Chichi to kuraseba

This movie is inspirationally hopeful. The main protagonist of this movie survives the atomic bomb attack. Yet is she really alive? Or merely existing? Can one be alive without love? As she is confronted with these questions, various characters come into her life. She sometimes thinks she doesn't deserve to live.

As depressing as it sounds, this movie does have some funny and light moments. Set in a theatrical atmosphere, the movie takes the viewers on a ripping tale of loss, love and self-hatred. This emotional roller coaster was all cost by the World War II. One leaves the movie moved, perhaps even shaken, yet hopeful.

I've seen the movie yesterday night at Rome Japan Foundation. Smart and clever choice to illustrate the 2004'best Japanese movies. A delicate and magisterial way of showing the Hiroshima disaster survivals pain. Strongly poetic is the awakening of female protagonist' in love heart and her father' return to teach the way to go on. Touching actor performances, wabi shabi (japanese words to say something about the flow interior lights and comfort of the rooms) locations. The house to project future has no roof, you can see the sky through, it's the only building not collapsed after Hiroshima bombing. There are many books about Hiroshima Bombing and some of those are become movies. Some are explicit and some metaphorical (i think at Imamura Shoei and Alain Resnais)but this one is so theatrical to wish to read the work which is based on. Imperdibile !!

This movie has special resonance now after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that just hit Japan. Based on a play, this film is about a young woman (played by Rie Miyazawa, who is quite good) who lives in post war Hiroshima almost three years after the atom bomb hit that city. She works as a librarian. The film is staged so that you understand that even though it is a few years post 1945, the city is still not built up much. The character's father (Yoshio Harada, also good) tries to convince his daughter to take up with a man named Kinoshita, but she keeps resisting, since she not only has post traumatic stress, but survivor's guilt. Her father continues to implore her but the young lady feels she is not worthy of love since she survived the bomb. The film is slow moving, staged like a play, but it is compelling. As a study in survivor's guilt, it hits the mark fairly well. This story is probably better seen live at a theater, as its simple staging owes more to theater than film. Its good, though, and like I said, think of the play staged with someone in one of the hardest hit areas of the recent disaster in Japan in 2014. You could produce something quite similar to this. I recommend it, just know going in it is slow moving and a little dark.

The film focuses around two characters throughout,Mitsue-the daughter and Takezou-the father, with the third character Kinoshita briefly making appearances, although Kinoshita is central to the story. It takes place over a few days mainly inside the family home. The story reveals the anguish and pain caused by Hiroshima, it does this well. The film's main story is about Mitsue's inability to try and live a happy life after the bombing. Despite her good natured and vibrant personality, she struggles with life.

The movie has two great performances from Yoshio Harada and the wonderful Rie Miyazawa. The film itself i found to be enjoyable, but didn't quite make the mark. Some might find the pacing of the film annoying, normally it wouldn't make a difference to me, but this was too slow and did not engage me often. But i would recommend it, it has good historic relevance, great performances, a chilling musical score and of course Rie Miyazawa.

In summary a simple story told well.