Spy Sorge

{{Short description|2003 film by Masahiro Shinoda}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Spy Sorge

| image = File:Spy Sorge poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Film poster

| native_name =

| director = Masahiro Shinoda

| producer = {{plainlist|*Masaru Koibuchi

  • Masato Hara
  • Manfred Durniok
  • Peter Rawley{{cite web |url= https://www-allcinema-net.translate.goog/cinema/239305?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en |title=Spy Sorge (2003) |website=www.allcinema.net |access-date=May 3, 2025}}}}

| screenplay = {{plainlist|*Masahiro Shinoda

  • Robert Mandy

}}

| story =

| based_on =

| starring = {{plainlist|*Iain Glen

}}

| narrator =

| music = Shin'ichirō Ikebe

| cinematography = Tatsuo Suzuki

| editing = Hiroshi Okuda

| studio = {{plainlist|*Asmik Ace Entertainment

}}

| distributor = Toho

| released = {{Film date|2003|6|14|Japan}}

| runtime = 182 minutes

| country = Japan

| language = {{plainlist|*Japanese

  • English

}}

| budget =

| gross =

}}

{{nihongo|Spy Sorge|スパイ・ゾルゲ|Supai Zoruge|lead=yes}} is a 2003 Japanese film co-written and directed by Masahiro Shinoda, about the World War II-era Soviet spy Richard Sorge.{{cite web|url=https://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=1045|title=スパイ・ゾルゲ|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs 映画情報システム|accessdate=2 November 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%91%E3%82%A4%E3%83%BB%E3%82%BE%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B2-717374|title=スパイ・ゾルゲ |work=kotobank|access-date=10 November 2018}} It stars Scottish actor Iain Glen in the title role. Shinoda intended the film, a long and lavish production, to be his final feature. True to his word, the director died 22 years later without having directed another film.

Spy Sorge achieved modest critical and commercial success. Despite this, the film received multiple nominations at the 2004 Japan Academy Awards.

Plot

The film presents the life of Richard Sorge (Iain Glen), a German spy for the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Soviet Army in Japan. Sorge and his contact Hotsumi Ozaki (Masahiro Motoki) are arrested by the Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu (Special Higher Police) in Tokyo, and Sorge recounts the main events in flashbacks.{{cite web|url=https://movie.jorudan.co.jp/cinema/03120/|title=スパイ・ゾルゲ |work=映画の時間|access-date=10 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kinenote.com/main/public/cinema/detail.aspx?cinema_id=52317&key_search=%E3%82%B9%E3%83%91%E3%82%A4%E3%83%BB%E3%82%BE%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B2|title=スパイ・ゾルゲ |work=Kinema Junpo|access-date=10 November 2018}}

Cast

Technical details

Awards and nominations

  • Best Art Direction for Hajime Oikawa at the Awards of the Japanese Academy in 2004
  • Also nominated at the same awards in the following categories:
  • Best Cinematography for Tatsuo Suzuki
  • Best Director for Masahiro Shinoda
  • Best Editing for Hiroshi Okuda
  • Best Film
  • Best Lighting for Hideshi Mikami
  • Best Music Score for Shin’ichirō Ikebe
  • Best Screenplay for Masahiro Shinoda and Robert Mandy
  • Best Sound for Tetsuo Segawa

References

{{reflist}}