This story is based on the novel "Jo no mai" by Tomiko Miyao which is based on the life of painter Shōen Uemura (1875–1949), the first woman to be awarded the Order of Culture. The title refers to the masterpiece bijinga ("picture of a beautiful woman") that Uemura painted at the age of 61. The main character, Tsuya Shimamura, is born in Kyoto as the second daughter of a tea trader who dies before her birth. Tsuya, who loves painting more than anything and is hopeless at housework, attends art school and at age 15 receives the name Shōsui (from the characters for "pine" and "green") from her teacher. The crown prince of England purchases one of her works, propelling her to fame overnight. The novel portrays the remainder of her stormy life, during which she is impregnated by her teacher and raises a fatherless child; through it all she devotes herself to her painting, undaunted.
Credits
Appassionata Cast
| Name |
Character |
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Etsuko Ichihara
She was 47, 82 years old when she died
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Shirô Ôsaka
He was 63, 69 years old when he died
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Kei Sato
He was 55, 81 years old when he died
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Mariko Okada
She was 51, now 91 years old
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as Sei Shimamura |
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Morio Kazama
He was 34, now 75 years old
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Mieko Takamine
She was 65, 71 years old when she died
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Yûko Natori
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Kin Sugai
She was 57, 92 years old when she died
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Junkichi Orimoto
He was 56, 92 years old when he died
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Ken'ichi Nagira
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Tsuyako Okajima
She was 75, 80 years old when she died
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Kunihiko Mitamura
He was 30, now 71 years old
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Ayako Kobayashi
She was 11, now 52 years old
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as Sei as a girl |
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Mikio Narita
He was 48, 55 years old when he died
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Appassionata Crew
| Name |
Department |
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Sadao Nakajima as Director. He was 49 (now 90) years old
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Directing |
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Tomiko Miyao as Original Story. She was 57 (88) years old when She died
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Writing |
