[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Waga jinsei saiaku no toki

  • 1993
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
477
YOUR RATING
Waga jinsei saiaku no toki (1993)
DramaThriller

Maiku Hama is a private detective working in Yokohama. Agreeing to aid a Taiwanese waiter named Yang who is in search of his missing brother, Hama soon becomes embroiled in a gang war and a ... Read allMaiku Hama is a private detective working in Yokohama. Agreeing to aid a Taiwanese waiter named Yang who is in search of his missing brother, Hama soon becomes embroiled in a gang war and a revenge plot between the two brothers.Maiku Hama is a private detective working in Yokohama. Agreeing to aid a Taiwanese waiter named Yang who is in search of his missing brother, Hama soon becomes embroiled in a gang war and a revenge plot between the two brothers.

  • Director
    • Kaizô Hayashi
  • Writers
    • Kaizô Hayashi
    • Daisuke Tengan
  • Stars
    • Masatoshi Nagase
    • Shirô Sano
    • Kiyotaka Nanbara
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    477
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kaizô Hayashi
    • Writers
      • Kaizô Hayashi
      • Daisuke Tengan
    • Stars
      • Masatoshi Nagase
      • Shirô Sano
      • Kiyotaka Nanbara
    • 14User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos2

    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast21

    Edit
    Masatoshi Nagase
    Masatoshi Nagase
    • Maiku Hama
    Shirô Sano
    Shirô Sano
    • Masaru Kanno
    Kiyotaka Nanbara
    Kiyotaka Nanbara
    • Hoshino
    Hai-Ping Yang
    • Yang Hai Tin
    Te-Chien Hou
    • De Jian
    • (as Hou De Jian)
    Akaji Maro
    Akaji Maro
    • Lt. Nakayama
    Shin'ya Tsukamoto
    Shin'ya Tsukamoto
    • Yamaguchi
    Jô Shishido
    Jô Shishido
    • Joe
    • (as Joe Shishido)
    Haruko Wanibuchi
    • Lily Hama
    Kaho Minami
    Kaho Minami
    • Byakuran
    Mika Ohmine
    • Akane Hama
    Housei Kondo
    • Kondo
    Masako Miyaji
    • Masako
    Kenji Anan
    • Kitamura
    Zen Kajihara
    • Iwasaki
    • (as Zen Kajiwara)
    Hiro Arai
    • Arai
    Chien Hsiu
    Yuan-Chi Lu
      • Director
        • Kaizô Hayashi
      • Writers
        • Kaizô Hayashi
        • Daisuke Tengan
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews14

      6.9477
      1
      2
      3
      4
      5
      6
      7
      8
      9
      10

      Featured reviews

      8I_Ailurophile

      The sharp mix of genres, styles, and aesthetics make for an unexpectedly potent crime flick

      I highly recommend folks watch movies that they've never heard of before, and those they come across only by chance. The results can range from real gems, to absolute stinkers, to sometimes just fun joy rides, but one way or another they may lead us down a rabbit hole of finding more, and we'll expand our purview as movie-goers. Take this 1994 release, for example. It was the luck of the draw that brought me to a film that mixes together a contemporary setting, select aesthetics and notions pulled from detective or noir stories of the 40s or 50s, sensibilities of hard violence from the 60s onward, and sparing touches of humor of the 90s. That grab bag alone catches one's attention quite swiftly, and the execution also shows itself in no time to be a blend of the earnest and the (wryly) playful. With this in mind there's much to appreciate in 'The most terrible time in my life,' to one extent or another including Hayashi Kaizo's shrewd shot composition and Nagata Yuichi's luscious cinematography; the fetching production design and art direction; the fetching costume design, hair, and makeup; and plainly vivid stunts and effects. From the use of lighting and shadow, to the black and white presentation, to the rich, varied, vibrant music of Kumagai Yoko, Urata Kazuharu, and Urayama Hidehiko, this flick bursts with flavor in many different ways, and I truly appreciate the craftsmanship, and the skill and intelligence that everyone contributed to shape scattered influences into something fresh and original.

      The storytelling is a smidgen less sure-footed, perhaps, whether owing to Hayashi's direction, the screenplay he penned with Tengan Daisuke, or at times Tomita Nobuko's editing and sequencing. Whether as written or realized, some scenes and plot development are lacking in absolute clarity or cohesion, and the editing chops things up more than is necessary. In a swirl of thoughts from different decades and genres, we're given an engaging, compelling narrative of a plucky private investigator whose innocent search for a Taiwanese immigrant spins out into the nasty business of brutal gangs. The plot is marvelously smart and compelling all told, with distinct, absorbing threads that are all interesting in and of themselves - moreover including fine characters, robust scene writing, and meaningful dialogue. I just rather think that when all is said and done the picture could have been tightened and more focused, thereby rendering it more fully cogent, especially as the tone shifts somewhat roughly from beginning to end. Far more than not 'The most terrible time in my life' is excellent, and it's even better than I could have hoped when I stumbled onto it. It's just that in seeing what it mostly does so well, I also see where it falters to some degree, and the entirety isn't perfect, or as impactful as it could have been with a tad more mindfulness. Of course, for as sharp as this mostly is, at this point any question of quality is one of semantics more than substance.

      The feature isn't necessarily one to go out of your way to see, but quibble as we may about the particulars, it's hard to go wrong here. Provided strong violence is no obstacle this is pretty great overall, and I'm happy to give 'The most terrible time in my life' my solid recommendation.
      10vol2

      cult cinema/old serials styled psychological yakuza thriller

      This film instantly became one of my favorite movies after watching it. Starring Masatoshi Nagase, who first came to the notice of American audiences after appearing in Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" (1990), this serial styled private eye film just oozes with creativity and dark humour. It's got everything I look for in cult films: ultra-violence, weird cult gangs, great style and a downbeat plot. Some folks will undoubtedly be confused by this movie, especially those who lack interest in cult cinema or those who are not used to the pacing of Japanese films. What can I say, this is not going to be for everybody, but to those who really get it, and you will know who you are, this movie is a classic waiting to happen.
      6augean_studio

      A movie that can't make its mind up

      Okay, so we begin with the Mike Hammer parody, the office in a movie theater, and the detective (wildly overdressed) drives a Rambler. Then the mood turns serious and we're supposed to take this clown seriously after all. There was either a bad script or a director who didn't understand the script. The results are a few moments of humor, some pretty gory violence, and almost total incomprehension on my part. There may have been clever curve balls the director was throwing, and I couldn't pick up the spin of the ball. If so, ah well. But if I'm correct, this confection just isn't worth the time it takes to watch it. Good cinematography and clever "cute" ideas start the film off, but they wear out their welcome about halfway in.
      8ahotmaailaddress

      Classy, sick, entertaining, great.

      This one caught my eye in the foreign section of Hollywood Video. I've heard it said that noir is a dead type of film, not so. Though in many ways this parodies the noir films of the 40s and 50s, it had its strengths and comes across as a noir pretty well.

      The lighting was amazing, as was the framing framing; every shot was perfect and the plot wasn't half bad.

      When the film started, I thought it was set in the 50's or thereabouts, with the protagonist driving a Nash Metropolitan and the theatre featuring Cinemascope. But at one point a character suggests that fingers can be reattached now, and then more modern cars were shown parked on the street, stuff like this can get to you.

      I loved this, I would definitely recommend it.
      ottaky

      What's not to like?

      A private eye film, in Japanese, shot in black and white with the hero going by the name of Maiku Hama whose office is in a movie theatre. How can you go wrong with a combination like that?

      This is a really clever film that veers confidently between mild violence, comedy and a relatively interesting story line.

      It's the little things that really make this film stand out - the scene where Maiku is beaten mercilessly with a stick by his sensei is hilarious. The cold blooded murders aren't graphic, but you'll remember them for a long time. The cinematography is first rate, especially the use lighting which really makes the black and white medium work fantastically well.

      Highly recommended.

      More like this

      Haruka na jidai no kaidan o
      6.8
      Haruka na jidai no kaidan o
      Wana
      6.7
      Wana
      Yumemiru yôni nemuritai
      7.2
      Yumemiru yôni nemuritai
      Nûdo no yoru
      6.5
      Nûdo no yoru
      Le Lézard noir
      6.9
      Le Lézard noir
      Notre agent de Harlem
      7.2
      Notre agent de Harlem
      Ghost Killer
      6.3
      Ghost Killer
      Shinjû: Ten no Amijima
      7.6
      Shinjû: Ten no Amijima
      Yoru ga mata kuru
      6.4
      Yoru ga mata kuru
      La Femme du sable
      8.4
      La Femme du sable
      Super Happy Forever
      6.8
      Super Happy Forever
      Cloud
      6.4
      Cloud

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Connections
        Features Les Plus Belles Années de notre vie (1946)

      Top picks

      Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
      Sign in

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • March 5, 1994 (Japan)
      • Countries of origin
        • Japan
        • Taiwan
      • Languages
        • Japanese
        • Mandarin
      • Also known as
        • The Most Terrible Time in My Life
      • Production companies
        • Associated Detective Agencies
        • Film Detective Office
        • For Life Records Inc.
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        • 1h 32m(92 min)
      • Color
        • Black and White
      • Sound mix
        • Dolby
      • Aspect ratio
        • 2.35 : 1

      Contribute to this page

      Suggest an edit or add missing content
      • Learn more about contributing
      Edit page

      More to explore

      Recently viewed

      Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
      Get the IMDb App
      Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
      Follow IMDb on social
      Get the IMDb App
      For Android and iOS
      Get the IMDb App
      • Help
      • Site Index
      • IMDbPro
      • Box Office Mojo
      • License IMDb Data
      • Press Room
      • Advertising
      • Jobs
      • Conditions of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Your Ads Privacy Choices
      IMDb, an Amazon company

      © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.