Here's a thoughtful, easy-paced film about a dysfunctional Japanese family dealing with the loss of one of their sons, who died trying to rescue a swimmer fifteen years ago. The film is not overly depressing, as one would expect, but instead gives us pause to reflect on things that really matter in our lives. It's not clear if the family's dysfunction was present before or after the tragedy. There's a familiarity to the story, in that Japanese films tend to deal with death and how it affects the family rather straightforwardly and without melodrama. Such is the case in Tokyo Story by one of Japan's greatest filmmakers, Yasujiro Ozu.
Each family member is dealing with this death in their own way. The father, has shut himself off from everyone. The mother nervously chatters about the house with her daughter, perhaps not knowing how to express grief. The one most affected is the brother, who has palpable guilt and regret. He is ashamed for not becoming a doctor like his father wanted. Instead, he restores classic paintings. In one cruel scene, we see the boy whom the brother saved from drowning pay his yearly visit to the family for dinner. Pleasantries are exchanged and most everyone is cordial but we find that when the boy leaves, that mother in particular is filled with hatred toward him, somewhat understandably. She intends to have him back every year so she can make the boy feel on that one day who she feels all year.
This film is a tour-de-force in understatement, from shot composition to acting. Much is left unexpressed and unsaid in the film, like the characters it portrays. It encourages interpretation and thought on the part of the viewer. Still Walking also has wonderful "small" moments such as a butterfly at a cemetery. There are also wonderful shots of food being prepared. The camera also captures many darting glimpses and uncomfortable body language, so much left unsaid.
The director and writer, Hirokazu Koreeda, has crafted an elegy on troubled family life that may still have redemption. His characters all hope for the future but are too encumbered by their grim present. As I watched this film, I thought to myself, "I really hope this family makes it."
-J
Available from The Criterion Collection