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Mountain FogBizan @ the Japanese Film Festival
December 5th 2007 22:04
Last night's showcase film at the 11th Japanese Film Festival here in Sydney was a vibrant, exuberant story of a mother with a terminal illness and her reconciliation with her daughter.
Bizan is the latest film from director Isshin Inudou, starring Nanako Matsushima, known for her leading role in The Ring, and established actress Nobuko Miyamoto.
The entire theatre was wracked with sobs near the end of the movie, including the two guys sitting in front of me. That must've been an awkward conversation when the house lights came up:
Guy 1: Whoa, dude, I ... got something in my eye.
Guy 2: (sniff) Yeah.. yeah... it must be dusty in here or something...
Guy 1: (sob) dusty...
From the story description, you might be inclined to pass this movie up... after all, the whole 'parent-with-a-terminal-illne ss' plot has been repeated ad nauseum (for me, it's most similar to one of my favourite Canadian films, Les Invasions Barbares, concerning a very similar story).
But why shouldn't it? Does the fact that you've seen the story before, does that make the idea of your parents dying any less sorrowful?
No... additionally, director Inudou creates a wonderfully nostalgic picture of Japan, centering on a town called Tokushima, on Shikoku. The town is famous for its annual Awa Dance Festival, which is the focal point for the mother and daughter, as the mother would like to see the dancers 'for the last time'.
Fun fact: The Awa Dance originated in 1587, when a drunken celebration inspired the locals to stumble around, while other drunkards played musical instruments and made up a song. What a way to celebrate!
Everything is shot so crisply, with Inudou combining the static framing and aesthetics of traditional Japanese paintings and the slow-moving, long takes of European cinema. He controls the camera with ease, letting the scene rest on the two actresses.
The pair of them are absolutely incredible - two of Japan's biggest names at the moment, Matsushima coming off the success of her modeling career and The Ring. However, for me, the mother, played by Miyamoto, steals the entire show, then buries it deep, close to the molten core of the Earth.
What a performance! Effortlessly controlling people with the slightest word or gesture... in one scene, she chastises a nurse and doctor by apologizing and bowing. It's a masterstroke, Miyamoto acting as a lady that holds to the traditional Japanese idea of a woman.
The relationship between the daughter and mother is a cold one, so much so that the daughter feels unwanted and unloved. The truth, as we expect, is quite the opposite: the daughter is the sole reason for the mother's existence, and she only wants her daughter to grow up to be a strong, traditional Japanese woman.
From the beginning of the film, you'll recognize that this movie is something special, just from the quality of the filmmaking. As it moves on, though, you'll struggle to maintain composure as the story gets more emotional, winding down to the inevitable conclusion. What's left, though, when you leave the cinema, is a tremendous feeling of renewal and invigoration; Inudou's Bizan is an event, minimally flawed, but truly genuine in spirit.
I say: A superb film from Japan, one that'll make you crave to see the island for yourself, and one that'll break your heart. Will you see it in the theatre? Unlikely in Sydney, so you'd better track it down on DVD. A few easily forgettable flaws: unnecessary narration, slow motion scenes.
See it for: The dancers from the festival are incredible. Inudou captured the vitality and enthusiasm of an unknown (to me) celebration. Vivid and unforgettable.
* the first image is from the festival website and the second image is from this J-drama wiki
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Comment by Anonymous
should probably send you an email, but I cannae be assed.
ta much,
sol.