User Reviews

I will not compare with the book. The film is really a historical work and subtly spells out the factors of the largest Japanese immigration from Brazil. But not only does this open up a discussion for just how cruel information asymmetry is and how it can put agents involved in social or economic relations in combatant situations. One can also identify something that was and perhaps even today is very common among immigrants, the relationship between the veteran immigrant and the newcomer, the pioneer immigrants opened orders of "invitation letter" that was required by the Brazilian government in order to acquire cheap labor and take advantage of their own countrymen.

Main points:

• The narrative is brief, without many details, but it has many historical contexts that obliges the viewer to seek historical context for greater understanding.
• Story told in parallel with the events of the war in which Japan was involved.
• A small part of the history of one of the colonies that came to Brazil to seek a better life at that time.
• The division of acts is well developed.
• Although the movie is Brazilian, only the actors who actually represented the Brazilians - have their nationality, the rest are all Japanese, giving an air of realism and little artificiality.
• The ending is little explored.
• Death scenes were not explicit.

Who read the book like me had thrilled when the movie come out, l got my Blu-ray copy in stand by for while expecting the right moment to enjoy the so awaited picture, unfortunately the whole project was flopped in a brief concept to save money driving force in a few characters imported from Japan, bad adaptation for so powerful real facts, the picture survives in agony, the director's maybe was more interested in japanese's maked than never, forgeting that story concern with Brazilian matter cos they were Brazilians at those time, a lack of all this could explains two reviews only!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: Blu-ray / Rating: 7

Very underated!!!! This is a great drama. A must see!

True gem of the Brazilian Cinema.Great actors and Photography. And based in a True Story.

In certain parts of modern-day Japan, there are state primary schools where the majority language is Portuguese. The historical reasons for this go back to large-scale immigration to Brazil from Japan at the beginning of the 20th century. That Japanese diaspora were cleaved in two at the end of WWII, with many fanatically believing that Japan had won the war, leading to murderous internecine strife with those who accepted the truth of Japan's defeat, surrender, and the Emperor refuting his divinity. It is a fascinating tale, little known, and deserves to have a great film made about it. Unfortunately, this is not that film.

A raft of great Japanese actors fail to lift this flat, plodding narrative that has a made-for-TV aesthetic. Takako Tokiwa is the ostensible protagonist, a loving wife who watches her husband descend into a killer. Except 'descend' is not the right word, as a switch seems simply to be flicked. And the wife's response is, bizarrely, to take vengeance on chickens. Tsuyoshi Ihara never really evokes anguish or guilt. Eiji Okuda as the militarist driving force is slightly more plausible. But Kimiko Yo, who since Departures has hardly put a foot wrong, squeals and mugs her was through this in embarrassing fashion.

The direction never really lets the story grow. Ihara's moment when he realises his own gullibility comes and goes without pause. The break-up of the marriage largely takes place without the husband and wife sharing the same frame. The Brazilians seem to inhabit the town and then disappear completely as convenience for the scene dictates. The sense of the period, of Brazil, is absent, and any contextualization of why these immigrants are there, and how torn they might be between motherland and adopted homeland, is missing.

Some tales are so fascinating it is tempting to think they can tell their own story. But they can't, and the writers and directors on this project might want to bear that in mind.