The Castle of Sand (1974)
[砂の器]
Director: Yoshitaro Nomura
Starring: Tetsuro Tanba, Go Kato, Kensaku Morita
Synopsis:
A pair of Tokyo detectives try to solve a murder with precious few clues to go on.
Impressions:
This is interesting in that most police procedurals are movies or TV shows first, but at least in the beginning, this almost plays out like a documentary. Having lived in Touhoku myself, I really liked all the scenic shots early on when the detectives go to Akita Prefecture following up on a lead. It's a slow, deliberate movie, which may or may not be drawback in your eyes. Speaking for myself, the second half of the movie--which explicates the killer's motive--dragged on to a painful degree. I feel it was about twice as long as needed to really get the point across. Because of this, I can't give this an unqualified recommendation. It is an interesting film, but it's probably too much of a slog for most viewers. Bear that in mind when you make your decision.
50/50