Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2010

Credit: ©2010 「東京島」フィルムパートナーズ

In the early ’50s, legendary Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg became obsessed with the story of Kazuko Higa, a young Japanese woman whose life on a remote Pacific island was turned upside down after the arrival of 30 Japanese soldiers. Although World War II soon ends, these soldiers refused to surrender, and they soon began to vie for Kazuko’s affections. Her husband then died under suspicious circumstances, and the situation devolved into a full-on Lord of the Flies scene, with Kazuko as the prize. Though von Sternberg’s film Anatahan bombed in the US, it was a hit in Japan, and a remake was released in 1956. Now, acclaimed director Makoto Shinozaki (Okaeri) has made a version based on a novel by Natsuo Kirino, which updates the story and adds a few twists. Resourceful 40-something Kiyoko (Tae Kimura) is shipwrecked with her useless husband, and in short order 16 young Japanese guys turn up, followed by a contingent of Chinese sailors. The machismo of von Sternberg’s version is toned down, but so too is the dramatic intensity, making for an interesting yet less than compelling outing. (129 min)