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The Catch

Name: The Catch
Genre: War, Drama
Released: 1961-11-22
Cast: Rentaro Mikuni, Akiko Koyama, Yōko Mihara, Hugh Hurd, Masako Nakamura

1961 | 105 min | War, Drama

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With almost no lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Aimed squarely at fans of prison dramas and anyone interested in what war does to people. The walls close in, and so does the tension. A good follow-up to Empire of the Sun or Letters from Iwo Jima. It puts you in the middle of the fighting, and doesn't let you forget the cost.
The mood: Intense.
The pace: Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 45 min.
What might put you off: It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Made in 1961: an older pace and style.
Not the one if you want explosions or easy laughs.

Towards the end of WWII, a black American pilot is captured and imprisoned by rural Japanese villagers, who await official instructions as to how to proceed with their 'catch'.

How it earned its rating

CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 4K people sought it out in the past year

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Cast & crew

Directed by Nagisa Ōshima

Rentaro MikuniKazumasa Takano
Akiko KoyamaHiroko Ishii
Yōko MiharaSachiko Tsukada
Hugh HurdBlack Soldier
Masako NakamuraHisako
Teruko KishiMasu
Sadako SawamuraKatsu
Kyū Sazanka
Rokkō Toura
Jun Hamamura