Black Line
黒線地帯
Synopsis
Freelance reporter “Scoop” Machida is hot on the trail of a prostitution ring called the Black Line, when he is framed for the murder of a young woman. Forced to clear his own name, the handsome journalist sinks deeper into the Black Line’s rotten swamp of drugs, prostitution, and murder and finds unexpected help in Maya, a steamy female gambler familiar with the neon-lit streets, shadowy alleyways, and seedy nightclubs he must navigate. The closest film in the Line series to classic American film noir, Ishii’s Black Line is a pulpy assortment of crime film conventions including the starkly expressionistic black and white cinematography by Jûgyô Yoshida, a jazzy music score by Michiaki Watanabe, and a sleazy screenplay by Ishii and Ichirô Miyagawa.
Part of the Chitai collection
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Top Cast
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Shigeru Amachi
Koji Machida
Utako Mitsuya
Misako
Yōko Mihara
Maya
Toshio Hosokawa
Goro Torii
Reiko Seto
Reiko Onuma
Kyôko Yashiro
Chiaki
Junko Uozumi
Kaneko Sano
Hiroshi Ayukawa
Hotel manager
Yuji Munakata
Joe
Jun Ōtomo
Yukichi Tachibana
Masaru Kodaka
Photo seller
Ryuji Moriyama
Taizo
Hiroshi Asami
Kayoko (gay boy)
Miho Jo
Hotel maid Tokiko
Kuniko Yamamura
Kayo
Yoko Nanbara
Emi Hamaguchi
Kyōko Katsura
Kyôko
Keiko Minakami
Singapore (waitress)
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Teruo Ishii
- Screenplay & Story
- Ichirō Miyagawa, Teruo Ishii
- Original Score
- Chumei Watanabe
- Original Title
- 黒線地帯
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 20m
- Production Studios
- Shintoho Company
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Teruo Ishii
Ichirō Miyagawa, Teruo Ishii
Chumei Watanabe
Jugyo Yoshida
Hideo Kashima
Mitsugi Okura
Department Leadership Roster
Teruo Ishii
Director
Jugyo Yoshida
Director of Photography
Chumei Watanabe
Original Music Composer
Hideo Kashima
Editor
Ichirō Miyagawa
Screenplay
Teruo Ishii
Screenplay
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Black Line.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Black Line
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Black Line about?
Freelance reporter “Scoop” Machida is hot on the trail of a prostitution ring called the Black Line, when he is framed for the murder of a young woman. Forced to clear his own name, the handsome journalist sinks deeper into the Black Line’s rotten swamp of drugs, prostitution, and murder and finds unexpected help in Maya, a steamy female gambler familiar with the neon-lit streets, shadowy alleyways, and seedy nightclubs he must navigate. The closest film in the Line series to classic American film noir, Ishii’s Black Line is a pulpy assortment of crime film conventions including the starkly expressionistic black and white cinematography by Jûgyô Yoshida, a jazzy music score by Michiaki Watanabe, and a sleazy screenplay by Ishii and Ichirô Miyagawa.
Who directed Black Line?
Black Line was directed by Teruo Ishii.
Who stars in Black Line?
The principal cast of Black Line includes Shigeru Amachi, Utako Mitsuya, Yōko Mihara, Toshio Hosokawa, Reiko Seto.
When was Black Line released and how long is it?
Black Line was released in 1960 with a total runtime of 1h 20m.
Who composed the musical score for Black Line?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Black Line was composed by Chumei Watanabe.