Ai no kaseki / 愛の化石 (‘Fossil of Love’, 1970)

 

Ruriko Asaoka

Yuki (Ruriko Asaoka) isa textile designer who has studied in Europe and become a big success on herreturn to Japan. It probably doesn’t hurt that she looks more like a model thana designer and seems to have an inexhaustible supply of à la mode outfits.Perhaps that’s why magazine journalist Junko (Mayumi Nagisa) thinks she’d makea good subject for an article and assigns her hotshot photographer boyfriendHibino (Etsushi Takahashi) to do the pictures. 

 

Mayumi Nagisa
 Etsushi Takahashi

However, Yuki is extremelyreticent about her private life and something of a control freak, so she makesHibino promise that they won’t use any photos she dislikes. Having a highopinion of himself, he’s a little insulted by this, but reluctantly agrees, allthe time wondering why he’s been given such an assignment. He has ambitions asa serious photojournalist and has covered the conflict in Biafra, a place heintends to head back to as soon as he gets a chance. He gradually learns that Yukiis in the process of getting over a relationship with a man (whom we neversee), and there also seems to be something between her and magazine boss Harada(Jiro Tamiya), but he can’t help being drawn to her despite himself…

 

Jiro Tamiya
 

In 1969, the star ofthis film, Ruriko Asaoka, had a hit single with a song entitled ‘Ai no kaseki’,which you can listen to on YouTube here. Needless to say, this film made tocapitalise on that success has precious little connection with the song, otherthan the vague theme of yearning for a lost love. Although we don’t hear Asaokasing it during the course of the movie, an instrumental version plays out overthe opening credits and the melody recurs at various point throughout. 

 

 

Director YoshihikoOkamoto (1925-2004), who co-wrote the film with Koichi Suzuki, had a backgroundin socially-conscious TV dramas such as Shinobu Hashimoto’s I Want to Be a Shellfish (1958), forwhich he had won an award (and which Hashimoto himself would remake for thecinema the following year). Ai no kasekiis the second of just three feature films by Okamoto, following Tsugaru zessho (‘Tsugaru song’, 1970)and preceding Seishun no umi (‘TheSea of Youth’, 1974). In terms of direction, it’s pretty good, and verywell-shot mostly (if not entirely) on location by cinematographer Yuji Okumura,who was director Yoshishige Yoshida’s regular cameraman during this period. 

 

Asaoka and Takahashi
 

The problem with Ai no kaseki is the story, which – asone might expect from a film inspired by a pop ballad – is simply too thin andnot terribly interesting; it literally goes nowhere. There’s a lot ofthen-topical talk about Biafra, an eastern region of Nigeria which had secededfrom the country in 1967, sparking a civil war which lasted two and a halfyears, after which it was reintegrated into Nigeria. Around one million peoplewere said to have died as a result of the conflict, many from starvation. PerhapsOkamoto sincerely wanted to draw people’s attention to this, but, if so, havinghis privileged characters express their concerns about it in this type of film maynot have been the best way, and, unfortunately, the issue of whether Hibinoreally cares about Biafra or just sees it as a means to win awards is neverreally explored. 

 

 

In terms of the cast,Jiro Tamiya is wasted in a role which gives him little to do and EtsushiTakahashi was a limited actor better suited to action roles. Ruriko Asaoka is fineas usual, but it’s not enough to save this one – not unless seeing her in anendless parade of trendy outfits is enough for you, that is.

The film was producedby Yujiro Ishihara’s company – who had Asaoka under contract at the time – anddistributed by Nikkatsu.

Amazon Japan (no English subtitles)

Thanks to A.K.