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The Face of Another

Play trailer Poster for The Face of Another 1967 2h 4m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
After an explosion disfigures a man, a lifelike mask gives him freedom, but with it comes a change of personality.

Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 06/25/2005
The theme is brilliantly and imaginatively explored, and the acting is potent. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia 11/11/2024
6/10
Teshigahara's film has a dense aesthetic, serving as a discursive synthesis to interrogate the alienating effects of modernity on postwar Japanese society, but its erratic narrative lacks any properly stimulating component. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 07/23/2012
B+
Asks probing questions about one's identity. Go to Full Review
Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 02/06/2010
The age of masks -- who wears what? Go to Full Review
Don Willmott Filmcritic.com 07/19/2007
4/5
By the time the movie is over you'll want to rush to a mirror to spend a few minutes staring at yourself. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/12/2005
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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s r @ScottR 11/30/2021 A unique film, but not one that I really enjoyed. It was tedious, except towards the end when things climaxed. Saw it on TCM. See more 11/18/2021 Except the murder in the finale, it is a 5-star movie. See more 09/14/2015 year s/b 1966 not '67 besides that i found this 2b really creepy still today & one more thing would make a perfect dbl feature with 'eyes without a face" or 'open your eyes' See more 09/06/2014 Although it leaves me cold emotionally, this movie is visually stunning and intelligent. See more 05/22/2013 The Face of Another, unlike Pitfall is highly symbolic and relatable. It's a story of identity, and the constant way humans cover up imperfections. Highly philosophical and especially the first half has deep thoughts. Add this to the beautiful but simple visuals, and it's a real treat. This reminded me of so many other films. The Elephant Man and The House is Black immediately come to mind. Then the surreal first half brought Persona and Un Chien Andalou into the mix. I talk about the first half more since it was far more memorable. After the mask came on this became more straightforward, and less stunning. It still brought up interesting new ideas, but lost the spookiness, and emptiness. Which perhaps was intentional, since by the end the main character is completely transformed. I love the opening scene, and all the scenes involving the creation of the mast. Enjoyable art movie. See more 02/03/2013 One of the most incredible psychological thrillers ever made, shot in vacant and cavernous hospital rooms, streets loaded with bodies and the insides of doomed houses. It is deeply unsettling in its portrayal of a man stripped of his identity, only to find out later his "identity" really was his "mask" after all. Powerful stuff, and as always with a Japanese film, shot and framed very, very precisely and meticulously. See more Read all reviews
The Face of Another

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Movie Info

Synopsis After an explosion disfigures a man, a lifelike mask gives him freedom, but with it comes a change of personality.
Director
Hiroshi Teshigahara
Producer
Hiroshi Teshigahara
Production Co
Teshigahara Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 9, 1967, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Apr 1, 2014
Runtime
2h 4m