In the last months of the Second World War, the Empire of Japan receives a final gift from the collapsing Nazi Germany: the I-507, a highly-advanced submarine equipped with experimental technology. The mission, as revealed by the grim Chief of Staff Asakura following the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is to intercept U.S. ships transporting a third nuclear weapon to Tinian Island, the principal base from which American B-29s Bombers are striking the Japanese home Islands. The man charged with the mission is Commander Masami - a brilliant destroyer of enemy ships relieved of his command when he opposed the navy's increasing reliance on suicide tactics. Given a last chance to redeem himself, he is burning with zeal, but is ignorant of the various secrets the I-507 carries on board. Once at sea, Lt. Takasu, the owlish technician in charge of the imaging system, refuses to tell Masami what it is or how it works. Masami also discovers that two crew members belong to the "kaiten" suicide corps. He has no idea why they are there -- and neither, for the moment, do they. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is tracking the I-507 with more than usual interest. What, Masami wonders, is going on here? Enough to say that a sweet-voiced teenage girl is part of the master plan and that one of the minisub pilots becomes her protector -- and something more. (Source: Wikipedia) Edit Translation
- English
- magyar / magyar nyelv
- dansk
- Norsk
- Native Title: ローレライ Rorerai
- Also Known As: Lorelei , Shusen No Lorelei
- Director: Higuchi Shinji
- Genres: Military, Drama, Sci-Fi
Cast & Credits
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![Tsumabuki Satoshi in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)]( "Tsumabuki Satoshi in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)")
Tsumabuki Satoshi Main Role -
![Yakusho Koji in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)]( "Yakusho Koji in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)")
Yakusho Koji Main Role -
![Yanagiba Toshiro in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)]( "Yanagiba Toshiro in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)")
Yanagiba Toshiro Main Role -
![Kashii Yu in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)]( "Kashii Yu in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)")
Kashii YuPaula Atsuko EbnerSupport Role -
![Hashizume Isao in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)]( "Hashizume Isao in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)")
Hashizume IsaoNishimiya SadamotoSupport Role -
![Tsutsumi Shinichi in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)]( "Tsutsumi Shinichi in Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean Japanese Movie (2005)")
Tsutsumi ShinichiAsakura RyokitsuSupport Role
Photos
Reviews
I expected way better
The directorial debut of Shinji Higuchi, Lorelei very quickly sinks into ridiculous territory despite the promising initial set-up. Sadly, for all the inspiration it can take from Wolfgang Petersen's Das Boot, the humanisation and exploration into the psyche of the submarine crew was not one of them; so much of the film flounders around with nonsensical political undertones that I've seen people criticise Takashi Yamazaki for, yet it's one full display here. Glorifying suicidal charges and glossing over human experimentation as if it were a trivial matter. So much of Higuchi's talent and style isn't here, often coating everything in a horrendous digital sheen; the direction is okay at best but honestly, it could have been anyone else behind the camera, let alone Higuchi. The acting is easily one of the better aspects with everyone turning in solid performances, however, the cast is given so little to work with that all their characters end up as one-dimensional cutouts. The music by Naoki Satō is passable but far from his best work and the less said about the incredibly rough CG effects, the better. I really wanted to like Lorelei going in, but the dubious political alignments and underwhelming filmmaking stamped out any form of entertainment I could have gotten from this, I expected far better.
