Japan Synopsis
Roughly chronological, from 3/96 to 11/96, with a coda in spring of 1997: inside compounds of Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist sect led by Shoko Asahara. (Members confessed to a murderous sarin attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995.) We see what they eat, where they sleep, and how they respond to media scrutiny, on-going trials, the shrinking of their fortunes, and the criticism of society. Central focus is placed on Hiroshi Araki, a young man who finds himself elevated to chief spokesman for Aum after its leaders are arrested. Araki faces extreme hostility from the Japanese public, who find it hard to believe that most followers of the cult had no idea of the attacks and even harder to understand why these followers remain devoted to the religion, if not the violence.
The 1997–1999 Japan Window
162 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. A sits at position #115.
The 1990s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1990s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when A premiered. 447 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #3,447 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (25th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is -0.6 points below the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Documentary productions specifically: #43 of 50 (top 86%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | 'A' Production Committee |
| Runtime | 2h 16m |
| Release Date | September 9, 1998 |
| IMDb | tt0241146 |