青い眞珠 (1951): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1951, 青い眞珠 is a notable film directed by Ishirō Honda, running about 99 minutes.

What it’s about. Though recognized worldwide almost exclusively for his colorful kaiju fare, director Ishirō Honda (Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra) was a natural humanist with a particular understanding of the relationship between people and their social environs. His debut fiction feature, The Blue Pearl (Aoi Shinju) – virtually unseen in the west until now – depicts the melodramatic, but keenly-observed interplay between a young man from Tokyo and two ama (pearl divers; literally “women of the sea”) in a superstitious coastal town. Though raised within the same tradition-bound crucible, the two women – Noe and Riu – are portrayed as diametric opposites; the former meek but affectionate, the latter strong-willed but jaded by a tryst with metropolitan life. Nonetheless, Honda provides equal weight to their desires and their ambitions to break free from the social mold imposed upon them from birth.

Who’s in it. 青い眞珠 stars Yuriko Hamada as Riu, Yukiko Shimazaki as Noe, Takashi Shimura as Fujiki and Ryō Ikebe as Nishida, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch 青い眞珠 page.