The Most Beautiful (1944)
Young women at a precision optics factory in wartime Japan push to exceed production quotas, enduring illness, injury, and personal hardship to “serve the country.” Led by Tsuru Watanabe, they fight fatigue and setbacks to keep their line moving—even when duty collides with grief.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
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Takashi Shimura as Chief Goro Ishida |
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Shōji Kiyokawa as Soichi Yoshikawa, Chief of General Affairs Section |
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Ichirō Sugai as Ken Shinda, Chief of Labor Section |
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Takako Irie as Noriko Mizushima, dorm mother |
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Yôko Yaguchi as Tsuru Watanabe, president of women workers |
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Sayuri Tanima as Yuriko Tanimura, vice president of women workers |
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Sachiko Ozaki as Sachiko Yamazaki |
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Shizuko Nishigaki as Fusae Nishioka |
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Asako Suzuki as Asako Suzumura |
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Haruko Toyama as Masako Koyama |
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Aiko Masu as Tokiko Hiroda |
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Kazuko Hitomi as Kazuko Futomi |
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Shizuko Yamada as Hisae Yamaguchi |
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Itoko Kōno as Sue Okabe |
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Emiko Rei as Chie Shima (uncredited) |
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Haruko Mii as Haruko Kawai (uncredited) |
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Minori Toyohara as Minori Yoyota (uncredited) |
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Eiko Hirayama as Yoshiko Shirayama (uncredited) |
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Harue Yamashita as Kiyo Mishima (uncredited) |
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Mineko Mashiro as Mineko Bando (uncredited) |
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Isuzu Miyakawa as Shizue Miyazaki (uncredited) |
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Michiko Oikawa as Michiko Ayukawa (uncredited) |
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Teruko Kato as Teruko Sato (uncredited) |
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Akitake Kōno as Fire and drum band instructor (uncredited) |
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Unpei Yokoyama as Dormitory worker (uncredited) |
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Chieko Nakakita as Student worker (uncredited) |
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Koyuri Tanima as Factory worker (uncredited) |
| Directing | Akira Kurosawa | Director |
| Writing | Akira Kurosawa | Writer |
| Production | Motohiko Itō | Producer |
| Production | Jin Usami | Producer |
| Art | Teruaki Abe | Production Design |
| Sound | Seiichi Suzuki | Music |
| Camera | Jōji Ohara | Director of Photography |
