DVD Review: Maborosi (1995)

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda brings Teru Miyamoto’s story to the screen, via a screenplay by Yoshihisa Ogita. It is a film of masterful elegance and is now available on DVD and blu ray from Milestone Film and Video.

“Maborosi” tells the story of a young couple who have a baby and live a comfortable, unassuming life of good humor. Suddenly the man, Ikuo, impulsively steps in front of a moving train and is killed. There is nothing about his nature that would indicate he’d be compelled to commit suicide so abruptly and hideously. His wife, Yumiko, must now carry on without him. The story picks up five years later as Yumiko is shown living a sad, lonely existence with her now young son. She goes to a matchmaker and enters into an arranged marriage with Tamio, a widower who helps her cope with the tragedy and slowly reconnect with life.

The performances are outstanding. Tadanobu Asano has little screen time as Ikuo, but his role resonates and makes a real impact. Yumiko is played by Makiko Esumi, a Japanese fashion model who turns in a remarkable performance as a woman struggling with confusion and aching with sadness. Takashi Naito plays the widower with a sturdy performance that anchors each scene.

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda is something of a disciple of the great Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, whose productions “Tokyo Story” and “Floating Weeds” remain quintessential examples of Japanese cinema. Kore-eda approaches each scene with an absorbing stillness, the camera remaining stationary and usually fixed upon medium shots. The low angles, the establishing shots of empty rooms, the actors sitting side-by-side during conversation, the direct cuts without fades, et al, are all staples of Ozu’s approach. This is Kore-eda’s first narrative feature, and is arguably superior to some of his later films, even “Nobody Knows,” a magnificent film that is usually considered to be his masterpiece. The long shots, the use of deep focus, the comparative scenes of actors walking away from the frame’s focal point, from the foreground to the background, are all carefully and effectively placed.

Milestone’s blu ray benefits from several special features, including a fascinating and insightful commentary by film scholar Linda Ehrilich. There is also a video documentary with Makiko Esumi.

In an age when cinema study is handier and simpler with the accessibility of films from all eras, genres, and nations, it is worth celebrating when a brilliant film like “Maborosi” becomes immediately available. It is most highly recommended to libraries, research centers, as well as fans and students of Japanese cinema.

The blu ray is available here.