel

Cast

Make it a double feature

4h 5m together

A Legend or Was It?

Times of Joy and Sorrow

Both from Keisuke Kinoshita.

More from Keisuke KinoshitaSee all →

Children on the IslandChildren on the Island · 1987
Children on the Island
10.01987
MovieDramaHistory
The story of a teacher who comes to a village on the Inland Sea and the relationship that develops between her and her 12 pupils.
World of TwoWorld of Two · 1970
World of Two
10.01970
SeriesFamilyDrama
One night, Jiro and Reiko fell in love at first sight, and on the seventh day he proposed to her, and three months later they were married. However, the difference in upbringing between Jiro, who was born and raised in a farmhouse in Shinshu, and Reiko, who is a city girl by nature, sometimes causes small ripples in their sweet newlywed life.
Times of Joy and SorrowTimes of Joy and Sorrow · 1957
Times of Joy and Sorrow
9.01957
MovieDrama
The story of the trials and tribulations of a lighthouse keeper and his wife.
Oyaji DaikoOyaji Daiko · 1968
Oyaji Daiko
9.01968
SeriesDramaFamily
The Tsuru family is a family of nine, headed by Kamejiro. Kamejiro is the president of a construction company that has made a fortune in its first generation, but he is a one-man family. His wife, Aiko, is a typical good wife and wise mother type. Kamejiro gets angry and thunders down every week, and the children are afraid of him, calling him "Oyaji Daiko", but he also takes advantage of this.
Five SiblingsFive Siblings · 1939
Five Siblings
8.01939
Movie
A businessman runs afoul of the law and commits suicide, leaving behind a wife and five children. The eldest son takes the family to Tokyo and labors to restore its name and fortune
Twenty-Four EyesTwenty-Four Eyes · 1954
Twenty-Four Eyes
7.71954
MovieDrama
From 1928 to 1946, the lives of 12 young people and their school teacher in a poor Japanese village are profoundly affected by historical events and personal circumstances.
MarriageMarriage · 1947
Marriage
7.71947
MovieDramaRomance
In postwar Japan a young woman is unable to marry her sweetheart because her family's in difficult circumstances and needs her income to keep afloat.
The Ballad of NarayamaThe Ballad of Narayama · 1958
The Ballad of Narayama
7.51958
MovieDrama
In a remote village where food is scarce, elders who reach the age of 70 are carried by their children to the top of a nearby mountain to die in solitude. Orin, a vibrant 69-year-old grandmother, has accepted her fate — but struggles to prepare the rest of her family for the ritual.
Dodes'ka-denDodes'ka-den · 1970
Dodes'ka-den
7.11970
MovieDrama
On a Tokyo dump’s shantytown edge, interwoven vignettes follow residents scraping by: a boy who “drives” an imaginary trolley, a homeless father and son designing a dream house, a young woman brutalized at home, drunks, schemers, and saints of small kindnesses. Kurosawa crafts a ragged mosaic of hardship, fantasy, and flickers of grace that keep people moving forward.
Farewell to DreamFarewell to Dream · 1956
Farewell to Dream
7.11956
MovieDrama
A coming-of-age story portrayed as the loss of all youthful illusions. Sixteen-year-old Yoichi dreams of becoming a sailor. His parents are fishmongers, and Yoichi lives together with them and his four siblings in cramped living conditions. His beloved younger sister is given to a wealthy, childless uncle; his best friend moves away; the girl he fell in love with from afar is with someone else: little by little, Yoichi loses all the people that are important to him.
Port of FlowersPort of Flowers · 1943
Port of Flowers
7.01943
MovieWarDrama
The sweet but naive denizens of a charming port town are hoodwinked by a couple of con men at the outset of World War II. But the hustlers’ plan backfires when they come down with severe cases of conscience. Keisuke Kinoshita’s directorial debut is a breezy, warmhearted, and often very funny crowd-pleaser that’s a testament to the filmmaker’s faith in people.
The Snow FlurryThe Snow Flurry · 1959
The Snow Flurry
6.91959
MovieDrama
After surviving the double suicide pact she made with her lover, a woman gives birth to their child.
Love LetterLove Letter · 1953
Love Letter
6.81953
MovieRomanceDrama
Five years after the end of the Second World War, Reikichi, a repatriated veteran, translates love letters for Japanese women to American GIs, while searching for his lost love, Michiko.
ArmyArmy · 1944
Army
6.81944
MovieDramaWar
Though plagued by ill health all his life, a young Japanese man is obligated to fulfill his family's longstanding military tradition.
Okoto and SasukeOkoto and Sasuke · 1935
Okoto and Sasuke
6.81935
MovieDrama
A period piece about the love of a wealthy blind woman, a teacher of koto and shamisen, and her devoted manservant. Based on a novella by Tanizaki Junichiro.
PhoenixPhoenix · 1947
Phoenix
6.41947
MovieRomanceDrama
A Japanese war widow recalls her love affair with her deceased husband.

More Like This

Couldn't load this row right now.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter