Kiyoshi Nishimura

Kiyoshi Nishimura
Born(1932-09-07)September 7, 1932
Died(1993-11-17)November 17, 1993
OccupationFilm director

Kiyoshi Nishimura (西村潔, Nishimura Kiyoshi, September 7, 1932 – November 17, 1993) was a Japanese filmmaker and director known for his contributions to the Japanese film and television series industry.

Education

[edit]

Nishimura graduated from Tachikawa High School in Tokyo. During his study years, Nishimura worked part-time at a U.S. military base in Tachikawa. During this time, he became interested in filmmaking. In 1956, he graduated from Hitotsubashi University, where he was a classmate of Shintaro Ishihara.[citation needed]

Career

[edit]

He subsequently joined Toho and worked as an assistant director under Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse, Ishirō Honda, Yuzō Kawashima, Hirokawa Horimichi, Yasuki Chiba, Eizō Sugawa, Kengo Furusawa and Hideo Onchi. In 1969, he made his directorial debut with the action-thriller It's Too Early to Die (Shinu ni wa Mada Hayai), starring Toshio Kurosawa. His next film, Hakuchū no Shūgeki (1970), with Toshio Kurosawa again in the lead role, further solidified his reputation as a distinctive action director at Toho. He was an aficionado of jazz, which was prominently featured in the soundtracks of his films. He was also an avid diver.

As the Japanese film industry continued to decline, Nishimura left Toho to work independently and directed numerous television series. He was noted for his ability to produce high-quality work, even when faced with budgetary and time constraints.

In 1987, a scandal involving his arrest for secretly using a video camera in a public bathhouse (sento) for women negatively impacted his career, and he faced difficulty finding work thereafter. Few companies would hire Nishimura due to the media's heavy coverage of this scandal. After this incident, he transitioned to directing television series, working under the pseudonym Yūsai Itō (井藤雄才).[citation needed]

Death

[edit]

On November 17, 1993, Nishimura was found drowned on the Hayama coast in Kanagawa. A police investigation concluded that he had committed suicide. He was 61.[citation needed]

Filmography

[edit]

Director

[edit]
  • 1969 Shinu ni wa Mada Hayai (死ぬにはまだ早い)
  • 1970 Hakuchū no Shūgeki (白昼の襲撃)
  • 1970 The Creature Called Man (豹は走った, Jagā wa Hashitta)
  • 1970 Kigeki: Otoko Urimasu (喜劇 男売ります)
  • 1971 Sugoi Yatsura (凄い奴ら)
  • 1972 Hairpin Circus (ヘアピン・サーカス, Heapin Sākasu)
  • 1972 Bara no Hyōteki (薔薇の標的)
  • 1973 Yūbae ni Ashita wa Kieta (夕映えに明日は消えた) Unreleased.
  • 1977 Tree of Youth (青年の樹, Seinen no Ki)
  • 1978 Melodies of the White Night (白夜の調べ, Byakuya no Shirabe)
  • 1979 Golden Partners (黄金のパートナー, Ōgon no Pātonā)
  • 1984 Eve in a Summer Dress (夏服のイヴ, Natsufuku no Ibu)
  • 1991 Madonna no Fukushū (マドンナの復讐) Straight-to-video film.
[edit]

References

[edit]