Five Men in a Circus

Overview

The main focus is on the 5 member band of a small circus as it runs into problems while touring rural Japan. It also pays lots of attention to the two daughters of the aging and irascible ringmaster-circus owner. The high points are the sound (and score) and cinematography featuring a lot of vertiginous panning (appropriate - as high wire trapeze artists are also an important element in the film). A fascinating side-light on 30s Japan.

Cast

Heihachirō Ōkawa

Kokichi

Hiroshi Uruki

Torakichi

Kamatari Fujiwara

Tadakichi

Riki Miyagawa

Rokuta

Kō Mihashi

Seiroku

Sadao Maruyama

Chief Travelling Circus

Koji Kaga

Kunio, the acrobat

Kajiya Morino

Matsumoto the Manager

Masako Tsutsumi

Chiyoko

Ryuko Umezono

Sumiko