Release, runtime and language

1946 · 82 mins · Japanese

Directed by

Mikio Naruse

Starring

Haruko Sugimura, Nobuo Nakamura, Ichirô Sugai, Eitarô Shindô, Ken Mitsuda, Seiji Miyaguchi

Although reportedly inspired by Frank Capra’s 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the story follows a soldier who, after returning to Japan, aligns himself with the Japanese Happiness Party and quickly ascends to become a charismatic populist politician, championing the hopes of ordinary citizens.