Cinema | A Man
My first foray into Japanese Cinema
Note: This write-up doesn’t contain any spoilers.
When I first came across intel on a Japanese Movie Festival organised by the Japan Foundation, I was transported to the time when I used to have calls with Japanese counterparts at my first job when I was trying to localise their Fuso Fuel Tanks. We used to address them with the suffix ‘San’.
Their design was not mindblowing, but I respected their attention to detail and respect for the process. No wonder the Japanese pioneered JIT and QC frameworks used in the manufacturing sector worldwide. But, I had not explored their culture beyond Sushi dishes. So, this seemed like an enticing opportunity.
‘A Man’ is probably the first Japanese movie I’ve seen. Despite low IMDB ratings, I was quite excited about this movie as it had won the Best Film award from the Japanese Academy (of course, some achievement drives interest). I was quite intrigued by the theme.
After reaching the theatre, I felt really stupid when I learned I had booked the first-row seat instead of the last row. Sleeplessness induces such lapses. After thirty minutes, I found an empty seat in the third row. This somewhat solved the shitty situation I had landed in.
Initial Thoughts
The movie's main characters are Rie, a divorcee and Daisuke, a part-time artist and an employee of a timber company. The two meet in a small town, fall in love and marry. Daisuke dies in a workplace mishap. However, Rie learns that Daisuke is not the real name of her dead husband.
The third key character enters the scene after the wife learns about this shocking news. Akira, a lawyer with Korean origins, is assigned to investigate the matter.
The initial pace of the movie is quite fast. Things progress so fast after introducing the grieving heroine who runs a store. The elusive artist enters the scene to buy stationery.
First scene: tense meeting.
Second scene: the prospective lovers kiss on their first date.
Third scene: family breakfast with kid.
This truly exemplifies Zuckerberg’s move-fast and break-things ideology.
However, it was a necessary storytelling decision as the meat of the story is in the investigation part of the dead husband.
The surprise moment of the movie, well described in the movie summary on major sites, shows the brother claiming that the Daisuke in the picture is not the real Daisuke. This messes with the mind of the wife and her child as well.
Unlike most Bollywood movies, the actors' expressions and the scenes' structure are always measured and dignified. The camera work of the crew is aesthetically pleasing and portrays the countryside and cities of Japan with great finesse.
The acting may not be over the top, but there is substance in the words and subtle changes in the facial expressions, just like the nutrition packed in a bland sushi.
Cultural, Social and Philosophical Facets
The movie captures several facets of Japanese society and culture. It portrays how people die due to overwork and discriminates against people of Korean origin. Akira, a successful naturalised Japanese lawyer, is not spared as his origins are Korean.
During a dinner-table conversation, Akira's father-in-law accuses Koreans of consuming pension funds without being sensitive about Akira’s feelings. It also hints at a racket of Korean thieves running identity change scams.
The cultural POV introduces one to Japanese religious ceremonies for dead individuals. Similar to Indians, they worship images of dead individuals in their shrines. I was also impressed by the close family relationships in Rie’s home. Children live with their parents even after getting married and having kids.
Philosophically, the movie believes that a person can shrug off his/her past if the person’s heart is in the right place. Society may sometimes kill the spirit of those who want to change. An individual might be born in a difficult or troubled environment, but still, they can be better through their own choice.
The movie firmly believes in the restorative justice philosophy rather than a retributive or vindictive justice system. It is hard to believe that, as individuals, we seek retribution, but as a society, we are practising a restorative philosophy.
I was reminded of my childhood and my relationship with my father. There were a few emotional scenes where I cried a bit.
The movie left a deep impression on me. It has an intriguing ending, which I have yet to unpack. I will probably watch it again.
I highly recommend the movie and condemn the IMDB site for not moderating shitty ratings for good movies.