The Inugami Family (犬神家の一族 “Inugami-ke no ichizoku“) is a 1976 film directed by Kon Ichikawa and based on the novel of the same name by Seishi Yokomizo. This film is a whodunnit style murder mystery that follows private detective Kosuke Kindaichi, as he is sent to investigate the strange circumstances surrounding the massive inheritance of the Inugami family, and the series of murders that are connected. It is one of the shining examples of Japanese detective fiction, and in this review I will hopefully give you a good idea of what makes this movie so special.
While not known as widely in the west, this film is actually quite famous in Japan, and has been parodied and referenced in other pieces of Japanese media many times since it’s release. The character Kosuke Kindaichi is one of Japan’s most famous fictional detectives, and Kon Ichikawa, the film’s director, was one of the most influential Japanese film directors of the 20th century. The film was blessed from the start, and was the second highest grossing Japanese film from 1976. This film blends film noir and a Japanese setting to create a very interesting and unique mix of styles, and the mystery itself will keep you hooked the entire way through.
The Story
The wealthy patriarch of the Inugami family, Sahei Inugami, has died, and the whole family comes to his estate to attend the reading of his will. Among the attendees is a mysterious masked man, claiming to be Sukekiyo, a grandson of Sahei who was thought to have been killed in World War II. To the family’s surprise, the massive inheritance is given to a woman outside of the family named Tamayo, on the condition that she marry one of his three grandsons. Soon afterwards dead bodies begin appearing on the estate, and detective Kosuke Kindaichi must figure out who is going as far as murder to get their hands on the inheritance. Given that it is a mystery film, I don’t want to spoil the ending here, but rest assured there are many twists and turns along the way to the film’s exciting conclusion.
What I Liked
Before mentioning anything else, it is impossible to talk about this movie without first talking about the amazing jazz infused soundtrack by Yuji Ohno. The soundtrack does a perfect job of setting the mood of the film, and does a great job of characterizing the main character Kindaichi. The combination of western music and film genres with a very traditional feeling Japanese setting gives the film an interesting and unique feel to it that is hard to find in other films. The film has a very cool 70’s feel to it, and the cinematography in combination with the beautiful setting and costume design gives the film a very memorable atmosphere. A lot of imagery from this film will stick in your head even long after you have finished watching it. Another great point of this movie is the characters, with the lead character Kindaichi being particularly entertaining, and the many quirky members of the Inugami family adding charm and tension to the film. The mystery of the film kept me guessing throughout the whole movie and the big reveal near the end surprised me greatly. This is a very solid murder mystery that is only heightened by it’s unmatched style.
Japanese Culture
Aside from the Japanese scenery, clothing, and architecture seen throughout the film, the aspect of the movie that is most distinctly Japanese is the prominent appearance of a koto in the story. The koto is a Japanese stringed instrument that is also the national instrument of Japan. It typically has 13 strings and is played with three fingerpicks. The koto has been around in Japan since the Nara Period (710-794AD), So it has a very long history and is associated heavily with traditional Japanese music. In western media, whenever they want to depict something as being very Japanese, it is a common trope to have koto music playing in the background. In the film there is a koto player that is featured prominently, and the koto becomes an important clue in one of the murders.
Conclusion
This movie is a great mystery film and I might even consider it my favorite detective movie of all time. I could recommend this film to anybody, unless you just really don’t like murder mysteries (but who doesn’t love a good murder mystery?). The story, characters, soundtrack, and setting all come together to make a unique and striking experience that will stick with you for a long time. This is considered one of the best Japanese movies of the 70’s, and for good reason. I genuinely can’t think of anything bad about this movie. Go watch it.