Not To Talk About All Of Her Old Age

Aoyama Shinji’s Film History—and simultaneously a chronicle of modern Japanese history—layers together images of present-day landscapes, newsreels, and photographs of Emperor Shōwa as well as of Kōtoku Shūsui and Sugako Kanno, who were executed in the High Treason Incident, with readings of texts by Nakano Shigeharu (Five-Shao of Sake, Shinagawa Station in the Rain) and Natsume Sōseki (Recollections).

Directed by Shinji Aoyama, Not To Talk About All Of Her Old Age leans on a strong ensemble — Kunitoshi Manda, Akiko Ohku, Yōichi Nishiyama — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2001.