Year Zero of the North

This film (drama)Also known as北の零年，is aJapanProducerwomen sex，At2005Released in year 。The dialogue language isJapanese，Current Douban rating7.0(For reference only)。

A tapestry of love and struggle in the northern fields 　　 　　After the end of the shogunate system, the Meiji Restoration brought tremendous changes to Japanese society. The Inada family, who lived on Awaji Island in Shikoku, was ordered by the Meiji government to relocate to Shikotan in Hokkaido due to political disputes within the Tokushima domain. 　　 　　In the fourth year of Meiji (1871), the first group of 546 members of the Inada family's immigrant group arrived in Hokkaido after enduring two weeks of tumultuous sea travel. On this ship was Komatsubara Hidemasa’s wife—Komatsubara Shino, who managed the family's affairs and was the backbone of the entire journey. Hidemasa had already arrived in Shikotan ahead of the group to begin land reclamation, allowing the couple to reunite. 　　 　　The Inada family ignited a fierce ambition to build their own home, and under Hidemasa's leadership, they sought to carve out a new life on this land. However, the harsh climate conditions of Hokkaido and the dense primeval forests were worlds apart from their warm and fertile homeland, and the crops from Awaji could not grow here at all. At this time, the second group of immigrants faced a shipwreck with heavy casualties, the samurai class was completely abolished due to the fiefdom restructuring, and grain stores caught fire… blows kept coming. Faced with these challenges, the men began to waver, but Shino, from a samurai family, stood out as a pillar of strength, encouraging everyone to "continue living in Hokkaido." 　　 　　After despair set in, Hidemasa and his companions cut off their samurai ponytails, vowing to share their fate with the land. However, without obtaining crops, they could not stockpile food. To learn the latest agricultural techniques, Hidemasa decided to go to Sapporo alone. Yet, Shino and their daughter, Taka, waited anxiously but Hidemasa did not return. 　　 　　Not long after Hidemasa's disappearance, discordant voices emerged from the crowd, and Shino began to be isolated. She believed in her husband and, taking her daughter, set out to search for him. Unfortunately, they encountered a blizzard and collapsed in the snow… A man named Edwin Dun saved them, and in the years that followed, Shino studied horse breeding under him, deeply fascinated by foreign horses and determined to raise horses herself in Hokkaido. 　　 　　Over the years, Taka had grown into a beautiful young lady, and their ranch operations had gotten on track. During her husband's absence, a mysterious man, Ashirika, who lived with the Ainu people, helped them like family. Gradually, a family-like bond developed between Shino, Taka, and Ashirika. Just when the immigrant group's reclamation efforts began to bear fruit and everyone hoped for a good harvest, disaster struck again. 　　 　　The government issued an order requiring Shino to hand over the horses she raised to the state. However, by then, the horses had become an indispensable labor force for agricultural production, and without them, the entire reclamation project would come to a standstill. 　　 　　A sudden locust plague destroyed the crops. 　　 　　In despair and chaos, people struggled desperately. 　　 　　Where will their fate lead? 　　 　　No one could have expected that Hidemasa suddenly returned as a government official from Sapporo… 　　 　　Creative background: A true and bittersweet story of escape and migration 　　 　　The work is based on historical facts. The Inada family, led by Hidemasa and Shino Komatsubara, was ordered by the Meiji government to relocate from Awaji Island in Shikoku to Hokkaido, a mandate backed by a special background. In the Edo period, Awaji, under the rule of the Tokushima domain, was actually governed by the Inada family, which held a status equivalent to a daimyo (similar to Chinese feudal lords). Because of this, the vassals of the Inada family considered themselves direct subjects of the family rather than citizens of Tokushima. However, by the second year of Meiji, the government implemented a new class system, categorizing samurai into soldiers and lower ranks. As a result, while the castle lord became a first-class samurai, his vassals became second-classers. Dissatisfied with this policy, the Inada family initiated a movement to gain independence from Tokushima. Their actions were viewed as rebellion by the Tokushima domain; thus, in the third year of Meiji (1870), Tokushima samurai attacked and burned the Inada family office and the homes of the vassals, leading to the suicides of two members and resulting in 15 immediate deaths, 6 severe injuries, and 14 minor injuries, with many houses damaged. The Meiji government took severe punitive measures; the lord of Tokushima was made to commit seppuku, many people were exiled, and to ensure the separation of the Inada family from Tokushima, they were ordered to migrate to Hokkaido. This unrest occurred during the year of the Metal Horse, hence called the "Incident of the Metal Horse" or the Inada Revolt. Thus, for the uprooted members of the Inada family, the reclamation of Shikotan in Hokkaido was a do-or-die situation with no retreat. Additionally, the American Edwin Dun, who appears in the latter half of the film as a ranch manager, was a real person who engaged in livestock and horse racing in Hokkaido, where a memorial to him still exists. The locust plague that wreaked havoc on crops, while chronologically not precise with historical facts, also did not occur without reason. 　　 　　Behind the scenes: Satellite TV live broadcast made the preview event unprecedentedly grand 　　 　　A preview event was held in Tokyo on December 6 last year, where the film's distribution company Toei spent a whopping 40 million yen for this preview, drawing more than 6,000 fans, making it the largest premiere in Japanese film history. After the appearance of Sayuri Yoshinaga on stage, a press conference began; Toei used artificial satellites to simultaneously send the event from Hokkaido to 13 locations across Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu to Kagoshima, an unprecedented achievement. Moreover, nationwide, ten stores of BICCAMERA's large displays, street billboards, networks, and NTT sent high-quality images, allowing about 5 million people across Japan to experience the event in real-time. 　　 　　The press conference was exceptionally glamorous, starting with a vast assembly of celebrities in the front hall for the nationwide audience. A symphony orchestra led by Michiru Oshima opened the event with performances. This was followed by poems prepared by the reciter Yu Aku and composer Kayo Ouga for the day, along with a flute performance by Masaki Sasaki, which was accompanied by scenes from the film before the cast's entrance. Sayuri Yoshinaga, Toshiro Yanagiba, Yuriko Ishida, Satomi Ishihara, and director Isamu Yamada attended the preview. That evening, Ken Watanabe, who played Yoshinaga's husband, was filming "Memoirs of a Geisha" directed by Spielberg in Los Angeles and could not attend, but sent his greetings via visual phone to everyone present. 　　 　　It is worth mentioning that Toei's extravagant approach drew some criticism, especially since 2004 was a year of severe natural disasters in Japan. However, thinking of Toei President Yusuke Okada's prediction that box office would exceed 4 billion, these investments seemed worthwhile. 　　 　　Behind the scenes roles: Two major movie stars co-star 　　 　　59-year-old Sayuri Yoshinaga is a perennial favorite in Japanese cinema; having entered the industry at 14 in 1959, she has performed in a total of 111 films, including "The Glass Girl," "The Red Peak and the White Flower," "The Heaven's Station," "Chaos in the Flower," "Female Movie Actor," etc. Four years ago, she starred in the aesthetic period film "A Thousand-Year Love: The Tale of Genji," which recounts the story of Japan's first beautiful man, Hikaru Genji, and had since refrained from acting. Finally, after much anticipation, she returned to the big screen to star in "Year Zero of the North." At the premiere on January 15, she tearfully expressed her excitement over the film's success, stating she felt "like an elementary school student who had passed an exam." 　　 　　Ken Watanabe (playing Komatsubara Hidemasa) is 46; he entered the entertainment world in 1979, gaining prominence in 1987 with NHK's historical drama "One-Eyed Dragon Masamune." He made a leap in his screen career with the 2003 film "The Last Samurai," co-starring with Tom Cruise, winning the Best Supporting Actor at the 13th Japanese Film Critics Awards. He is currently advancing into Hollywood, appearing in "Batman: The Beginning" and "Memoirs of a Geisha," among other significant works including "Setouchi Shonen Baseball Team," "Dandelion," and "The Sun Will Rise Again." 　　 　　The friendship between the two leads off-screen is profound. During Watanabe's divorce proceedings, Yoshinaga wrote him letters to encourage him, which warmed him. At the preview, they connected via satellite visual phone, with Yoshinaga fondly recalling, "Although Korean star Bae Yong-joon is very handsome and famous, I feel Watanabe-kun is more gentle, and I still cherish the wonderful kiss scenes we had in the film." Watanabe stated that working with Yoshinaga enriched him; at the premiere, he quickly handed her his handkerchief when he saw her tear up… 　　 　　Highlights commentary: The most luxurious historical epic of the year in Japan 　　 　　"Year Zero of the North" unfolds against the backdrop of Hokkaido's dense and sprawling primeval forests during the Meiji period, creating a grand tableau of a group of young people’s diligent efforts and ceaseless struggles to cultivate a frigid Hokkaido after the Meiji Restoration, interwoven with various rich emotions, bitter hardships, and intertwined love and hatred. 　　 　　The film's female protagonist, Shino, is played by the superstar Sayuri Yoshinaga, while the male lead, who gained international fame through "The Last Samurai" and is about to appear in Spielberg's "Memoirs of a Geisha," is the popular star Ken Watanabe (playing Hidemasa). Additionally, prominent roles are filled by such heavyweight figures as Etsushi Toyokawa, Toshiro Yanagiba, Satomi Ishihara, and Yuriko Ishida, all of whom are notable personalities in the industry. The luxurious cast is led by director Isamu Yamazaki, who has mastered the essence of Iwai Internal Skills, having established his own path since the 2001 film "GO!: Great Rampage," and earned prestige in 2004 with the film "Calling Your Name at the Center of the World." Notably, the screenplay for "Year Zero of the North" is not by an ordinary writer, but by the accomplished Mindako Nasu, who has also written for "Transfiguration" and "The Midday Line of Mist" starring Yoshinaga. 　　 　　The production took seven months from winter to summer to shoot on location in Hokkaido, with the wide screen vividly showcasing the vastness and the true essence of nature. In order to authentically recreate the living conditions of Shino and others during the Meiji period, the crops in the fields, and the ranch in the latter half of the film, all of these outdoor scenes were crafted from scratch, with the production costs for these costumes alone amounting to 1.5 billion yen. Furthermore, the time spent on location shoots, and the 7,000 extras (with over 7,000 outfits designed) are far beyond what ordinary Japanese films can achieve, making this a truly "super production." It's no wonder that even director Isamu Yamazaki found it hard to sleep the night before the premiere, expressing relief in his speech that the film was successfully completed, given the heavy burden it carried. 　　 　　The historical drama successfully expresses romantic love while objectively depicting history. The film ultimately exalts the unwavering belief in a brighter tomorrow, which can inspire and invigorate the audience. As Isamu Yamazaki describes the film's name, "Zero" does not represent emptiness but embodies hope for the future. Zero is both a starting point and a new beginning.