Unraveling the Meaning of the Final Scene in Perfect Days - review
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- čas přidán 8. 03. 2024
- #perfectdays #wimwenders #oscars2024
Wim Wender's "Perfect Days" was definitely a movie that I was not expecting to like as much as I did. But as I finished the movie and went online to see what other people thought I realized that most reviewers only saw this movie as a celebration of the beauty of a simpler life and didn't really talk about the meaning of that final scene or the less perfect aspects of these "Perfect Days". So in this review, I'm giving a more in-depth analysis of the character of Hirayama and what I took from the movie. Hope you enjoy! - Zábava
The point is not he is happy or unhappy but it’s that he accepted that his life and everybody’s life always have happy and unhappy times. As long as he chose the way he lives his life and accepted it, he can wake up every morning and enjoy every moment. Because now is now.
Eligió esa vida y puede ver lo que el mundo no muestra
@@amaliazanardi1835 Why don't you try to answer the question that she asks us. What does the final scene mean? Its easy to project your own hopes for the meaning of happiness onto the movie, but its definitely hubris that makes you think you can just "get" the meaning of this movie on the first try. Try again.
Ima wa ima
@@cyano3d ima wa ashita wo kimeru
I don't think he is isolated. He goes to eat his dinner everyday to that place underground where people know him and greet him. He goes to that shop where the lady he likes works. He has a coworker who talks to him. I think he enjoys the peace of solitude in his home. A person who is deep down unhappy wouldn't look up at the sky with such childlike joy every morning
I think he's content because he built a "perfect" or structured life for himself. Some people need that and I don't think there's anything wrong with it if that's what makes you happy. However, because he seems to like to be in control of his "perfect" or structured life--I don't think he can handle unexpected things, such as his co-worker's resignation, his niece's visit, the restaurant owner's embrace of her ex-husband, etc. In other words, I don't think he can handle emotional situations because he can't control them. Deep down, I think he enjoyed his co-worker's company (which is probably why he gave him all that money), his niece's company (which is probably why he gave her the book she wanted) and the restaurant owner's company. But there's a price to be paid for human interaction which I think he needs but doesn't want. IMO this is why I found the ending both happy and sad. Happy because he's living the life he wants (control) but sad because he's not living the life that he needs (human interaction). This was my favorite film of 2023.
The scene where he saw his sister broke my heart. It perfectly captures the isolation when can feel from even their own family when we live such different lives and don't live up to their expectations. She asks about his job and once it's confirmed she judges him harshly and asks no other questions about him even though he desperately wants to connect with her.
He's not happy, he is just accepting the present and tries to find joy in it. I felt his character spoke to me. My mom passed away 3 months ago. But I find or try to find joy in little things like listening to her playlist while driving.
So sorry to hear about you mom. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and how the movie connected with you
That's how you heal appreciate the little things because that's all we have in the end...
This is the first review I saw where someone agrees with me. Hirayama prefers to keep people at an arm's distance; small and simple interactions, often accompanied by financial transactions, are his preferred way of socialization. The subway diner he likes to go to for a drink and a quick bite, the old men at the sauna that he enjoys being around but not approaching (even though it looks like he wants to sometimes), and most importantly, the lady that owns the small bar he went to every weekend. Those moments that he carefully chose for himself show how he enjoys human connection but is still afraid of it. He does not want to get hurt, so he avoids any situation that might cause him pain. His coworker, who caused him a lot of frustration and irritated him a lot, was also the reason we saw him laugh out loud. I think he believes that a simple life without the ups and downs and roller coasters of emotions that human interaction might cause is the key to happiness. But I feel like he is lying to himself. He is a fictional character but i wish him happiness.
Absolutely! You speak exactly what I was thinking... so many of the mainstream reviews totally missed this
What makes you think that he chose that life because he is afraid of human connection ?
@@snorrevonflake because i could see the huge difference in his happiness level when he actually got to interact with humans despite his efforts to avoid them. And it took time for him to adjust back to his lonely lifestyle when those brief moments of connection passed by. Yet still that was not enough to encourage him to get out of his shell. When the ex-husband of the bar owner he went to on the weekends tried to encourage him to approach her, he kept dodging him and insisted on keeping the conversation on a fun, surface level. To me that just shows that he thinks his life would be better if he just did not confess his feelings to her. But human connection is not something we can choose to neglect, its part of our instinct just like eating and breathing.
meu deus você definiu perfeitamente o que eu senti com o filme 😭❤️ obrigada por isso!!
The last scene when he fight to not to cry while driving and put a forced smile on his face is the masterpiece and in my opinion sums all up. I like your interpretation. The fact that he stuck in analogue era shows that something happened in the past which changed him. He somehow stuck in the past, and live in the present as an observer withdrawn from society
In my view the key to the last scene, in fact, to the whole movie is Komorebi. The fluctuating expressions of happiness, sadness, joy, regret, hope, etc. that flash over Hirayama's face are no different than the play of light and shadows filtering through trees. Seeking happiness is ultimately futile because it is so fleeting. So is sadness. But appreciating the ups and downs of life can perhaps bring about a certain kind of quiet joy.
"Flowers fall amid our longing, weeds flourish in our loathing "
- Dogen
I didnt think if he was happy or not, everybody is happy and unhappy at the same time. The point is to notice the life and love it with their sad and joyful moments. That is the beautiful of the life, feel it. And if you dont cry when Nina sings you arent alive.
exactly, the idea of perfect life is not just about bluntly happy but to embrace the different layers and emotional experiences entirely, in a proper Zen Buddhism fashion, and being as much present in the moment. Even the fact that he's not as talkative is born from the fact that the emotional overhaul and satisfactions that he engage from a life that is simplified and limited, amplifies his satisfaction and feeling towards interactions and general living, not just in a sensorial sense, so it's not that he feels that much of a regrets on his life
@@lucazupancic9196 for me the a to embrace the different layers but not need to be in a mood zen. That depends only of your character, you can truly live without any zen in your life.
That's exactly what I thought with the final scene. It is just how life is. It's impossible to be 100% happy, we live, we have glimps of happiness, sadness, joy, self doubt, etc. Life contains all of it, but it's on you to enjoy what happens in between, even if they are small almost mundanes events, or big life changing events. He's living life as he can, as he's capable of and his enjoying the beauty around his circumstances. Great movie.
Very deep understanding of the film. As a teacher, I had the opportunity to embark on two concepts in class: wabi sabi (the art of impermanence) and Ikigai (the reason you get up in the morning) and one of my students commented about this film. I'm so grateful I was curious enough to watch it, cause it moved me to the core. I felt myself a bit uncomfortable at the beginning, I wanted to see something striking in or out, but happening at last! But curiously, I remained waiting for the next day to unfold and the next song he would play on his way to work. And, it opened my eyes to the simple things and the beauty that dwells in the eyes of the observer. A film that will live in me for a long long time
This is the first time I have heard that IKIGAI is of interest to people outside of Japan.
It is a popular concept in Japan, but many people in contemporary Japan have lost sight of their own IKIGAI.
They are so busy with work and study that there is a strong sense that they are doing it out of a sense of obligation, not because they want to.
Nico may be a symbol of this.
When I asked my Japanese friends what they thought of the film, they said that the style of enjoying the small things in daily life, as Hirayama does, was fresh and cleansing. It will be very interesting for Japanese to see how it looks to foreign audiences.
From the Japanese
Life is hard, yet he tries to celebrate it with little sparkles. Still, there is sadness in his eyes when he smiles. The last scene is really heartbreaking.
Thanks for sharing this! I like your viewpoints
Thank you! It means a lot that you liked it. I love to hear what other people felt and took from the movie and your point of view is really beautiful!
Some people don't get the opportunity to change what has made them unhappy, therefore make the best of what they have. You can't eradicate all unhappiness in life by your will . That's what I like about this film. He found contentment in the reality of his life. Which is a good lesson to learn
I don't think he is so content. I think he is conflicted inside which shows the last scene.
My brother and I were discussing the film and about the lonely feeling that men deals with every day. Most people do not understand that Life runs because of a lot of man (of course women too, but I am focusing on the films inner messaging) that follows routine lives, those that keep it clean, keep it running, keep it going. 😢 It is a very beautiful film and definitely changes you, if you allow it ❤
Such a gem of a film. The main actor couldn't have been better... perfect for the role. The last scene was so beautiful. And the lack of closure made it even more palpable.
As an introvert and routine person, I think a lot of extroverts try to force the "he was sad" because they don't get that people can actually enjoy solitude. Happiness and sadness can occur with or without company. And enjoying company doesn't always transfers to having to be in a relationship. You can enjoy sharing with people in other simple ways. Just because he cries at the end it doesn't mean he is miserable, I think. People with extrovert and social lived can be unhappy too, and for so many reasons. There are days when you feel nostalgic and reflect on life, but it doesn't makes it a bad life. Sometimes we just analyze our lives on metrics that don't work for all of us. He felt sad when his sister felt bad for him, but because to her standards it's not ok, yet her daughter is not happy living the luxurious life and enjoyed her time with his uncle. Trying to say happy vs sad is just seeing life in black or white, while he appreciated the greys, the light and shadow and saw beauty in it.
A fine review, young lady. As a 55-year old bachelor I definitely "got" this film and you did too: Live your own individual truth.
Searching for joy among the mediocre horrors of life is truly a path to knowing. And knowing might just help others. And that is a recipe for happiness that lasts in my experience.
I’m a maintenance worker at a museum/nature center. I know every emotion the protagonist feels through personal experience.
Happiness is a balance between being and becoming. He and his sister are two extremes that lack the other. In the end, he invited some becoming into his life and realized how much he had been missing it, thus the mixture of sadness and happiness.
I was thinking the same, the movie shows a man who meditate the whole day. It seems to me he lives his lives with a big awareness
you are right mate. I just watched the movie yesterday. In reality this is a very ver profund movie, only if you have been in his shoes you can understand what is going with him and his soul. He is contempt and trying to hang on in there, trying to find joy and happiness in his day to day. However, he is very very lonely, he ask himself about his decisions that have bring him to today, perhaps he has many regrets and guilts and the same time he wants to be happy. The movie is way more complex and the character is so profound.
Amazing video, though I don't think that he is isolated or by any means hesitant in letting other people come into his life, I believe he has experienced almost everything and found what really matters, which is the moment that exists. As far as the scenes with his sister, niece suggests that he is open to spend time with them, but not at cost of changing his own way of life. And the bar scene you mentioned in the end actually depicts the way Hirayama thinks, remember in the end the ex husband of the bar owner says he is gonna die and he still doesn't know if a shadow gets darker, something like that and Hirayama explains with by doing that it doesn't matter. I feel film suggest through the character of Hirayama that it really your perspective that changes the world, it's not about being happy or sad but being in peace with oneself.
Again that's just interpretation, btw great video ❤️🙌
One particular scene that many audiences missed was the conversation between the protagonist and the ex-husband of the restaurant owner under the bridge. Upon learning his cancer diagnosis, the ex-husband wondered if "shadows become darker when overlapped" and that "many things remain a mystery" even at the end of his life, Hirayama instead invited him to a game of "shadow tag".
I believe the filmmaker is trying to convey that horrible things happen to people without reasons, and this relates to the estrange relationships between Hirayama and his father/sister. Rather than trying to parse the meanings of life's many misfortunes and sadness, it may be better to take a light-hearted approach and enjoy the joy found within the seemingly mundane moments of our lives. That to me was a beautiful message.
I didn't agree with you at all initially. But upon rewatch I can definitely see something. As he drives away to work you always see the artificial glow of the light used to keep his tree garden alive and thriving. I feel like this is a metaphor for his life.
Im feeling good. The song selection is so perfect actually matching with the moral of the story
Thank you for giving us such a nuanced interpretation. I think in the end he is accepting more completely this life he has chosen-- so different form his past. When he sees his sister he is reminded of their class differences and he mourns that a bit (he cries), their estrangement but in the last scene he accepts this new life that he is putting together. Let's not forget that while he cleans those immaculate toilets, he reads Faulkner at night (one of the most difficult writers) thus he is a complex person figuring things out for himself. A remarkable movie that makes of the quotidian something amazing!
I believe the final scene shows happiness and sadness because of his encounter with the man with Cancer. His self discipline was extraordinary.
We watched it tonight and found it amazing. The final scene where he is driving and going through all of the emotions is ABSOLUTELY ICONIC! I was a little on the periphery of the Berlin film, Wings of Desire when I lived in Berlin, and I loved it, but Until the End of the World is my absolute favorite movie.
To be truth worthy I’m still pretty new to Wim Wenders’ movies but I’ve read a lot of people talking about those two movies so they are definitely on my watch list!
I think that what happened in the past informs his now seemingly simple routine driven life and his apparent happiness with the day to day. But I feel like he lives in the shadow of whatever it is that happened to estrange him from his family and that if he doesn't stay with his routine and his living in the moment, he could easily loose his found contentment. My guess would be that he is a recovering alcoholic as alcohol is a huge problem in Japan and destroys many lives. If he lets his routine slip, or forgets his gratitude he may go back to drinking and loose what he has worked hard to gain...but there is a grain of regret also in his character that he knows he has to live with. The final scene is a reminder of how far he has come but also that he could fall. A very fine balancing act.
Excellent review! So well spoken and nicely paced. Plus your observation about the main character's struggles with intimacy is right on (and is something I had not seen in other reviews). But he does NOT struggle in his aloneness (which is different from loneliness). He's good at it and enjoys it. He is full of patience, compassion and simplicity -- the three gems, says Lao Tsu.
What the final scene seemed to convey to me is not that his embrace of routine and everyday joys makes him blissful; it makes him in touch with the reality of his life. He is not numb to it. (His niece scrolling on her phone when she first shows up is such a contrast.) And perhaps his embrace of routine and everyday joys fortifies him to weather the hard parts of life.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful thoughts. I think that he did make a lot of peace with his past by making huge decisions about how he wants to live. And his constant and consistent presence in others people life (niece and bar owner) tell me a lot about his feelings. The question that comes up to me is about life changes, and there is where I’m not sure about how he can embrace that. Also the well organized, clean and all in place Japan life, helps him to keep things the same way. Not sure if that could happen elsewhere. 😊
Thank you for this review! At first, this final scene has punched me hard - I felt that maybe everything before it was a lie, and he is not content at all? But now I agree that there is more to it, and even though his life has its dark deeps, it doesn’t mean his enjoyment of the moment is fake or doesn’t help him find some sorts of contentment. It still was pretty hard though, since I’ve expected a very light movie everyone has been talking about :DD
Excellent. I dont get why no other youtube movie reviewer asks this question. This movie should speak most deeply to those who have "failed" in life and yet still are able to find some form of meaning/happiness within it. It is meant to shake the NEET's to their core and really get them to look at themselves and their "happiness". I hate how everyone on youtube is just completely ignoring the final scene. He is clearly not happy and that moment of disturbance reveals everything.
I believe Hirayama is completely fulfilled & at peace. Our lives should not be about trying to be happy. We all experience pain & suffering. It is unavoidable.
We all have a choice to make in life. How many people walk around passing on their pain & suffering to others? Most of us! Hirayama does not do this. He eases the suffering of those around him. Look what he did for everyone who he has contact with throughout the movie! So obvious!
He is not anti-social. He's quiet. He speaks when necessary, anything else is fluff. He's a great man. You can see Mama likes him and they have a connection. There's no evidence in the film to suggest their relationship will not go further.
He is in the now. He is at One with The Way (universe/Tao). He is his own master.
He lives a life of perfect days!
I believe that goal of our life is exactly to be happy. He literally stuck in analogue era and withdrawn from human connections lacking a lot of real life experiences.
I believe the last scene might be a symbol of him being conflicted. He might be aware of the experiences he is missing and the fact that he will in fact die alone.
Yet he developed habits to find an inner peace. I know people like that. They are unhappy. Just buried a lot of emotions and experiences within.
Amazing review. I had to dig to find this video so I could see that there were people who could see the deeper meaning of this film. The mainstream media review articles really flopped in that regard. Subscribed!
The final scene is in my view is just a depiction of life and how it influences us and leaves its marks in our souls. The true wisdom of Hirayama lies in embracing good and bad experiences equally witch acceptance and openness.
A very thoughtful inspection of the ambuiguity of this beautiful film. I had a long discussion with my wife about exactly the question you bring forward and we watched your reflections with great interest.
A thought provoking review. Well done. One reflection about the scene with his sister. I'm not sure I exactly agree with the way you frame it as demonstrating how much he misses the sister 'even if he isn't ready to face the past and mend things between them'. The way I see it is that although he probably does 'miss' his sister in a sense, and deep down wishes that they could be deeply reconciled and reunited, he also recognises the reality that this is not always possible. Not everything can be fixed just because one wants it.The reason he hugs her 'desperately' in my opinion - in the hug I see a combination of feelings of love, regret and loss, pain and sadness, and possibly forgiveness. I notice that she is restrained in her response, though there is definitely some mutual feeling. Of course no interpretation of this can be definitively correct - we of course inevitably bring our own experiences to our interpretations, but we also cannot know what lies outside the story, only try only interpret behaviour within the context of the wider story. In this regard for me my interpretation of this scene is consistent with the flickering range of emotions on show in the last scene. To me they reflect the realisation that while there is beauty and moments of joy in life, but there is also inevitably also tragedy and loss. A perfect day and a perfect life needs to encompass both.
Thank you for this very insightful review that made me appreciate the film even more. The film touched my grieving heart especially because it echoed my late husband's practice of finding joy in simple things (the chop wood, carry water koan of Zen).
I took the last scene as just showing different emotions he feels on different days yet he still views all days in the same way and continues about his day. I'm not sure it was about him being sad about certain aspects of his life but more so that emotions come and go in everyday life. That was just my initial interpretation coming out of the movie.
I loved this movie when I saw it in theaters earlier this year. Thank you for making this fantastic video solidifying things I was thinking about while watching the film. Keep up the great work!
This movie is probably the most overlooked best film of the year. I saw many great movies in 2023, but this one even though was the simplest of them all, was the one that impacted me the most and the one that I will watch again from time to time. I have watched it more than once and Everytime, I get more out of it and appreciate it even more. Those are the signs of a future all time classic.
Sensitive review. Very insightful. Congratulations! And thanks!
I have just finished viewing the movie few minutes ago.
I do think (and feel!) that you make the point about the overall analysis & on the last scene. This gives me an extra layer of appreciation about that movie.
Sometime we have to put aside our analytical mind, and just feel.
Which is beautiful with that movie is that one can do feel it like we feel life, this is not something to be analyzed but to be felt.
In this way, this is a complete success.
Well said and wrapped up. Bravo !
Finally someone who really understood the movie.
Loved the movie, the final scene is such a wholesome- its was much needed, and the final song Wow.
Loved your review! ❤
Very good review, compared to some other reviews, it feels like you really watched the film.
The whole movie gets us into a deep scenario about the life of a simple man. It's the kind of movie that makes us think about it so many times after we watch it, and this is so beautiful. Everything in this movie is brilliant, fascinating, and magnificent, and you described it very accurately. Excellent review, and I liked it so much. Thanks for sharing your viewpoints with us. Keep up.
Thank you for your comment and the support! I think you are absolutely right, this movie definitely stayed with me and I keep coming back to many parts of it.
You should check out "Tokyo Sonata" a similar film by another director. Similar simple life, basic level work topic.
Just saw the trailer and I can definitely see the similarities. Thank you for the recommendation!
I felt so understood by this review. Great take on the parts that conform of Hirayama. I still think that he experienced a very strong bulk of emotions at the end, neither cheerful nor sad.
What a wonderful video essay of this incredible film! Thank you!
Thank you, it means a lot that you liked it!
I think the titular song Perfect Day by Lou Reed sums up what you're saying. It's a song about perfect days but is far from sincere, it's a song about spending time with yourself but as the song goes on it really takes on a feeling of loneliness and desperation.
I really appreciated your considered interpretation of this beautiful film. You’ve raised some really good ideas for us to ponder. For me, the interesting thing that I’d like to add to this conversation are questions about his unexplained backstory/ subtext, that sits behind Hirayama’s present. For example, his sister mentions their father who is getting old /unwell and that Hirayama should see him, suggesting that their Dad won’t be so violent or angry now. Strangely this remind me a little bit of Steven Soderbergh 1989 film Sex, Lies, and Videotape - where the central protagonist is attempted to simplify his life, but then returns to his hometown. Maybe Hirayama is slowly working towards his own resolutions, hence the road and the sunset motif the mentioned.
One other thing of note that I’d like to mention . There are numerous brief encounters with people throughout the film which they do not feel compelled to develop or resolve for us. It is enough to know how he responds to these moments..
I think you're making too much of the past having an influence on that last scene. I teared up when I was watching the expressions on his face, because those expressions encapsulated the emotional range of finding contentment with the beautiful mystery of your human existence - the ups and downs, the exquisite and the banal, the discipline and the freedom, the beauty in the most mundane.... and then there is always the light through the trees.
Hirayama seemed happy in the first half, but I think his present life is like a shadow. He does not believe that shadows are good, yet he believes that a life in the shade has meaning.
Therefore, he insisted, "If you put shadows on top of shadows, the shadows should be even darker." If the shadows were not to change, it would mean that shadows have no value.
He may believe that light and KOMOREBI can exist because of shadows.
Both "Perfect Day" and "Feeling Good" are dark in tone, contrary to the lyrics. I found myself wanting to believe the line "You're going to reap just what you sow." But will that wish come true?
from Japanese
My exact feelings. I think he is unhappy deep inside. It seems like he removed himself from society and just trying to go by. In my opinion he is like many many people who were too afraid to risk in life, and are stuck. He lives in the analogue era. It is a proof that he withdrawed from society about three decades ago. He needs to have a daily habits, and focus on today as there is no future nor the past for him. He probably lost his hope to create any meaningful connections. Sad movie to me. Very sad. I am approaching 40. Been left by my ex-fiancee. I am scared of loneliness and this is really dark scenario to me.
i just finished watching it for the very first time and my thoughts were exactly same as yours, very beautiful interpretation and breakdown. you deserve more viewers.
Thank you so much for the comment and the support! It’s great to hear that other people also had the same interpretation!
Thank you so much! I completely agree with your ideas about this movie, and have been surprised and a little disappointed by what I feel are too simplistic interpretations of it. I don’t have anything to add, I feel like you covered all the points that I’ve considered, the need for control coming from a place of pain being foremost- but not discussed as much. Thank you for your thoughtful review!❤️
Thanks a lot for beautifull review!
Great review. Thank you. I wondered at the last scene as well, it was that tears ? but you put the words to it. What I take out it, is Joy is a mix of sadness, it comes from sadness.
great review, I was curious about what other people think the final scene was trying to convey
Very smart review. Intelligent observations. Great job !
Very insightful review of a perfect film. Hirayama's contentment is so striking, but you're absolutely right that he sees that he is missing something.
"Where then is happiness to be found? In doing what man's nature requires. How then will he do this? If he holds fast to principles upon which impulses and actions depend. What principles are these? They concern good and evil, how nothing is good for man which does not make him just, self-controlled, brave and free; and nothing is evil which does not produce effects the opposite of these." (Marcus Aurelius)
I think he has started his own journey of healing from his past traumas and started fulfilling his life by escaping from comfort zone..
Great analysis ❤
He's only as sad as any of the other characters in the film, or many of us in real life, but he leaves plenty of room for happiness too, more than most.
Thank you for this video.♥ I had the same feeling at the end of the video that while Hirayama is lovely, his solitude leads to isolation from significant relationships in his life. While that is his choice, I finished the film with a bit of sadness at his state. I agree that we are seeing Hirayama along his journey of healing, maybe not at its final conclusion.
Thank you for this profoundly deep analysis !! I really, truly appreciate your presentation of this movie!!
Thank you for your comment and for your support!! Means a lot!
It's funny that you say "thrive for a better job". I think this is what all Westerners would say, however the Japanese people have a special connection with cleaning. Since childhood, all children are in charge of cleaning the school; I read that they have no cleaning personnel. And then there's Marie Kondo who made an art out of cleaning and because the first widely known cleaning consultant. So I don't think we can understand the way Japanese perceive cleaning people. Clearly this movie could not have been shot in America or anywhere else except Japan. And I do believe that for this character cleaning is a good enough job.
Thank you for commenting. I think you are right about how in Japan there is a very big respect and importance given to cleanliness and their public toilets are a perfect example of that. But I do think that cleaning toilets is unfortunately still a job without much prestige even in Japan if the way that his sister speaks about his job is any indication. Anyhow, I think what makes something a good job is just a matter of personal opinion.
@@Nokitoki_reviews I didn't understand either why his sister spoke with such contempt about his cleaning job. It seemed to me like a Japanese would not do that. I might be wrong, of course. It just seemed a little off to me, as from what I know, the Japanese don't show you their real feelings, anyway. We also should keep in mind that this is a movie mainly made for Westerners, just like Memoirs of a Geisha which I also loved.
Great analysis.. I absolutely loved this movie. It actually speaks to a part of a lot of ppls lives when once the pomp and show of one's youth passes and things get a bit more serious and morose if one allows it.
Loved the movie - and I loved your interpretation. Well done. I think the ending is one of the most challenging in recent cinema - because I do not think Hirayama knew himself what he was thinking, let alone feeling. For me, I tend to think of it more as him existing in the now, but struggling to find cohesion/security with a world that is paved with the past (which he seems to have rejected). It is more an existential collision between his comforting world-view (yes, he controls his own now), and those lives that intersect with it. I think he cries for loss; the loss of those moments to time; but laughs for the fact that those moments are forever replaced/reborn. It's such a moving final scene - and well deserving of all the accolades. And the movie itself was one of the most satisfying cinema experiences I've had in a long time.
Edit - for me personally, I think there's a very strong vibe to a very old book (Hojoki - or the 10 foot square hut; or at least the later part of the book)... a tale of someone secluding themselves away to learn how to become part of the world through the moment. The author Chomei also came from a family of privilege; which he rejected to become a hermit.
His father made him do things he didn't want to do. Now he does what he wants to do. It is no accident that the short story “Turtle” by Patricia Highsmith is mentioned. There, the mother was making her son into the person she saw herself to be, but not the person he really was. She didn't listen to what he wanted.
But he didn't go crazy like that “Homeless Dancer” who wanted to play theater all his life, but his parents tried to make him into someone else. Nothing didn't work out in the end.
Hirayama made himself believe that he didn't need close relationships with people. But he's not autistic like that girl eating lunch in the park. You can tell she doesn't need anyone at all.
He's just afraid those people won't accept him for who he is. And that's why he won't get close to them. Because he doesn't want to pretend to be someone else anymore.
Hirayama - Here I am.
Great review! I agree with everything you say!
I liked this review. It was also very important to me the scenes where many things changes: The tree outside his window that appeared next to apparently new electric wires, the place that an old man asked if he remembered what it used to be and the woman from the restaurant asking once "why can´t things remain the same?" I felt that it was the first catalyst for all the emotions he passed through at the end of the movie. The second was the man with cancer, I think it remind him that he himself is going to die. I think that both things made him think about all the things that the creator of this video said related to his relationship with others.
Good points. But I feel that Hirayama is like Sisyphus- life, may have its cumbersome moments but overall, he is happy with the predictability of it.
Loved your review! For me the end made me think about loneliness and the changes in life.
I just subscribed because you did a good job 🎉🎉
Excellent review, I think you nailed it. It is a very nuanced character, and that's precisely what makes him so interesting and so human. The final scene is absolutely fantastic.
Please keep sharing your thoughts on other movies!
Thank you so much for the comment and the support! It really means a lot that you liked it
Nice work!!!
I keep thinking about the scene under the bridge with the restaurant owner's x husband as both brilliant and pivotal to the movie. I've not heard anyone discuss this scene and the whole shadow tag thing. Still pondering it. Your thoughts"
wonderful review! keep going
This is the second time Nina Simone's song "Feeling Good" moved me to my core while watching a film like this. First time I heard it was the incredible French film "The Intouchables" in a similar context.
And talking about the last scene. I felt it was perfecttly performed, that blended tapestry of emotions, expectation, acceptance, skipping the closure and transforming it to a flow.....
Thank you so much for your comment and insights! Especially that final part of “skipping the closure and transforming it to a flow” I feel describes perfectly the final scene and is just a beautiful notion!
thanks for this 🙏
I think he is happy because he doesn't take things for granted and appreciates art and beauty, like good books, good music, a beautiful sunny day, or komorebi. He is just living in the present moment. And when you live in the "now", you don't need to worry about the past or future.
great video!!
Great Film! and Great Review!
There is another scenario of closing the page of the past and it is not unhealthy, just the opposite. Sometimes something happens in the past, something horrible. You deal with it, cut your loses, get your lessons and then you just have to close the page. Those wounds never heal. You just put a bandage over it and learn to live with it. It is just there and will always be, but it is in the past. Not in the now.
Very good review. :)
This is a very good review of a delicious movie that has so much depth than it apparently shows. Köji Yakusho is excellent in portraying the freedom and happiness but also the drama of a solitary life.
Thank you very much for commenting and I’m really glad you liked it! He is an amazing actor and very few people would be able to play this role as well as he did!
@@Nokitoki_reviews I thought so, the film wouldn't be the same without him. 😊
Good description. I think you missed the moment where he cry, imidiate, after his sister left. I think he found his a way to survive a absent father. His sister proberly became a materialistic carrier workoholic instead, beeing further away from herself. For me the movie clealy illustrated how important it is to have a family that can deliver love and care.
To me, it was never a matter of being slow or not, I appreciate slow movies. His life is a permanent ritual of repeating the same activities. It has nothing to do with finding happiness in simple things. It is more about dealing with a tedious life and pretending that you are okay.
His forced meeting with the sister revealed that something serious happened in the past, between them. It is said that they do not have contact.
He's obviously not happy, he's just practicing Acceptance.
He's over qualified for his job and definitely carrying lot of baggage from the past (implied). Suffering from loneliness and Monotony. And not well of financially as well.
I love your Critical Thinking, @Nokitoki_reviews!! I think that the film helps us to understand -and value, two gems of Japanese philosophy: Komorebi, to really appreciate the present (the obvious gem in the film), and Ikigai, to live balancing life’s spheres (work, hobbies…and social life). That is the Japanese gem that is the least obvious in the film. Hirayama-san, the angel of public toilets, still have a lot of work ahead on that last sphere…Fully agree with you!!
Thank you! I really liked learning about komorebi but I didn’t know about Ikigai! It sound really interesting and also relevant to the movie! Thank you for sharing
ikigai its find something meaningful or simply something that you enjoy a lot. For a lot of people its to be with their friends, or even food they like. But its only one thing in your life. An old man said his ikigai was to say good morning to the people in the street. And a lot of different old people that its going to karaoke. It could be have your favourite drink in the morning. For him for example could be taking photos of the nature.
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@Ssaidak, one of the four spheres of Ikigai is to serve others. Taking pictures of nature does not make the cut for that. That’s what Hirayama is missing if he wants to live a fulfilling life according to Ikigai
I wondered about the scene with the bar owners ex husband. This man wouldn’t take no for an answer when the main character tried to say that it wasn’t a romantic connection he had with her. I felt like it was he was being shown by this man that there was a hopeful, positive and happy direction that his life could go in by accepting the dying man’s wishes to take care of his ex wife. Like he was bestowing a blessing on him which could lead to a promise of a deeper connection for him in his life with a woman rather than just glances at a woman eating lunch or naughts and crosses with a mystery person. The bookshop lady made the remark about fear and anxiety being different things. I felt he was being nudged to push beyond a fears which may have kept him in a routine of control to investigate this potential relationship.
I’d like to see a sequel where he and her run the bar.
This is the first review i have seen that even seems to touch on whether or not he was actually happy. Bravo. I think you were dead on. Even how the music is in English while taking place in japan. Every song has lyrics that are in contrast to the tone of the song. The true meaning is deeper, and if you were not understanding the language you might miss out on some of the meaning. Great review. Subscribed.
Thank you very much for commenting and the support! The music in this movie is quite iconic and your insights are really interesting
10 out of 10!
I saw it last night. Thought it was really good. That's it! Paris Texas was also excellent.
Had never heard of Paris Texas, but I searched it and it sounds like a really interesting movie. Thank you for sharing it!
I get enjoyed by your thoughts 👌🏻
I have the same thoughts, it always will be a room for growing
I hoped you will talk about the book seller that seemed a perfect mate for him and he chose not to talk to her. It was perfect example of him making a decision being out of active part of society. He is a man of many conflicts I think only small part of man experienced that path and most ppl dont understand it fully. Thats why there is so many bad review as you mention in the begining. Im glad that you understandend big part of movie. I dont think I get all of it also, however he must have chosen to be living his own world and reject facing reality that most people live in. He has passion for litelature however he cant share this passion. He is living lonely life which hurts him but he stopped to look for contact with other people. In his pain he finds a cure in going to bar where there is micro socieety build around bar mama which is poisonous for him. For sure he is very sensitive person however he works in one of most non sensitive works. He must know very different ideas from books and know a lot of words however he chooses to be silent. He tries to take happiness from small things but I think he misses fullfuliment or being understand, he works hard to be worthy however no one notice it. I mean he has kind of artistic soul but he didnt go that path. I wish some one smarter/older could develop this idea. I think this is one of these movies that most ppl will not get to true meaning and will be missunderstood by majority. Its also a weird movie. That ending changes everyting what was shown to us before. Its also weird because I feel conected to main hero as I kind of lived like him for a lot of my life but this is another topic.
CZcams has just got his new philosopher girl .... 🎉🎉🎉