The Face of Another (1966) Tanin no kao | Region-Free (Blu-Ray) | Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara

Title: The Face of Another (1966)

Alternate Title: Tanin no kao

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Plot Synopsis:
An engineer, Okuyama, suffers severe facial burns in a work-related accident, leading to estrangement from his family and society. His psychiatrist offers him a radical solution: a lifelike mask modeled from the face of a stranger. As Okuyama adopts this new identity, he grapples with profound questions of self-perception and the influence of appearance on one’s personality.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara
• Writer: Kōbō Abe
• Cast:
  • Tatsuya Nakadai as Mr. Okuyama
  • Mikijirō Hira as Dr. Hira
  • Kyōko Kishida as Nurse
  • Miki Irie as Mrs. Okuyama
  • Machiko Kyō as Psychiatrist’s Wife

YouTube Trailer:
The Face of Another | Trailer

IMDb Link:
The Face of Another (1966)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. ReelReviewsAndRecommendations – ★★★★☆
   “A macabre, melancholic masterpiece. Okuyama’s loss of face and adoption of the mask suggest that one’s face is not just a physical feature, but a means of communication with society and oneself.”
2. Bunuel1976 – ★★★★☆
   “While the Japanese New Wave may not have been as well-known or as influential a movement as the French Nouvelle Vague, it yielded a mass of talented, independent, and original filmmakers. ‘The Face of Another’ is a testament to this creative surge.”
3. Magda Mariamidze – ★★★★☆
   “The film raises questions about identity and how it is formed. Does it change or stay the same throughout our lives? How much of human identity is linked with the face?”

Meta Description:
“The Face of Another” (1966), directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, is a Japanese drama exploring themes of identity and self-perception. After an engineer’s face is disfigured in an accident, he receives a lifelike mask, leading him to question the essence of his own identity.