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The Great Passage

Play trailer Poster for The Great Passage 2013 2h 14m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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An eccentric man in a publishing company, who has unique knowledge of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary.

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times [Ishii] takes his time telling this warm story of the 15-year creation of a definitive print dictionary, but it's a worthy journey. Dec 12, 2013 Full Review Andrew Heskins easternKicks.com Yuya Ishii, director of Mitsuko Delivers and Sawako Decides, returns with an enjoyable tale about the compilation of a new dictionary... Rated: 4/5 Sep 24, 2020 Full Review Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse Yuya Ishii directs a genuinely Japanese film, in theme, style and pace, in the very difficult task of making the compiling of a dictionary into an entertaining movie Jan 26, 2020 Full Review Jennie Kermode Eye for Film A quiet, patient film that takes place almost entirely within just three locations - the boarding house and the young people's places of work - this is a story that seeks the everlasting within the ephemeral. Rated: 3.5/5 Feb 6, 2014 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (11) audience reviews
Audience Member Reading a dictionary is very boring but watching how a dictionary is made isn't boring at all. The performance of Ryuhei Matsuda and Aoi Miyazaki was very award winning. I would say that this is the turning point of Matsuda's career. It's one of the most interesting films up to date. It doesn't have a kissing scene but the definiton of love sank through the bottom of my heart. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A nerdy guy who has no communication skill then falls in love, sounds really cliche, doesn't it. But a nerdy guy who makes dictionary? how many times you watch films about dictionary making. I think that's the real heart of this story, dedication of Majime; how someone who has hard time expressing himself finds peace in world of words and life purpose in it. I also like how it's not about "nerd make over" story, Majime's social skill improved, but he still somehow socially inept (isn't Ryuhei Matsuda really cute). And there are a lot of close up shots of Ryuhei's hands I LOVE THIS FILM. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Quite disappointing, & over-credit, indeed. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member After watching a series of extremely gritty offering from Asia, this was a gentle palate cleanser in its quiet beauty. A long journey of making a dictionary is made compelling in this gem of a film. In an era where instant gratification is the norm, what does it mean to commit professionally to something essential but non glamorous? This film answers this in the best possible way. No wonder it swept the Japanese Academy awards and was Japan's submission to the Oscars. Highly recommended. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member very delicate, very charming Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Fantastic story, well acted and nerdy. A small crew is tasked with the job of writing a dictionary in a time of burgeoning technology, Added fun seeing this with my husband, who is learning Japanese. It's his favorite film of the fest. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Great Passage

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis An eccentric man in a publishing company, who has unique knowledge of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary.
Director
Yûya Ishii
Producer
Kimitaka Goka, Yasuyuki Iwanami, Tomoo Tsuchii
Screenwriter
Kensaku Watanabe
Production Co
TV Tokyo
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Runtime
2h 14m