I watched this film because I really enjoyed "Dreams for Sale" [link] and this is an earlier film by the same director, Miwa Nishikawa [link]. The title is from the pivotal point in the film and describes the moment on a rope bridge. The events leading up to the sway are essentially a little more death and a nostalgic look back to childhood - the classic tropes of Japanese film.
Set in a small town, a younger brother returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral to stay with his father and brother. The older brother works in the family business (a petrol station) and is the archetypal "stay at home" elder brother while the younger brother left to chase his dreams (photographer in Tokyo - it is always Tokyo). The signposting is pretty clear but it is enjoyable nonetheless. At the garage, there is a female worker (Yoko Maki)that the older one likes and the younger one liked and they, in the kind of thing that seems normal in films, decide to go on a day trip to some natural beauty that they remember from their childhoods. Across the valley, there is a bridge suspended across - an old fashioned rope bridge with wooden planks slung underneath looking suitably risky (though, it must be said it does not seem to go anywhere).
On the bridge, there is a slip and accident and from that, the story develops around the varying levels of guilt and recriminations.
In all honesty, I didn't think much of the film after watching it but it left me feeling a little uneasy. It is a fairly straight story (within the world of Japanese films, anyway) and quite simply told but I think the main characters are well acted (by Jo Odagiri and Teruyuki Kagawa) which keeps it compelling although there are some standard bits of melodrama thrown in too. It was only later, a few hours after watching it, that it grabbed me a bit more - and I don't think I was actively pondering at the time.
The themes of the film are about the feeling of being trapped, the protagonist is older than the average single man in the town and feels a little left behind, both geographically and emotionally, with the small town mentality clearly having an effect on him but also being inescapable. There are allusions, before the accident, of the three main characters all wanting to get out of the town and likening the life in a town like that being similar to prison. In that respect, there is an element of pathos in the lives of the two left behind and the younger brother has apparently changed significantly as a result of the move. This is something we can all relate to, about moving out of the comfort zone into untested waters and growing as a result (and not all growth is positive, of course).
As I said, it is a simple, intimate film so you do probably have to be in the right mood and the feel is definitely that of a "film festival" type (as evidenced by success in 2007 Yokohama Film Festival) but I found it much more compelling than it would normally be so it must have done something right. It is not spectacular and there is little, or no, grandstanding so it brings you into the film world very directly. Unlike Dreams for Sale, had I seen this first, I don't think this film would necessarily make me look out for the director's other work but in conjunction with Dreams For Sale, I probably will look for some other films.
Is that actually a recommendation? I think it is, just. If you are in the right mood.
Set in a small town, a younger brother returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral to stay with his father and brother. The older brother works in the family business (a petrol station) and is the archetypal "stay at home" elder brother while the younger brother left to chase his dreams (photographer in Tokyo - it is always Tokyo). The signposting is pretty clear but it is enjoyable nonetheless. At the garage, there is a female worker (Yoko Maki)that the older one likes and the younger one liked and they, in the kind of thing that seems normal in films, decide to go on a day trip to some natural beauty that they remember from their childhoods. Across the valley, there is a bridge suspended across - an old fashioned rope bridge with wooden planks slung underneath looking suitably risky (though, it must be said it does not seem to go anywhere).
On the bridge, there is a slip and accident and from that, the story develops around the varying levels of guilt and recriminations.
In all honesty, I didn't think much of the film after watching it but it left me feeling a little uneasy. It is a fairly straight story (within the world of Japanese films, anyway) and quite simply told but I think the main characters are well acted (by Jo Odagiri and Teruyuki Kagawa) which keeps it compelling although there are some standard bits of melodrama thrown in too. It was only later, a few hours after watching it, that it grabbed me a bit more - and I don't think I was actively pondering at the time.
The themes of the film are about the feeling of being trapped, the protagonist is older than the average single man in the town and feels a little left behind, both geographically and emotionally, with the small town mentality clearly having an effect on him but also being inescapable. There are allusions, before the accident, of the three main characters all wanting to get out of the town and likening the life in a town like that being similar to prison. In that respect, there is an element of pathos in the lives of the two left behind and the younger brother has apparently changed significantly as a result of the move. This is something we can all relate to, about moving out of the comfort zone into untested waters and growing as a result (and not all growth is positive, of course).
As I said, it is a simple, intimate film so you do probably have to be in the right mood and the feel is definitely that of a "film festival" type (as evidenced by success in 2007 Yokohama Film Festival) but I found it much more compelling than it would normally be so it must have done something right. It is not spectacular and there is little, or no, grandstanding so it brings you into the film world very directly. Unlike Dreams for Sale, had I seen this first, I don't think this film would necessarily make me look out for the director's other work but in conjunction with Dreams For Sale, I probably will look for some other films.
Is that actually a recommendation? I think it is, just. If you are in the right mood.
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