Wife of a Spy

"However, in Kurosawa and Hamaguchi's oriental frame of mind, a spy game doesn't consist of breakneck automobile chases, fisticuffs or firefights, its tradecraft is solely on an intellectual and psychological level, to Satoko and Yusaku, it is about how to outsmart the military police and defect to USA, with kompromat in their possession, to pressurize Americans to wade into the war and expedite the end of this worldwide atrocity. This is the bigger picture, nevertheless, in the smaller one, WIFE OF A SPY is, first and foremost, a woman's awakening from a repressed patriarchal society, Satoko has no voice, no ambition, a content and obedient wife, clinging to the constancy and uxoriousness from Yusaku. Once she changes her mind about his noble cause (all of a sudden it seems), her life is revivified, somehow, she finally can do something meaningful, which they can accomplish together, she becomes naively proud of being "the wife of a spy", and it also consolidates their crumpling marriage, that is the ideal side of their dangerous mission, in return, she is requested to have plenary trust in Yusaku."

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks.

'Wife Of A Spy (2020)' is a historical thriller in which a woman begins to suspect her husband is hiding something when he returns from a business trip. Set during the second world war, the flick focuses on the way in which Japan is changing and demands its citizens do the same. The central character initially cares only for her own safety and happiness (which includes the safety and happiness of her husband), but soon becomes to realise that it's impossible to remain apolitical in an increasingly political world. War cannot be ignored, no matter how hard you try. Though it may sound like a suspenseful story full of enigmatic intrigue, the narrative actually presents itself mostly as a quiet drama. It focuses far more on its characters than on its plot, though these elements do obviously influence each other heavily, and is much slower than you may expect. Claims that it's Kurosawa's attempt at Hitchcock seem slightly off the mark. That doesn't mean it's bad, of course. It's generally compelling and has moments of more concentrated excitement. Plus, its overall tapestry is fairly tactile and it takes a slightly distinct approach to its material. It doesn't seem to quite know how to wrap things up, opting to present an extended epilogue that feels fairly baggy and even a little thematically dissonant. The English-language acting, as infrequent as it is, is noticeably bad; it honestly takes you out of the experience. Despite its issues, though, it's an entertaining affair overall. It's a well-achieved film in almost every technical aspect. Ultimately, it's a solid character study by way of a WWII espionage thriller.

A good portrait of trust and suspicion in the ultra right nationalist period. The film in the film reflects the story of characters, which structure was developed in Ryusuke Hamaguchi's latest film Drive My Car. However, some of the scene is lacking in logic and therefore makes me feel unreal.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Supai no tsuma" ("Wife of a Spy" in English) is about a woman in 1940s Japan married to a man suspected of being a double agent. It's one of those movies that manages to be romantic and intense at the same time.

One thing about it that I hope catches viewers' attention is the Japanese authorities' discussion of events in China. It refers to Unit 731, where Japanese troops performed horrific scientific experiments on the Chinese. This was just one of countless monstrous war crimes carried out by the Japanese troops in the '30s and '40s. While there was some prosecution of these atrocities, most of them got swept under the rug. No doubt it'll take years to fully expose the war criminals. It's perfectly understandable why Satoko and Yusaku do what they do.

Anyway, it's a fine look at Japan. The generations since WWII have been unwilling to fully acknowledge the country's war crimes; maybe the younger generation will be willing to.

Considering it's seemingly cheap, it's still a very enjoyable piece. Direction, screenplay, footage and actings are greatly done and the plot is unusual and surprising, although threre are some gaps that could be better elucidated it's solid enough.