A young woman returns to the island where she grew up.
Kasumi's mother
Kasumi is in the midst of an affair with Ishiyama, one of her husband's clients. When Kasumi and her family visit Ishiyama's villa in Hokkaido, she plans to abandon them to be with Ishiyama. The next morning, her daughter Yuka disappears, which throws Kasumi's life into turmoil. Years later, Yuka remains missing, and Kasumi journeys back to Hokkaido with Utsumi, a terminally-ill former detective, and tries to follow any leads she can.
Tatsu
Naoto Ogata plays Sadajiro, a young farmer fighting out the battle of the riot through to the end. Sadajiro's wife is played by Hiromi Iwasaki, his father is played by Go Kato and Ryuzo Hayashi plays a leader of the Riot. The Riot in Gujo is called one of the biggest three riots in the Edo Period as it took almost 5 years to settle and also involved the Edo government. This movie is a period film about the riot and Gujo farmers fighting for their tenacity of purpose. The farmers had suffered enough from heavy taxes and decided to rise up in riot when the domain lord, Yorikane, issued a new act, which practically forced tax increases. Asking the lord to retract the act, they pour down to the Hachiman Castle. For once they attain the repeal deed signed by the chief retainer. However the promise is broken. Now the farmers decide to make a direct plea to the Edo Residence…This film is full tension and breathless moments.
Juror #10
ある裁判に判決を下すべく集められた、男女計12人からなる陪審員。判決は全員一致で決めるのが原則で、一同はいったん、被告を無罪にするとまとまりかけるが、サラリーマンである陪審員2号は被告に同情するという理由だけで無罪にすることに異論を唱え、議論を続けるべきだと主張。他の陪審員たちは深く考えることなく無罪に票を投じようとしていたが、陪審員2号が異議を唱えたのを機に12人は被告の殺意を問う議論を始める。
北海道・静内の小さな牧場。ここである日、一頭の仔馬が生まれる。伝説の名馬ゴドルフィンの血をひくこの仔馬は、“オラシオン（祈り）”と名付けられ、元気に育っていく。やがて、オラシオンは和具工業社長・和具平八郎に買い取られる。ある悩みを抱えた平八郎はオラシオンに自らの夢を託すのだった。
Chiaki Onoda a young assisstant sound mixer is unhappy with his job, but otherwise he is enjoying life. He loves his cat, his friends, hunting for girls and breakdancing in discos. A funeral forces him to return home and meet his familiy, which (espicially his father) disapprove of his lifestyle.
Kinuyo Saotome
A young man working as a cameraman in Tokyo is visited for three days by his parents from the countryside.
Omiki (maid at the Kamenoyu)
岡山と兵庫の県境にある山村・鬼首村。そこに村出身の人気美人歌手・別所千恵が帰省して以来、恐ろしい殺人事件が連続して発生する。しかも一連の事件は、村に古くから伝わる手毬唄の歌詞の通りに行なわれていることが判明する。私立探偵・金田一耕助は、どうやら事件の原因に仁礼家と由良家という村の旧家同士の確執があることを察知し、20年前にやはりこの村で起きた殺人事件の謎へと遡っていく。
Considered one of the finest late Naruses and a model of film biography, A Wanderer’s Notebook features remarkable performances by Hideko Takamine – Phillip Lopate calls it “probably her greatest performance” – and Kinuyo Tanaka as mother and daughter living from hand to mouth in Twenties Tokyo. Based on the life and career of Fumiko Hayashi, the novelist whose work Naruse adapted to the screen several times, A Wanderer’s Notebook traces her bitter struggle for literary recognition in the first half of the twentieth century – her affairs with feckless men, the jobs she took to survive (peddler, waitress, bar maid), and her arduous, often humiliating attempts to get published in a male-dominated culture.
