Suzaku (Moe no Suzaku)
(Japan, 1997)


Naomi Kawase, "Suzaku" (1997)

Esta pel�cula multipremiada est� sobre una comunidad monta�esa peque�a cerca de Nara. Hace quince a�os all� parec�a la esperanza por esto. Un t�nel estaba siendo hecho para un ferrocarril, fue esperado por las personas que reagruparan el �rea. Pero ahora, El proyecto incompleto del t�nel, el ferrocarril abandonado, la comunidad simplemente es agonizante. La familia de Tahara todav�a vive en lo m�s alejado de la comunidad. El extremo parece cercano. El padre se muere en el t�nel inconcluso, y los ni�os parten, todav�a todos deciden quedarse en este pueblo monta��s bonito pero agonizante.

Print Information

Production Companies: Bitters End, Inc. WOWOW, Bandai Visual
Overseas Distributor: Seawell Films
Director: Naomi Kawase
Producer: Takenori Sento, Koji Kobayashi
Screenplay: Naomi Kawase
Cinematography: Masaki Tamura
Music: Masamichi Shigeno
Cast: Jun Kunimura, Machiko Ono, Sachiko Izumi
Japan, 1997, 35mm, Color, 95 min.


Donald Richie's Review

This beautiful elegy is laid in a mountain village near Nara -- a place from which the young leave, where the old die. The remnants of a family -- young girl, older boy -- stay on. She is attracted to him, he is drawn toward the wife of his dead uncle. But to put it that way is to suggest melodramatic complication, and there is none of that in this deliberately muted, purposely inarticulate film. What holds the attention and compels the admiration is not only the lyric beauty of Maasaki Tamura's photography but the honesty of director Naomi Kawase. This is her first feature and in it she displays a most impressive integrity. There are no compromises, no emotional comer-cutting, no pandering to supposed audience tastes. With this film she joins a few other young directors (of MABAROSHI and OKAERI) who continue to honor those qualities that made Japanese film admirable.


-- International Herald Tribune, Feb. 28, 1997.