Japan Synopsis
化石
An industrialist is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is on a trip to Europe at the time, and a glimpse of a Japanese woman in that setting causes him to fantasize about her as the personification of his impending death. As his dialogue with his imagined mortality continues, he actually meets the living woman who is the template for his fantasy, and together they tour rural churches. Gradually he comes to some kind of peace about the diagnosis. When he returns to Japan, he is met with a series of challenges which profoundly test the lessons he has learned.
The 1974–1976 Japan Window
65 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. The Fossil sits at position #36.
The 1970s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1970s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Fossil premiered. 197 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #3,232 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (29th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is -0.4 points below the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Drama productions specifically: #1,419 of 1,933 (top 73%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | Haiyu-za Film Production Company Ltd., Horo-Kai, Yonki-no-Kai Productions |
| Runtime | 3h 20m |
| Release Date | October 4, 1975 |
| IMDb | tt0135496 |