I was in the mood for a Japanese film last week, so Dan and I watched Still Walking, which has been getting a lot of critical acclaim in the past year. The original title is æ©ã„ã¦ã‚‚æ©ã„ã¦ã‚‚ (“Aruitemo Aruitemo”) and more literally translates to “Even if You Walk and Walk,” and it centers around a family, the Yokoyama’s. (What a coincidence! :P) Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda,who made the heartbreaking film Nobody Knows, Still Walking is a melodrama that observes the myriad of feelings that characterize this family. Regret. Sorrow. Jealousy. Disappointment. Deceit. Love. All presented in the most subtle way imaginable — nothing is in-your-face or flashy about this movie. Delicately rendered and gently delivered, the story has so many layers to it despite this restraint.
Still Walking resonated with me because I could see a lot of my own family in the film (not just because we share the same last name… haha*). I’m not sure if it’s specific to Japanese family culture, but no matter how close-knit your family is, there’s still a degree of awkwardness that comes into play. You love each other, but oftentimes it’s sort of an unspoken thing that never really surfaces as open affection. Though born and raised in America, I grew up in a fairly traditional Japanese family, and restraint, moderation, and gaman (quiet endurance) were always emphasized. It was a slight culture shock to come into Dan’s family, where everyone is always hugging each other and openly affectionate. I do think that traditionally, many Japanese families are too stoic and often as a result incommunicative, but I think that their culture of respect and filial piety is very important to preserve. It definitely made me think about what sort of a “family culture” I’d like to nurture when we have our own family someday. I’m sure it’s a common struggle for a lot of Asian Americans to find a happy medium….
I would recommend Still Walking, although I’m not entirely sure if it is deserving of the 100% it got on Rotten Tomatoes. I personally think it pales against the striking masterpiece Okuribito (Departures), a Japanese film which also got a lot of attention last year.