Thunderstorm

Yamagami, who had been working as an engineer at an automobile factory in Manchuria, returns to postwar Tokyo for the first time in five years and is devastated to learn that his former lover, Mitsuko, had become the wife of Professor Oikawa. Now a married woman, Mitsuko is shocked to learn that Yamagami, who had been falsely reported as dead, is still alive. Conflicted about her feelings, Mitsuko confesses everything to her husband.

Directed by Shigeo Tanaka, Thunderstorm leans on a strong ensemble — Masao Wakahara, Kanji Koshiba, Keiko Orihara — 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 drama titles of 1946.