Kôfuku no kane (2002)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Hiroyuki Tanaka

Writer:

Hiroyuki Tanaka (writer)

Release Date:

22 November 2003 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Drama

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Susumu Terajima	...	Igarashi
Naomi Nishida	...	Iragashi's Wife
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Reila Aphrodite
Ayako Hirai
Itsuji Itao	...	Prisoner
Ryôko Shinohara	...	Single mother
Sansei Shiomi	...	Yakuza
Kazuko Shirakawa	...	Bar-owner
Seijun Suzuki	...	Old Man's Ghost
Toru Tezuka	...	Man who doesn't want to pay his bill
Kôji Yokokawa

Also Known As:

Blessing Bell (USA)

Runtime:

France:87 min | Germany:87 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Germany:12

Company:

Blessing Bell Film Partners, The

The ZEN in the form of a movie

I think it's a shame how underrated this movie is. Its slow pace, little conversation, even less action and not specific topic doesn't make it easy to understand and "digest", especially not for people who are not used to art movies, but nobody should call this a bad or boring movie just because he didn't understand it.

SABU, director of masterpieces like Drive, Postman blues, Monday or Unlucky Monkey, didn't use so much of his famous dark, absurd and grotesque humor and of very sad and dramatic scenes either (which are typical for his other movies). This movie is very balanced, very harmonic, very peaceful. Susumu Terajima, who has small roles in other Sabu movies, is the main character here. I love him and his style and his very minimal but professional and essential acting makes the movie even better.

The story is about a man who goes to work, finds that the factory is closed down, therefore goes and wanders around for a day and a night, then goes back home. Some interesting things happen to him during this, but not very much compared to the time he spends sitting or walking or just standing and staring.

So what's this all about? No action, very little humor, very little drama, but why did someone make a movie like this? The answer is that it's REALLY very important that the movie is slow paced and only a few things happen. The main character says nothing during the 95% of the movie! He just observes, and then, if necessary, acts. He doesn't judge, doesn't interfere. He gains some money from someone who doesn't need it then he loses it. So what. He have had it and now he doesn't have it, and that's all. Accepting everything. That's the zen philosophy. Looking at the world as it is, looking at the pure form, at the real meaning of things. There is some scenes connected with sins and jealousy and money and sickness and death and love, but it's kept very simple. It's all about life but it's not direct at all, the thinking part is up to you, the viewer, nothing is explained, and that's why it works so wonderful and also why so many people don't understand it.

Very much worth seeing if you're into art movies or if you're keen on Sabu and if you're interested in Zen.