Muddy River (1981): Cast & Plot
Muddy River is a 1981 drama directed by Kōhei Oguri, starring Takahiro Tamura as Shinpei Itakura, Yumiko Fujita and Nobutaka Asahara. It runs 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 45m (105 min)
- Director
- Kōhei Oguri
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- Kimura Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Muddy River About?
The premise of Muddy River without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The film follows two boys whose parents earn a living on the banks of a murky river in Osaka. As their friendship deepens, they are forced to face the loss of youthful innocence, encounters with death, sexual awakening, and the weight of social injustice, revealing how loyalty persists amid hardship.
Muddy River Themes & Keywords
· 12 tags- family relationships
- river
- prostitution
- actual animal killed
- post world war two
- veteran
- death
- animal abuse
- growing up
- 1950s
- restaurant
- based on novel
Muddy River Cast & Characters
Takahiro Tamura leads the cast as Shinpei Itakura, with Yumiko Fujita as Sadako Itakura and Nobutaka Asahara as Nobuo Itakura. Directed by Kōhei Oguri; 12 actors are credited in all.
- Director Kōhei Oguri
- Takahiro Tamura as Shinpei Itakura
- Yumiko Fujita as Sadako Itakura
- Nobutaka Asahara as Nobuo Itakura
- Masako Yagi as Shinpei's First Wife
Also Starring in Muddy River
· 8 more- Mariko Kaga Shoko Matsumoto
- Minoru Sakurai Kiichi Matsumoto
- Makiko Shibata Ginko Matsumoto
- Taiji Tonoyama Man on Festival Boat
- Gannosuke Ashiya Shinoda
- Keizo Kanie Policeman
- Reiko Hatsune Tobacco Shop Woman
- Yoshitaka Nishiyama Warehouse Guard
Muddy River Plot Summary
What happens in Muddy River from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In Osaka, 1956, Shigeo, a child living with his parents Shinpei Itakura and Sadako Itakura in a small diner near the river mouth, meets a boy named Kichi. Kichi lives on a houseboat moored across from the diner, and his sister Ginako is 11. Neither Kichi nor Ginako attends school. Rumors swirl that their mother entertains customers on the boat for a living, but Shigeo doesn’t fully understand.
One day, when Kichi and Ginako visit the diner, rumors spread that Kichi is promoting the houseboat’s services, upsetting Shinpei. This makes Kichi and Ginako feel dejected, as the townspeople whisper about the boat and its occupants, casting a shadow over their simple presence in the neighborhood.
Full summary
The whole story of Muddy River, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Muddy River?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
In which Japanese city does the story of Muddy River take place?
Muddy River Also Known As
7 alternative titles, including “Doro no kawa” and “진흙강”.
- Also known as
-
- Doro no kawa
- 진흙강
- Il fiume di fango
- La Rivière de boue
- 泥之河
- Мутная река
- Το Θολό Ποτάμι
Seen Muddy River?
Movies Like Muddy River
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Mud, The Mud-Spattered Pure Heart and The River with No Bridge.
Muddy River FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Muddy River, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Muddy River?
Muddy River runs 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).
When was Muddy River released?
Muddy River was released on January 30, 1981.
Who directed Muddy River?
Muddy River was directed by Kōhei Oguri.
More films by Kōhei Oguri Who is in the cast of Muddy River?
Muddy River stars Takahiro Tamura as Shinpei Itakura, Yumiko Fujita as Sadako Itakura and Nobutaka Asahara as Nobuo Itakura, among 12 credited actors.
Does Muddy River have a post-credit scene?
No. Muddy River has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Muddy River in?
The original language of Muddy River is Japanese.
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