萎れかけた春のために

A lonely man cries, a lonely woman laughs. A young salaryman is fed up with the mundane but secure life he leads and goes AWOL from work. On a whim, he calls Noriko, a woman he once played with, and goes to take care of her in bed with a cold. Noriko is cheerful and innocent, and he begins to tell her about his daily frustrations and his dissatisfaction with society, which he has not even told his wife... Director Sugiura has put a lot of effort into creating appealing characters in this film. The film uses elaborate dialogue and UFO catchers to portray the sense of discomfort that most people today feel at one time or another, that even if they have no clear grievances, they will be taken in by society and become boring salarymen.

Directed by Akiyoshi Sugiura, 萎れかけた春のために leans on a strong ensemble — Arai Yuko, Mihori Koichiro, Keiko Sugano — 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 1992.