[3] Directed by Joji Matsuoka and written by Kundō Koyama—the scriptwriter for the film Departures,[4] it is a poignant story of a middle class woman's teenage friendship with a poor artist.
[4][5] The main and supporting cast of Snow Prince was revealed on 11 May 2009,[6] and the filming subsequently took place at a movie village located in Shōnai, Yamagata from November 2008 to February 2009.
It then showcased at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival,[11] and subsequently opened in Japanese cinemas on 12 December 2009.
[13] The film opens when Sayo Arima, a girl brought up in a wealthy family and now an elderly woman, unexpectedly receives a manuscript written by Haigo, a circus clown whom she met many years ago.
It deals with the events seventy years earlier when Sayo was friends with Sota, a poor village boy who lived with his grandfather and dreamt of being a painter.
After the performance, they sneak backstage and are caught by the circus clown Haigo, who kindly gives Sota an egg, which he had intended to buy for his grandfather.
Later, while talking to Sayo's classmates, Sota learns about a legendary paint nicknamed "Night-Sky" which can only be produced from materials unique to a particular pond.
Sota manages to pull her out just in time, but is scolded by Mr. Arima, Sayo's father, for taking her to such a dangerous place.
In the present day again, the old man leaves and Sayo starts playing the "Clair de lune" on the piano.
[19] In the movie, an Akita dog was used instead of the Flemish breed used in the novel, and the setting was moved to Yamagata Prefecture in Japan instead of Flanders, Belgium.
[20] When asked about these changes, director Joji Matsuoka said that "this film is not specifically shot at any location" and that he used an Akita because it is "representative of Japan".
[22] Other notable cast members of the film includes actors Teruyuki Kagawa and Tadanobu Asano, and actress Rei Dan.
[29] In addition, the scene where Mr. Arima's warehouse caught fire was filmed in "Sakata, Sankyo Sōko" (酒田 山居倉庫), Yamagata Prefecture.
This theme song and the formation of the Snow Prince Gasshōdan group was unveiled at an animal welfare organization event on 1 November 2009.
"Snow Prince" is a choral song inspired by Claude Debussy's Clair de lune, or the third movement of the Suite bergamasque.
[32] The Snow Prince Gasshōdan group is a temporary boy choir that was formed specially for this movie, and it is led by actor Shintaro Morimoto.
Snow Prince Gasshōdan is made up of 10 boys, who together, had an average age of 10.5 years at the time of the filming.
[8] According to the movie's release committee, the group Snow Prince Gasshōdan existed until the end of 2010 before it was disbanded.
[10] This was the first time lead actor Shintaro Morimoto traveled overseas, and he said that, "My heart was beating very fast, but seeing the audience response, I gained more confidence in this film".
[39] The home media for Snow Prince was released in DVD (format 2) and Blu-ray Disc versions.
[18] In another pre-release review, Nobuko Yamasaki, writing on behalf of Moviewalker, said that Snow Prince was filled with "tears of gratitude" and Shintaro Morimoto's acting was lovely.
In the critical review entitled "Weep over this princely pile of slush", Mark Schilling criticized the film as "a weeper that ... left me surprisingly dry eyed" and added that "There's hardly a spark of originality in the entire enterprise, unless you count the casting of Tadanobu Asano – the coolest Japanese actor of his generation – as a sad-but-wise circus clown.
"[46] Reviewer Matiko Wataru of the "Eiga-Judge" website said that "this innocent and sad tale tragedy of the boy is too simplistic and the screenplay did not do much.".
The photography and period design are impeccable, while the script deftly acquaints younger viewers with the good that can still emerge from the harsher realities of life.".