By now, I have almost turned stoic under the stream of excellent films, but this was a magical one! At once a mesmerizing ode to the emotion of 'love', a subtle critique on the Japanese society of the time and a thing of gorgeous beauty in every frame, this movie is a really fulfilling one. It is rich in emotional intensity, in the typically subdued manner that fits Japan, yet reaching out and effecting you. The story is of a girl and a boy who fall in love and all that ensues around them, including pressures from family, society, demands of life, etc. and with a denouement that is heartrending, to say the least. The camera drenched in mood is amazing, and the soundtrack at places is really marvelous, beautifully supplementing the film's sombre tone. Kinoshita brings romance into perspective, putting stress on the journey and not the results, and this along with Dvoje has to be two of the most complete explorations of 'love' I have seen. At minor phases, the movie might be a little stagnant or melodramatic but otherwise, its entire body sparkles with technical brilliance and innocent poignancy. Contrasted with the social behaviors that other character's exhibit, Masao and Tamiko's saga assumes an aura of purity, and ironically, also of a battle. All of the movie is narrated through the memories of an old man who returns to his home land, and the effect used on the film actually gives us a feeling that we are taking a trip down somebody's inner mind; and this is just another example of the well done technical aspects that come together to serve up a stirring, deep and 'cinematographic-ally' magnificent tale of transcendental romance. The last few moments and lines are lovely to experience, sure to touch everybody at some place.
