Madadayo (1993)

You can never be quite sure what a Kurasawa film will be like. He is a quite versatile auteur, which is one of the interesting things about his films. Madadayo is surely less known than the samurai-themed movies, and I must say that it is a shame that it is so overlooked - this is a gem. A strange gem. It is hard even to explain what the themes of the film are. Friendship, one might propose, but the better word for it seems to be devotion (assymetries in relations exist). Or ageing. Or loyalty. Or the changes brought about by modernity. Or change. Yes, I think the latter theme stands at the core of the story and it seems like the film takes a rather stoic perspective on change: changes occur, but what matters is the same.

It is easier to describe the erratic structure of the film. A great part of the film is taken up by birthday celebrations of an elderly Professor-Writer about whom we know very little (not even, I think, his wife's first name). His birthday party is celebrated in a carnevalistic way with his students, chanting "not yet!" defying the horizon of death as the Professor drinks a huge glass of beer. So I suppose this is the core of the film: a plea for life, the way life continues. One would perhaps think that such a story about an old professor would become sentimental. Even though I suspect many see it is Kurasawa's own ode to the artistic life, the emotional tone of the film didn't bother me (but yes, it IS sentimental, but in such an overwrought way that it becomes funny instead). Instead, I was amused by many of the scenes, absorbed by their sheer strangeness. In a lengthy segment of the film, the professor, his wife and the students look for the prof's cat who has disappeared. Also hear, it is the beating heart of life that is focused on. The disappearance of the cat, for the professor, drains life of meaning. He is besides himself in mourning his beloved friend, and all his friends participate in this mourning process.

The style of the film is peculiar. Kurasawa works with extremely artificial-looking settings. The sun burns with a red, eerie glow that I've never seen on film before (maybe I have seen it in some children's movie?). The effect could be cheesy but here, the artificiality is contrasted with the celebration of life, which is quite an interesting way to construct a movie about this theme. Madadayo is a gentle, wistful film which I am glad I had the chance to see.