The Fossil
7.4
An industrialist is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is abroad in Europe at the time, and a glimpse of a Japanese woman in that setting causes him to imagine her as the personification of his impending fate. As his dialogue with his imagined mortality continues, he meets the living woman, the template for his fantasy, and together, they tour rural churches. Gradually, he comes to some kind of peace about the diagnosis. When he returns to Japan, he is met with a series of challenges that profoundly test the lessons he has learned.
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Cast
26 people
Shin Saburi
Tajihei Itsuki
Known for
Equinox Flower
The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice
Keiko Kishi
Madame Marcelin
Known for
The Makioka Sisters
Early Spring
Masaki Kobayashi
Also in
Unification of Japan 62
Shun Inagaki
Gin'ichi Kishimoto
Keiichi Uraoka
Hisashi Igawa
Funazu
Known for
Ran
Pitfall
Masayuki Satō
Toru Takemitsu
Yasushi Inoue
Mayumi Ogawa
Akiko Itsuki
Known for
Vengeance Is Mine
Takeshi Yoshida
Masaki Kobayashi Director · Shun Inagaki Screenplay Takeshi Yoshida Screenplay
United States release September 9, 1976 · Produced in Japan · Production Haiyuza Eiga Hoso Company
Production
Yonki-no-Kai Productions
Production
Haiyuza Eiga Hoso Company
Production
Japan
Produced in
Languages
Original title
化石
Original language
Japanese
Spoken on screen
Japanese
Release dates
United States · October 24, 1974
Premiere · San Francisco International Film Festival
Japan · October 4, 1975
Theatrical
United States · September 9, 1976
Theatrical
Netherlands
June 28, 1975 · Premiere · International Film Festival Rotterdam
More from Masaki Kobayashi
Other films they directed, best known first.
Some details come from TheTVDB.