Maborosi

Maborosi
by Hirokazu Koreeda

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Movie Reviews of Maborosi

Movie Review: the psychology of loss
Summary: 5 Stars

I have since re-watched the film after some difficult personal years in which I struggled with an almost immobilizing depression, and I've come to the realization that, more so than most films, "Maborosi" is a work that one can only truly appreciate and love if one has a direct personal connection to the type of suffering that Yumiko faces. And to me, this film is not simply about coping with the loss of a loved one or even the fear of abandonment. For me, this is a film that explores the different faces of depression, whether it be clinical - meaning, without any objectively attributable motivating factor (as is evidently the case with Yumiko's first husband, Ikuo) - or situational (such as what Yumiko deals with from feeling repeatedly "abandoned" by key figures in her life).

What I was most struck with by "Maborosi" was the incredibly sensitive and subtle ways in which Kore-eda examines the frustration, devastating grief, and even anger that Yumiko feels as she struggles to come to terms with Ikuo's apparently inexplicable suicide. And in fact, when suicidal people think of the loved ones that they will be leaving behind, it is precisely the type of confused suffering and self-doubt that Yumiko experiences that we know will be the fate of our friends and family members. That Kore-eda is able to capture this truth is a testament to his remarkable insight into humanity and the complex psychology of loss. In this sense, he has much in common with Canadian director Atom Egoyan, whose "The Sweet Hereafter" is one of the most accomplished cinematic explorations of this type of subject matter.

I can now easily say that "Maborosi" is one of my very favorite films. Kore-eda has said that he chose the actress Makiko Esumi to play Yumiko because of the power behind her eyes. And, indeed, that one lingering moment when Yumiko gazes directly into the camera is one of the most haunting in the film, for we feel as if we are staring straight down into this young woman's soul, into the deep well of strength that shines through the raw pain and confusion. Somehow, we know long before the peaceful closing scene that she will make it out of this just fine.

This film has been called a "visual tone poem" of sorts, and Kore-eda's mastery of visual composition just serves to illustrate that he is one of a select group of filmmakers, following the tradition of masters like Bergman, Fellini, Kubrick, and Malick, who know how to use the medium to its fullest potential. When the image can tell the story with as much subtlety and quiet power as is on display in this film, words are truly unnecessary. "Maborosi" is a masterwork of the highest order.