The Japanese Wife is an exquisitely crafted film, with the entire emotional gamut of a love story so unbelievable and yet so touching and universal distilled onto the silver screen.
The performances are heart-rending and so realistic that the viewer is just pulled completely into the characters' world. From the restrained turbulence of Raima Sen to the poignancy of Chigusa Takaku, this film probably marks complete departures in roles for its entire cast.
The direction is expectedly superb from Aparna Sen as each scene seems to sigh with the beauty of the Sunderbans and delicately fashion each character in the landscape.
Most interesting for me was the subtle way in which the film tried to make a point about xenophobia and the stupidity of people who adhere to it. When Miyage sends over a box of kites for their 15th wedding anniversary which Snehamoy intends to fly at the Vishwakarma Puja, the sporting kite war is turned into shouts of "Bharater ghuri Zindabad! Japaner ghuri Murdabad!" from one ignorant tramp, which then another ignorant tramp turns into "Duniyar mazdur ek ho!".
In all, a triumph for the cast, crew and for romantics who dare to believe in the impossible. A must see.
The performances are heart-rending and so realistic that the viewer is just pulled completely into the characters' world. From the restrained turbulence of Raima Sen to the poignancy of Chigusa Takaku, this film probably marks complete departures in roles for its entire cast.
The direction is expectedly superb from Aparna Sen as each scene seems to sigh with the beauty of the Sunderbans and delicately fashion each character in the landscape.
Most interesting for me was the subtle way in which the film tried to make a point about xenophobia and the stupidity of people who adhere to it. When Miyage sends over a box of kites for their 15th wedding anniversary which Snehamoy intends to fly at the Vishwakarma Puja, the sporting kite war is turned into shouts of "Bharater ghuri Zindabad! Japaner ghuri Murdabad!" from one ignorant tramp, which then another ignorant tramp turns into "Duniyar mazdur ek ho!".
In all, a triumph for the cast, crew and for romantics who dare to believe in the impossible. A must see.
