The Key

A married couple's only way to talk openly about sex becomes secretly reading each others' diaries. Could jealousy be a way to improve the sex life?
The film takes place in Tokyo, 1956. Professor Anzai suspects that his much younger wife, Ikuko, is sexually frustrated and blames himself. But he can not talk to her about it openly, since she is unable to admit to her own sexual needs. Anzai starts to write about his sexual thoughts in his diary and locks his diary in his desk drawer. But he leaves the key out in the open forthe wife to find, hoping that she will read his diary. A strange game begins, and it gets more complicated as young Kimura enters their lives.
Anzai thinks that I kuko is attracted by Kimura, and his suspicions are confirmed one night when she semi-consciously says Kimura's name during lovemaking. Anzai gets jealous, but strangely enough he is also aroused by his jealousy. He ignores his doctor's warnings about a weak heart, and encourages Ikuko to spend time with Kimura, so he can stay jealous. They are
both secretly reading each other's diaries and finally begin to understand each other.
This is the fifth film version of Junichiro Tanizaki's novel Kagi (The Key), written
in the 50's but sti II modern. The story is about the halting communication between the two spouses. The important thing is not how they communicate, but that they do. It is a beautiful movie with devoted actors, a touching story and colourful characters. East or west, north or south, people will always be alike everywhere.
FREDRIK STENSHAMN

Premiärstatus
Skandinavisk premiär: Medverkande
Akira Emoto, Naomi Kawashima: Manus
Toshiharu Ikeda: Foto
Yonezo Maeda: Musik
Toshiyuki Honda: Talat språk
Japanese