Based on a 1956 television feature on Japanâs national network, NHK, this is one of Uchidaâs rarest films. A socially conscious drama with a contemporary backdrop, Dotanba focuses on the attempts to rescue a group of trapped miners. The title is a figure of speech â (essentially âlast minuteâ or âeleventh hourâ) â that refers to a situation of peril. The film boasts a script co-written by Uchida and Akira Kurosawaâs frequent screenwriter, Shinobu Hashimoto, and stars Kurosawaâs frequent star Takashi Shimura.
