Himizu (2011)

Directed by: Shion Sono | 129 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Shôta Sometani, Fumi Nikaidô, Tetsu Watanabe, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Megumi Kagurazaka, Ken Mitsuishi, Makiko Watanabe, Denden, Jun Murakami, Yôsuke Kubozuka

Yuichi (Shota Sometani) wants nothing more than to live a normal life and work in his mother’s boat rental business after high school and take over the business. His mother is an alcoholic and his father no longer lives at home. He only comes by to collect money and sell Yuichi a few whacks. Everything changes when Yuichi kills his father and tries to make sense of his life by ridding the earth of bad guys.

Films by Japanese director Shion Sono (‘Love Exposure’) have always been known as special. He may even be one of the directors who comes very close to the Japanese soul. It is then, almost logically, not always an easy viewing experience, but an experience all the more.
The story is mainly about Yuichi’s quest for a purpose in life. While everyone is special, Yuichi wants to be as standard as possible. This proves not to be easy with two parents who have gone astray. So when the buttons hit Yuichi, he becomes completely disoriented and dedicates himself completely to his goal of making the world a little bit safer.

‘Himizu’ shows the effects the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 had on Japan and its inhabitants. More than once you see the devastating consequences, but especially the subtle way in which Shion Sono shows how a number of people have lost everything is interesting. Japan and part of its population are in an identity crisis and it is not yet clear how to get back to life. Some of the people who have lost everything live in tents on the property of the boat rental. They form a common thread throughout the film.

The characters are interesting, although they are often unsympathetic, but there is also more than once there is talk of overacting, which actually fits perfectly into Japanese film culture. For viewers unfamiliar with Shion Sono’s genre, this will take some getting used to. In contrast, Shota Sometani’s acting performance is very strong. The combination of sometimes stilled images and a bold score make ‘Himizu’ an equally fascinating and bizarre film. ‘Himizu’ is screaming, often distant and yet so typically Japanese that the film continues to intrigue in one way or another.