Harmonium (film)

Harmonium

Film poster
Directed by Kōji Fukada
Written by Kōji Fukada
Starring Tadanobu Asano
Mariko Tsutsui
Kanji Furutachi
Release dates
  • 14 May 2016 (2016-05-14) (Cannes)
  • 8 October 2016 (2016-10-08) (Japan)
Running time
 118 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese

Harmonium (淵に立つ Fuchi ni Tatsu) is a 2016 Japanese drama film directed by Kōji Fukada. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival[1][2] where it won the Jury Prize.[3]

Plot

Toshio (Furutachi), his wife Akie (Tsutsui), and their daughter Hotaru (Shinokawa) live a banal existence. Toshio operates a machine shop in his garage when suddenly an old acquintance of Toshio's, Yasaka (Asano) arrives to help out at the shop. Hotaru practices the harmonium but is obviously a novice. Yasaka had just been released from prison and so without a permanent place to say, Toshio takes Yasaka in as an assistant. Yasaka bonds with Hotaru, helping her with her music, and being helpful around the shop and house. Yasaka reveals to Akie that he was imprisoned for eleven years as a result of murder, asks for forgiveness for not mentioning this earlier, and slowly Yasaka becomes a greater part of the family. Yasaka and Akie have some romantic feelings for each other, and Toshio becomes suspicious as the family goes on a river trip. The movie also reveals that Yasaka is bitter about taking the blame for the murder, which Toshio participated in.

Later when they return, when Toshio is out of the house, Yasaka oversteps his bounds with Akie and tries to rape her. Having failed to do so, he sees Hotaru at the park and also attempts to sexually assault her, leaving her quadriplegic and nonverbal. Yasaka then disappears. Eight years later, Toshio hires a new assistant, Takashi (Taiga). Takashi was raised by a single mother and takes some interest in the now disabled Hotaru, sketching her. Akie has become extremely protective of her daughter. Takashi reveals separately to Toshio and Akie that he is the illegitimate son of Yasaka, that Yasaka was a member of the yakuza, and that he wanted to be employed by Toshio based on letters Yasaka sent to his mother before he disappeared. After Takashi stands too close to Hotaru, Akie kicks him out of the house. Akie confronts Toshio about his involvement in the murder. Later, Toshio receives a tip on the location of Yasaka, and Akie and Toshio take Takashi to kill his father in front of him. Takashi offers himself instead, which is rejected by the pair. The tip is only of someone who looks similar to Yasaka and having reached her breaking point, Akie takes Hotaru to a bridge, where she jumps and survives. The film ends with Toshio trying to resuscitate Hotaru.[4][5]

Cast

References

  1. ↑ "2016 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup". IndieWire. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Cannes 2016: Film Festival Unveils Official Selection Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  3. ↑ Rebecca Ford and Rhonda Richford (21 May 2016). "Cannes: 'The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki' Wins Un Certain Regard Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  4. ↑ http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2016/09/28/films/film-reviews/harmonium-dangerously-good-family-drama/#.WC1LpmMrLIU
  5. ↑ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/harmonium-fuchi-ni-tatsu-cannes-894229

External links

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