Rhapsody in August (1991): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Rhapsody in August is a 1991 drama directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Sachiko Murase as Kane (The Grandmother), Richard Gere and Toshie Negishi. It runs 1 hour 38 minutes and earned $517,538 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 38m (98 min)
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- Kurosawa Production
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Rhapsody in August About?
The premise of Rhapsody in August without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
An elderly hibakusha, whose husband perished among the 80,000 victims of the 1945 Nagasaki atomic bombing, spends a summer caring for her four grandchildren. Amid tears, laughter, and quiet innocence, she discovers a long‑lost brother, Suzujiro, living in Hawaii, who asks her to visit before he dies.
Rhapsody in August Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- nagasaki japan
- japan
- war crime
- murder
- 1990s
- grandmother grandson relationship
- nuclear weapon
- post world war two
- co written by director
- old woman
- three generations
- family saga
+38 more Show fewer
- saga
- death of grandfather
- death of husband
- husband wife relationship
- long lost brother
- brother sister relationship
- survival
- hawaii
- vacation
- teenage boy
- tokyo japan
- wealth
- pineapple plantation
- canning factory
- emigration
- japanese
- grandmother granddaughter relationship
- kimono
- food
- eating
- father son relationship
- apology
- reconciliation
- storm
- cousin cousin relationship
- teenage girl
- rain
- umbrella
- jungle gym
- school playground
- aunt nephew relationship
- uncle nephew relationship
- friend
- friendship
- forgiveness
- tragic event
- generation gap
- reading a letter aloud
Rhapsody in August Cast & Characters
Sachiko Murase leads the cast as Kane (The Grandmother), with Richard Gere as Clark (Kane's Nephew) and Toshie Negishi as Kane's daughter. Directed by Akira Kurosawa; 31 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Akira Kurosawa
- Sachiko Murase as Kane (The Grandmother)
-
Richard Gere as Clark (Kane's Nephew) -
Toshie Negishi as Kane's daughter -
Hisashi Igawa as Tadao
Also Starring in Rhapsody in August
· 27 more- Hidetaka Yoshioka Tateo
- Sachio Sakai Mourner
- Chōichirō Kawarasaki Noboru
- Noriko Honma Mourner
- Eiko Koike
- Shigeo Katō
- Kappei Matsumoto
- Narumi Kayashima Machino
- Tomoko Otakara Tami
- Mitsunori Isaki Shinjiro
- Saburô Kadowaki
- Yoshie Kihira
- Mieko Suzuki Minako
- Junpei Natsuki
- Kumeko Otowa
- Shizuko Azuma
Show all 31 cast members Show fewer cast members
Rhapsody in August Plot Summary
What happens in Rhapsody in August from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Rhapsody in August unfolds across Kyūshū and Nagasaki, threading the lives of three generations of a Japanese family as they reckon with the long shadow of the atomic bombing. At the center stands Kane, an elderly woman whose memory is growing unreliable and whose heart still carries the ache of a husband killed in Nagasaki. Her two married children live within postwar Japan, and her brother resides in Hawaii, where his son, Clark, was raised in America. Surrounding Kane are her four grandchildren, visiting the family country home and watching how the past unsettles the present.
Full summary
The whole story of Rhapsody in August, scene by scene
Rhapsody in August Box Office
Rhapsody in August grossed $517,538 worldwide. $516,431 came from the US and Canada and $1,107 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$517.5K
- US & Canada
- $516.4K
- International
- $1.1K
Rhapsody in August Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Rhapsody in August.
How Well Do You Know Rhapsody in August?
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
Which Japanese island does the film primarily take place on?
Rhapsody in August Also Known As
21 alternative titles, including “Another Summer” and “Hachi-gatsu no kyôshikyoku”.
- Also known as
-
- Another Summer
- Hachi-gatsu no kyôshikyoku
- Rhapsodie en août
- Rhapsodie im August
- Hachi-gatsu no rapusodî
- Августовская рапсодия
- Rapsodi i august
- Rapsodia in agosto
- Rapsodia en agosto
- Rapsódia em Agosto
- Серпнева рапсодія
- 八月狂想曲
+9 more Show fewer
- Augustirapsodi
- Ραψωδία τον Αύγουστο
- Rapsodija rugpjūtį
- Srpnová rapsodie
- 8월의 광시곡
- Elokuun rapsodia
- Sierpniowa rapsodia
- Augusztusi rapszódia
- Ağustos'ta Rapsodi
Seen Rhapsody in August?
Movies Like Rhapsody in August
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Children of Nagasaki, A Japanese Tragedy and Late Autumn.
Rhapsody in August FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of Rhapsody in August, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Rhapsody in August?
Rhapsody in August runs 1 hour 38 minutes (98 minutes).
When was Rhapsody in August released?
Rhapsody in August was released on May 25, 1991.
Who directed Rhapsody in August?
Rhapsody in August was directed by Akira Kurosawa.
More films by Akira Kurosawa Who is in the cast of Rhapsody in August?
Rhapsody in August stars Sachiko Murase as Kane (The Grandmother), Richard Gere as Clark (Kane's Nephew) and Toshie Negishi as Kane's daughter, among 31 credited actors.
How much did Rhapsody in August make at the box office?
Rhapsody in August grossed $517,538 worldwide ($516,431 domestic, $1,107 international).
Does Rhapsody in August have a post-credit scene?
No. Rhapsody in August has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Rhapsody in August in?
The original language of Rhapsody in August is Japanese.
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