Wife of a Spy – Supai no tsuma (2020)

Directed by: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | 115 minutes | drama, history | Actors: Yû Aoi, Issey Takahashi, Masahiro Higashide, Ryôta Bandô, Yuri Tsunematsu, Minosuke, Hyunri, Takashi Sasano, Chuck Johnson, Nihi

Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is best known for his J-horror additions, such as ‘Cure’ (1997) and ‘Kairo’ (2001). After his heyday as a horror director, the filmmaker took a different tack. He made drama films such as ‘Bright Future’ (2002) and ‘Tokyo Sonata’ (2008), followed by a series of experimental genre films that found it difficult to match the success of his earlier work. With his latest film, Kurosawa is once again trying something different. ‘Wife of a Spy’ is his very first historical film.

In 1940, Yusaku Fukuhara (Issey Takahashi) runs a successful import and export business in Japan. He is married to Satoko (Yû Aoi), and the two have a seemingly happy marriage. However, when one of Yusaku’s business associates is arrested for leaking military information, Satoko begins to doubt her husband. Could he possibly be a spy? As her distrust grows, Satoko discovers more and more about her other half. All the question marks started after Yusaku returned from a business trip to Manchuria, a Chinese territory occupied by the Japanese army. What exactly happened here?

‘Wife of a Spy’ is categorized as a spy thriller, but that actually gives a somewhat distorted picture. In reality, the film is much more about the struggle between loyalty and doubt. Kurosawa skillfully weaves this issue through the film. The Central Conflict – Are Satoko’s Suspicions Right or Wrong? – quickly arouses interest. Kurosawa knows how to play with this question. In combination with the convincing acting of Takahashi and Aoi, the film manages to arouse sufficient interest in that respect.

However, ‘Wife of a Spy’ is not a traditional Kiyoshi Kurosawa film. His usual themes are mostly absent and the plot feels a lot more conventional. While a large part of his work is characterized by shadows and dark rooms, ‘Wife of a Spy’ is a relatively light and clear film. As a result, the final result is not as successful as many of his earlier films. It’s all just a little more daring and traditional. The film is certainly not bad, but it lacks the daring that normally distinguishes the Japanese filmmaker from other directors.

Still, it’s brave that Kurosawa is still playing with genres and styles at this point in his career. Many filmmakers go on autopilot after achieving success. Kurosawa himself goes straight against this. That makes him, even with a more mainstream film, rare and respectable.