Tora's Pure Love (男はつらいよ 寅次郎純情詩集, Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Junjō Shishū) a.k.a. Torasan Meets his School-Mates[1] and Tora-san's Heart of Gold[2] is a 1976 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Machiko Kyō as his love interest or "Madonna".[3] Tora's Pure Love is the eighteenth entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series, and was Machiko Kyō's penultimate film appearance.[4]

Tora's Pure Love
Theatrical poster
Directed byYoji Yamada
Written byYoji Yamada
Yoshitaka Asama
StarringKiyoshi Atsumi
Machiko Kyō
CinematographyTetsuo Takaba
Edited byIwao Ishii
Music byNaozumi Yamamoto
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • December 25, 1976 (1976-12-25)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Plot

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When Tora-san's infatuation with his nephew's school teacher causes family turmoil, he leaves on his travels again. When he returns, he falls in love with the teacher's mother, who has a terminal illness.[4][5][6]

Cast

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Critical appraisal

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Tora's Pure Love was the sixth top-grossing Japanese film of 1976.[4] However, Stuart Galbraith IV writes that the film is disappointing in comparison with the previous Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset (also 1976), more sentimental and less well-plotted than the earlier film. Galbraith judges Tora's Pure Love nevertheless to be funny, and enjoyable for the scenes between series star Kiyoshi Atsumi and actress Machiko Kyō in one of her last appearances.[4] The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora's Pure Love three and a half out of five stars.[2]

Availability

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Tora's Pure Love was released theatrically on December 25, 1976.[8] In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1996, and in DVD format in 1999 and 2008.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO -TORAJIRO JUNJO SHISHU". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  2. ^ a b "Tora-San's Heart of Gold" (in German). molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  3. ^ "男はつらいよ 寅次郎純情詩集 (Madonna)" (in Japanese). tora-san.jp. Retrieved 2010-01-18. (official site)
  4. ^ a b c d Galbraith IV, Stuart (2005-12-20). "Tora-san 18: Tora-san's Heart of Gold (Region 3)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  5. ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎純情詩集 (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  6. ^ "OTOKO WA TSURAI YO TORAJIRO JUNJO SHISHU (1976)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  7. ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎純情詩集 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  8. ^ "男はつらいよ 寅次郎純情詩集". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
  9. ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎純情詩集(1976) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-18.

Bibliography

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English

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German

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Japanese

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