Customer Reviews

Man Walking on Snow

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I grabbed a copy at the library after spying the 'honorable mention' from Cannes.

I have been a huge fan of Japanese cinema for many years, and I love the slow, stately pace of many of their films. This film echoes of Ozu (one of the greatest Japanese directors of the classic era). We are introduced to an odd little family where the matriarch has passed away, leaving the widower father to be looked after by his younger son. The older son is away in a nearby region of Japan trying to make a living with his now pregnant girlfriend. He has no savings and struggles to make ends meet. The broken and scattered family reunites for the second anniversary of the mother's death. In a nutshell.

What makes this film so moving is the slow and thoughtful pace. The addition of 'synthesized' pieces from Saint-Saens Carnival for the Animals is a quirky and lighthearted touch to an otherwise austere film. The outdoor scenes are bathed in white snow and are majestic and beautiful but also emphasize the silent and closed nature of the characters. At one point the father even mentions that people from the south (Okinawa) are more open while up north people are cold and silent, like the scenery.

Sparks do fly when emotions boil over. What is also amazing is that the characters really come off as tortured in their own way. Each wants to do the right thing, but there are things like pride getting in the way. The film is a wonderful composition and study of the intricate and delicate ties that bind this family together. When the emotion builds up you really see that it is due to the care deep down that each of them have for one another.

If you enjoy very quiet, slow, heartfelt, and quirky films then I highly recommend watching this. I don't know that I would watch it again and again, but I am glad that I watched it at least once. You can tell that the actors and the director really did put quite a bit of heart into making this film.

This movie is an absolute delight to watch if you're interested in cinematography, and with all the winter scenes it's best to watch it during an oppresive heat wave as I did. You could turn the sound off and get the idea, which is that an old man whose wife has died is trying to reconcile with his estranged elder son. The younger son has been taking care of him, and of course that causes a lot of problems. The pace is extremely show -- "leisurely" if you like -- and you may lose interest if the visuals aren't enough to keep you involved. I was stationed in northern Japan in the US Air Force many years ago and the winter scenes in the local village brought back a massive amount of memories, which kept my interest more than it might yours. It's definitely worth watching but be prepared for the pace. The transfer to DVD is excellent.