After watching the superb French Neo-Noir The Connection,I started looking for other titles about to go from Netflix UK. Recently keeping a look out for unique movies from Asia,I stumbled on a landmark Asian American work,which led to me taking a photo.
The plot-
Japan 1918:
After the death of her dad,Riyo's aunt makes arrangements for her to be a "picture bride",where a marriage is arranged via exchanging of photos. Shown a photo of hunky Matsuji,Riyo agrees to the wedding. Leaving Japan for a plantation field in Hawaii,Riyo gets set to meet handsome Matsuji. Meeting Matsuji,Riyo is shocked to discover a less than picture perfect likeness.
View on the film:
Given the film a much needed moment of lightness, Toshirô Mifune gives a very funny performance as The Benshi in his penultimate role,which gives cheeky nods to his Kurosawa work. Drained of any hope when she meets Matsuji for the first time, Youki Kudoh gives an exquisite performance as Riyo,with Riyo's painful desire to escape being one that Matsuji expresses with a simmering murmur and a cold shoulder towards Matsuji (played by a terrific Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.)
Painting her debut,co-writer/(with Diane Mei Lin Mark & Mari Hatta) director Kayo Hatta (who drowned in 2005) and cinematographer Claudio Rocha give Riyo's pain a strikingly lyrical quality,via the weaving of songs and sounds of moving plants giving the title an oddly supernatural atmosphere. Largely holding back from big melodrama scenes,Hatta gets under the relationship of Riyo and Matsuji by stiltedly going round the plantation in picture perfect shots.
The plot-
Japan 1918:
After the death of her dad,Riyo's aunt makes arrangements for her to be a "picture bride",where a marriage is arranged via exchanging of photos. Shown a photo of hunky Matsuji,Riyo agrees to the wedding. Leaving Japan for a plantation field in Hawaii,Riyo gets set to meet handsome Matsuji. Meeting Matsuji,Riyo is shocked to discover a less than picture perfect likeness.
View on the film:
Given the film a much needed moment of lightness, Toshirô Mifune gives a very funny performance as The Benshi in his penultimate role,which gives cheeky nods to his Kurosawa work. Drained of any hope when she meets Matsuji for the first time, Youki Kudoh gives an exquisite performance as Riyo,with Riyo's painful desire to escape being one that Matsuji expresses with a simmering murmur and a cold shoulder towards Matsuji (played by a terrific Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.)
Painting her debut,co-writer/(with Diane Mei Lin Mark & Mari Hatta) director Kayo Hatta (who drowned in 2005) and cinematographer Claudio Rocha give Riyo's pain a strikingly lyrical quality,via the weaving of songs and sounds of moving plants giving the title an oddly supernatural atmosphere. Largely holding back from big melodrama scenes,Hatta gets under the relationship of Riyo and Matsuji by stiltedly going round the plantation in picture perfect shots.