Love of a Thousand Years - Story of Genji
Directed by Tonkô HorikawaBased on the ancient Japanese "Tale of Genji", this film set in 900 AD tells the story of a famous female writer of the time, Murasaki Shikibu. Her story begins with the death of her husband, a Japanese noble, and moves on to her recruitment to train the Prince's young "wives in waiting." It is dotted throughout with, and actually composed mainly of one the fictional stories she wrote "The Tale of Genji." Genji is a rich playboy who falls in love with his stepmother, who bears his son. He falls in love often and has many wives whom are all completely subservient to him. Genji is played by an actress from the all-female Takarazuka theatre. The two interrelating stories are also interrupted occasionally by phantasmic musical clips from past Japanese teen-idol Seiko Matsuda.
