Japan has a rich film history, and many renowned works by some of its best directors have been honored with Academy Awards. However, the country’s films have not been as well known internationally as its movies starring American actors.
In recent years, a number of Japanese filmmakers have made an effort to get their work recognized outside of the country. These films may not have won the biggest award of all — the Academy Awards — but they have earned some critical acclaim and are often considered to be among the most important and meaningful works of their generation.
Drive My Car
Adapted from a short story by renowned writer Haruki Murakami, Drive My Car focuses on a recently widowed theater director coping with grief. He travels to Hiroshima to direct a performance of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, and is assigned a driver to ferry him around town.
In the quiet, meditative drama, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) struggles to reconcile his past and present. His wife Oto (Reika Kirishima) is a TV scriptwriter and longtime writing partner, but she cheated on him with another actor and died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage.
While the film focuses on Kafuku's struggles, it also explores a world of emotions and relationships. This is a quietly devastating meditation on grief and art, as well as the human connection.
Departures
A drama about a cellist who answers an ad to become a funeral home apprentice, Departures (also known as Drive My Car) won the best film award at Japan's top film awards on Thursday. It's also Japan's entry for the 2009 foreign-language Oscar and has been a box office hit.
It's a gentle but moving story about the finiteness of life. The director, Lana Wilson, takes a genuinely spiritual approach in the movie.
Unlike many films about death, this movie doesn't treat the subject as taboo. It shows us how it is a natural part of our existence and that it is possible to live a full and happy life while also facing the inevitable end.
La Maison En Petits Cubes
The most critically acclaimed work of Japanese animator Kunio Kato is La Maison En Petits Cubes, also known as “The House of Small Cubes.” This short won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It unfolds as a stunning metaphor for memory in only 12 minutes and 7 seconds.
In a town that is constantly submerged by water, an old man builds new levels to his home, relying on cube-like bricks to prevent the water from getting in. When his favorite smoking pipe falls into the sea, he dives down to get it back.
As he descends through the abandoned floors of his tower, the elderly widower finds memories from his past. He then realizes that his wife is still with him in spirit.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away is one of Hayao Miyazaki's most popular and acclaimed films. It is also considered a Studio Ghibli classic.
The film was released in 2001, and it has since gone on to win an Oscar for best animated feature. It is a darker and more complex movie than Studio Ghibli's beloved My Neighbor Totoro, but it still remains a very special piece of animation.
Despite its dark and disturbing themes, the movie is a great choice for older children who can handle it. It's not as violent as some anime, but there are still a few scary scenes.
In this story, Chihiro becomes a more independent, confident and respectful person as she grows deeper into the world of spirits. It's a very edgy portrayal of personal growth.
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
The Academy Award-winning historical saga follows legendary seventeenth-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto (Toshiro Mifune) from unruly youth to enlightened warrior amidst the turmoil of a devastating civil war. Filmed in beautiful Eastmancolor, this masterpiece captures the essence of jidaigeki (Japanese martial arts) with stunning results.
It's not a particularly long movie, but it takes time to develop compelling characters and watch them change over the course of the story. There are a few tidbits of real history thrown in here, which adds to the depth of the drama.
The story is also very well-paced and structured. The main character goes through a huge transformation, and the players around him evolve as well. This helps make the film a compelling, entertaining adventure.
