No, this has nothing to do with the 2010s TV series. This is an Akira Kurosawa film from the same year as Rashômon, which would explain why it gets overshadowed.
Somewhat famous painter Ichiro Aoye (Toshirō Mifune) and more famous singer Miyako Saijo (Yoshiko Yamaguchi) happen to stay at the same hotel, and they engage in friendly conversation on a balcony. Alas, it looks juicy enough for photojournalists to spin a tryst tale. Aoye threatens a lawsuit, but Saijo would rather keep quiet and wait for the whole thing to blow over. Editor Asai (Shinichi Himori) believes that Amour magazine will be most profitable doubling down on its false version of events. Aoye hires the first lawyer to approach him, Hiruta (Takashi Shimura), despite the latter having nowhere near the repute of the defense. Hiruta does sympathize, but he can hardly resist Asai waving money at him to take a dive....
Mifune gets highest billing, of course, but I'd say this is primarily Hiruta's story. He says he became dishonest only after getting cheated many times. He's not greedy for his own sake; he wants to support his daughter (Yōko Katsuragi), who's been bedridden with TB for years. She's big on positivity nonetheless, but with her relative purity, she strongly disapproves of his habits. Small wonder he gets very drunk, wishing he could be the hero she deserves.
Kurosawa took inspiration from a few real-life characters. He found that early post-WWII Japan did not exercise much responsibility with the press, and Amour represents the worst. My sources identify it as a tabloid, but clearly a lot of readers take it seriously. Perhaps that's a difference between this setting and the modern U.S., along with the fact that two unmarried celebrities in a sexual relationship now would amount to trivial gossip, unworthy of the label "scandal" in most eyes. (Aoye and Saijo, I'll note, get subsequently larger audiences but want to retreat in shame.)
At the same time, I'm struck by how little has changed. Paparazzi have been the bane of public figures around the world for several generations at least. When Asai says not to try for accuracy over sensation because they can always print a correction where nobody will bother to look, I can totally see today's editors doing likewise, regardless of political bent. It helps me care what happens in the movie.
The resolution is predictable, but I'm relieved to see a rare Kurosawa picture that has a moving plot and is not too dreary in the end. I'd be content to end my exploration of his filmography on this note.
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