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Departures (Yôjirô Takita - 2008)
Masahiro Motoki stars in this sometimes comic, often fascinating and frequently moving drama that deals with the practicalities and superstitions surrounding death. The orchestra Kobayashi has worked so hard to become part of as a cellist is suddenly disbanded just as he secures his spot, and he's forced to sell his cello, move back to his hometown and make a new start in life with his young wife. Short on cash he answers a classified ad in the paper with the heading 'departures' that he thinks is some sort of travel agency but is actually for a "Nokanshi" or 'encoffiner' - a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. As death is a subject many people in Japan want nothing to do with there is a terrible stigma attached to those who deal with the business of death and the dying. Consequently Kobayashi doesn't tell his wife what he does for a living thinking he'll come across a 'real' job soon enough. However, the more he learns about being an encoffiner the more he comes to realise it may be his true calling in life, rather than being a famous cellist. This film features some lovely performances - especially from Masahiro Motoki as the apprentice nokanshi and Tsutomu Yamazaki, who puts in a wonderful performance as his idosyncratic but ultimately supremely professional boss. One of the very best films to come out of Japan for quite some time. |
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Fires on The Plain (Kon Ichikawa - 1959)
Based on the novel 'Nobi' by Shohei Ooka, 'Fires on The Plain' follows Tamura - a private in the Japanese army suffering from tuberculosis and desperately trying to stay alive during the latter stages of the second world war on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. With little or no equipment and soul crushing conditions, Tamura rquests help from the high command and is told to commit suicide if he can't get help from the nearest hospital. Off he goes with a couple of yams and the rest of the film is concerned mostly with the apalling deprivation and desperate conditions Tamura and the other soldiers in the squad he meets up with have to endure, many of them even resorting to cannibalism. This is just about the grimmest war film you're ever likely to come across. The realism Ichikawa achieves is almost palpable, and his decision to use black and white photography was definitely the right one. |
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The Human Condition (Masaki Kobayashi - 1959-1961)
This is a trilogy of films following the life of Kaji, a Japanese pacifist and socialist, as he tries to survive the trials and tribulations he faces during the second world war. In the first film, Kaji marries his sweetheart and is sent to manage a forced labour camp where he tries and fails in his attempt to treat the prisoners iin his charge with humanity instead of cruelty. In the second film Kaji is conscripted into the Japanese army who eventually fall to the Soviets. In the third he's captured by the Red Army, tortured and eventually escapes. He then sets off on an arduous journey across a winter wasteland in search of his wife. The trilogy clocks in at a whopping nine hours and forty-seven minutes and if that sounds like too much to endure let me assure you it could have been another couple of hours longer and I would have been perfectly happy. The most moving and humanistic depiction of one man's struggle against adversity I've ever seen, and one of the most impressive all-round achievements in world cinema for my money. |
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Sansho The Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi - 1954)
Set in medieval fuedal Japan this epic story begins with a governor being banished from his position because of his sympathy for the peasants over which he rules. His wife and two children set out to join him but are beset by bandits who sell the wife into prostitution and the children into slavery. The majority of the film focusses on the plight of the children, now slaves to the merciless Sansho, and details their miserable existence at his hands over many years. The boy Zushiô is the emotional core of the film, and his odyssey from innocent child, through uncaring henchman and final redemption is masterfully depicted. This is one of the most impressive and enjoyable film experiences there is to be had from any corner of the globe, and from any era. Mizoguchi directs with a fine attention to detail, and deals with issues of family, loyalty, separation and suffering with a deep humanism, a deft touch, and a wonderful eye for compositon. A powerful film featuring fully drawn characters, wonderfully played by great actors, under the guidance of a director who was at the top of his game. It doesn't get much better than this. |
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Tokyo Twilight (Yasujiro Ozu - 1957)
Two sisters, Akiko and Takako, live with their father in Tokyo. Takako has returned to the family home after an unsuccessful marriage and Akiko soon falls pregnant to a local gigolo who cares nothing for her. While seeking funds for an abortion Akiko learns the truth about her mother who is not in fact dead, and that the man she's spent her life with may not be her real father. This is powerful, dark material Ozu is dealing with - especially surprising considering the time it was made, when a lot of the issues raised here were taboo. The performances are uniformly excellent, and the cinematography is lovely - this would be Ozu's last black and white film. It's a very naturalistic film which deals with similar events as you might find in a soap opera, but which is never sensationalised or trivialised. Ozu's formal shooting style and perfect framing make this an engrossing experience. |
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Vengeance Is Mine (Shohei Imamura - 1979)
The true story of serial killer Akira Nishiguchi is brought to life with chilling realism by Japanese maverick Imamura. Ken Ogata plays the murdering fraudster who slides through the film killing when the need arises with absolutely no remorse. The killer's backstory is shown in a series of flashbacks illustrating the life of deprivation he experienced, leading up to his current dim view of the world and the people in it. This was quite a shocking film because of its depiction of the murders in such a flat, mundane way, and the total lack of empathy the main character displays towards his fellow man. Also, quite disturbing because of the way he continually confounds the police - this is one film where you're not rooting for him to get away with it. Ogata is outstanding in the lead role and Imamura lives up to his reputation as one of the most interesting and fearless directors to come out of Japan. |
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Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano - 2003)
'Beat' Takeshi Kitano film, and in this one he has a stab at the Blind Swordsman story. Kitano himself, sporting a bleached white head of hair, plays the title role with a nice sense of the absurd. The action scenes are short and sweet, with lots of cgi blood-spurts and flying limbs, and there's a wonderful sense of humour running throughout the film, with villagers having the odd accident with those big unweildy swords, and the occasional maniac hurtling through the frame screaming at the top of his lungs for no apparent reason. However, this all pales when compared to the Brazilian riverdance all the villagers break into at the end of the film, which just tops the whole thing off on a truly bizarre note. A hugely enjoyable chunk of fun. |
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