Inju: The Beast in the Shadow (2008)
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow (2008), directed by Barbet Schroeder, starring Benoît Magimel and Lika Minamoto.
score
Synopsis
The writer and college professor, Alexandre Fayard, researches and gives lectures about the gruesome literary work of the mysterious Japanese writer Shundei Oe, considered by him to be the master of manipulation.
- Luciano TovoliCinematography
- Barbet SchroederDirector, Screenplay
- Luc BarnierEditing
- Franck RibièreProducer, Screenplay
About the film
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow (French: Inju, la bête dans l'ombre) is a 2008 film directed by Barbet Schroeder. It stars Benoît Magimel and Lika Minamoto and was filmed on location in Tokyo.
The film is based on a 1928 novel by Japanese writer Edogawa Rampo. The novel has been published in English by Penguin Random House under the title Beast in the Shadows.
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2008, followed by the Toronto International Film Festival in September, 2008. The film was released in France on September 3, 2008.
Read the full article (2k characters)
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow (French: Inju, la bête dans l'ombre) is a 2008 film directed by Barbet Schroeder. It stars Benoît Magimel and Lika Minamoto and was filmed on location in Tokyo.
The film is based on a 1928 novel by Japanese writer Edogawa Rampo. The novel has been published in English by Penguin Random House under the title Beast in the Shadows.
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2008, followed by the Toronto International Film Festival in September, 2008. The film was released in France on September 3, 2008.
Plot
The writer and college professor, Alexandre Fayard, researches and gives lectures about the gruesome literary work of the mysterious Japanese writer Shundei Oe, considered by him to be the master of manipulation. In his underground detective novels, evil always prevails and Shundei Oe has never allowed anyone to see his face. His only image available is a frightening picture on the back of his best-sellers.
Alex travels to Kyoto to promote his successful detective story, that follows the same style of the Shundei Oe, but with a positive message instead. He meets with his publisher, Ken Honda, from the publishing house Hakubunkan, and a geisha who knew the writer. After these finds in his investigation, Alex becomes more determined to find the mysterious writer.
Critical response
Critical reaction to the film after its Venice premiere was mostly negative. Geoffrey Macnab wrote:
Inju, the Beast in the Shadow is a bold but arguably misguided affair....[I]t is pitched somewhere between a B-thriller and Nagisa Oshima's In the Realm of the Senses. Corny plot twists, transgressive sex and self-reflexive asides about cinema sit side by side. Many in Venice found it preposterous and it was given a rough ride by the volatile Italian press.
References
External links
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow at IMDb
Text from Inju: The Beast in the Shadow on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inju:_The_Beast_in_the_Shadow
Trivia
- It premiered on September 3, 2008, a Wednesday.
- It runs 1h45 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "Inju : La Bête dans l'ombre".
- This film's quiz has 12 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosSBS Productions, La Fabrique de Films, France 2 Cinéma
- CountriesFrance
- LanguagesJapanese, French
- StatusReleased
More about this film
Based on
- Beast in the Shadows
Set in
- Japan
Cast
-
Benoît Magimel
Alex Fayard -
Lika Minamoto
Tamao -
Gen Shimaoka
Ken Honda -
Ryo Ishibashi
Ryuji Mogi -
Shun Sugata
Inspecteur Fuji - Fukui Tomonobu Mr. Awase
-
Kazuhiko Nishimura
Inspecteur Matsumoto -
Reika Kirishima
Kumiko -
Kazuki Tsujimoto
Shundei Oe -
Maurice Bénichou
L'agent d'Alex Fayard -
Shiho Fujimura
Patronne de la maison de thé -
Kana Harada
Haruka , jeune maiko - Erika Niibo Yuki, apprentie de Tamao
-
Shinji Ozeki
Ichiro Hirata -
Shuichi Yamauchi
Jeune homme masqué -
Toshi Fujiwara
Toyama, interprète de la police -
Shirô Namiki
Présentateur TV - Guillaume Binggeli Etudiant Sorbonne
-
Yume Miyamoto
Tamao enfant - Ayako Niwa Mere de Tamao
Quiz about this movie
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Tags
Crew
- Luciano Tovoli Cinematography
- Barbet Schroeder Director
- Luc Barnier Editing
- Franck Ribière Producer
- Saïd Ben Saïd Producer
- Vérane Frédiani Producer
- Jorge Arriagada Original music
- Barbet Schroeder Screenplay
- Franck Ribière Screenplay
- Jean-Armand Bougrelle Screenplay
Questions about this film
What is Inju: The Beast in the Shadow about?
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow: The writer and college professor, Alexandre Fayard, researches and gives lectures about the gruesome literary work of the mysterious Japanese writer Shundei Oe, considered by him to be the master of manipulation.
Who directed Inju: The Beast in the Shadow?
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow was directed by Barbet Schroeder in 2008.
Who stars in Inju: The Beast in the Shadow?
The cast of Inju: The Beast in the Shadow includes Benoît Magimel, Lika Minamoto, Gen Shimaoka, Ryo Ishibashi and Shun Sugata.
How long is Inju: The Beast in the Shadow?
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow runs for 105 minutes, or 1h45.
What is Inju: The Beast in the Shadow based on?
Inju: The Beast in the Shadow is based on Beast in the Shadows.
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Page updated on 09/10/2026.
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