MASAHIRO SHINODAAND HIS FILM UNDER THEBLOSSOMING CHERRYTREES (1975)DANIEL BEAUREGARD 04.02.15

Whencherrytreesblossom,peoplehaveparties.Theysitunderthetreeswithfoodandbeverages.Oh,howbeautiful.Thatsallnonsensebeforethatthetreeswerefeared.

WhenhedirectedUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,ShinodahadalreadyestablishedhimselfyearspriorasanotablememberofJapaneseNewWavecinema.Likemanyofhiscontemporaries,hebeganhiscareerinthe1950satShchikuStudiosasanassistantdirector,workingundersuchgreatsasYasujirOzu(TokyoStory,TokyoChorus,FloatingWeeds).Shchikubeganinthelate1800sasakabukiproductioncompany,laterexpandingtoincludeNohandBunraku(aformoftraditionalpuppettheatre).Thecompanybeganmakingfilmsinthe1920sandstilloperatestoday,amassingareputationfortakingchancesonproducingfilmsthatweregenrebending,experimentalandnotalwaysfinanciallysuccessfulitgavemanyofJapansgreatestdirectorsaplacetostart.ShinodaeventuallyleftShchikuin1965toformhisownproductioncompany,butthestudioshistoryandbeginningsasatheatreproductioncompanyplayedalargeroleininfluencingShinodaandtheaestheticsofmanyofhiscontemporaries.

Shinodahimselfstudiedtheatrealongwithfilm,andtheformerhasremainedaneverpresentpartofmuchofhiswork.IhesitatetosayinfluencebecauseShinoda,likemanyofhiscontemporaries,Ithink,wasinspiredbytheideaofcreatingatypeoflive,immortalizedtheatreonscreen.Therearebeautifullydesignedsets,paintings,props,thegratingsoundofthebiwa(atraditionalJapaneselute)accompaniedbybitsandpiecesofnarrationorchanting.InDoubleSuicide(1969),Shinodaevenwentsofarastooccasionallyportraythecharactersasbunrakupuppets.

InUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,wearetreatedtooneofMasahiroShinodasmostterrifyinglybeautifulworks.BasedonashortystorybyAngoSakaguchi,thefilmtellsthetaleofapoorMountainManwhokillshissevenwives(sixtobepreciseheleavesonealivetobeaservant)topleaseanalluringwomanhehascaptured.Asthefilmprogresses,theMountainMangoestounimaginablelengthstopleasehisNewWife,whoisneversatisfied.

AnothernotableaspectofUndertheBlossomingCherryTreesiscomposerToruTakemitsusscoreforthefilm.Theatonalityandsparsenessofthemusiccoupledwiththecolorfulimageryonscreenenhancesourexperienceeeriechanting,rhythmicmotifsandquickflutetrillsaddawelcomeaccompanimenttoan

alreadyrichvisualtapestry.

Youdonthesitatetokillpeoplebutyoureafraidofflowers?

Ashecarriesheronhisbackthroughthemountains,hisnewwifeasks,Cantyouwalkanyfaster?Ithoughtyouwereaman.Thissetsafamiliartonefortherestofthefilm.MountainMansuffersendlesshumiliationatthehandsofhisshrewishNewWife,andthisisoneofthethingsIloveaboutShinodasworkfromthisperiod:hauntinglybeautifulfemalesdegradeandhumiliatetheirmalecounterparts.Thesemensuffer,neverseemingtobeabletoliveuptoexpectations.InUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,theNewWifeismorereminiscentofatwistedfemmefataleherbeautyandsexappealmakeherpowerfulsheissmart,manipulativeandgetswhatshewants.But,bytheend,throughtheirownmachinations,bothmaleandfemalesuffergreatlyandeachisofferedasimilarfate,whetheritbedeath,loneliness,orsuicide.

ShinodadoesntshyawayfromexploringsomeofthemorehideousaspectsofJapaneselife.Hequestionsculturalandhistoricnorms,thecontextinwhichthesebeliefsexist,aswellasthehumanproblemsthesebeliefscancreate.Hetouchesonhowentiregroupsofpeoplecanbecomemarginalizedorshamedoutofsociety,forcedintoalifethatsamiserableexistence,outonthefringesofsocietyscrapingatitsleavingstostayalive.InanininterviewwithUCBerkleyfilmcriticHarryKreisler,Shinodasaysthatthemaincharactersin[his]filmsarealwaysonthelosingside,orthevanquishedside.Hethencontinues,sayingthatthetypesofmonstershumanitycreatesaremuchworsethananywecouldimagine.

InUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,wehavethemaincharactersthemselves,whoaremonsters,andwealsohaveagroupofbeggarswhoappearlaterinthefilm,andthePardonedOnes,criminalswhohaveconfessedtheircrimestoescapedeathandhavebeenforcedintoalifeofservitudeasbountyhunters.Ithinkitsalsointerestingtonotethatinthisfilm,themaincharactershavenonamesthereisnotasinglesceneintheentiremoviewheretheyaddresseachotherformally.

Welltroddenpathsformedfarfromthecherrytrees.Noonewalkedthroughthecherrytreesthen.Itwasquiet.

Thefilmopenswiththesoundsoftrafficandtheshoutsofpeoplecelebrating.BeforeweskipbacktotheEdoperiod,wearetreatedtoaglimpseofhowpeopleliveduringthepresentdaysuitedbusinessmendrinkingandplayingdrums,peoplehavingpicnicsastheblossomsfallaroundthem.InmanyofShinodasfilms(likemanydirectorshehasatonandImakenoclaimtohaveseenthemall)thereisalwaysthistension,apushandpullbetweenthemodernandtheancientwehavecars,trains,cigarettes,gunsandbusesthatappearperiodicallyinplacesthatotherwisefeeltimeless.

IdontunderstandJapaneseandprobablyneverwill,sounfortunatelyitsnecessaryformetowatchthisfilmwithsubtitles,andalthoughIcanbesureitsnothowShinodaintendedittobewatched,Ifinditveryenjoyable.Atcertainmomentsinthefilm,theframespairbeautifullywiththesubtitlesonscreen,offeringusanendlessamountofmemelikemoments.IdontthinkthatImexaggeratingwhenIsaythateachframeonthescreenisapoeminitself,andpairedwiththewords/subtitles,itoffersusanotheravenuetoquestionouridentityasviewers,awareofboththesubtextwereexpectedtocreatefromeachframeduetothesubtitlesandtheoneweactuallycreate.AgainitwasprobablynotShinodasintentionbutitsnonethelessanaddedbonus.

ImalwayscarefulwhilewatchingafilmwithsubtitlesbecauseImconsciousofhowmeaningscangetskewed,orhowthingscanbelostordistortedduetothelanguagebarrier.However,muchofShinodasthemesareuniversal.Hecritiquesmoralsandbeliefscommontoanyculture:shame,domesticlife,adultery,traditions,religiousbelief,forbiddenlove,growingupdestitute,murder,thelistgoeson.

takemebacktothecapitolcityandbringmeeverythingIdesireuseyourstrengthtopleaseme.

InUndertheBlossomingCherryTreestherearevast,beautifullandscapesatthebeginningandendofthefilm,insharpcontrasttothescenesoflifeinthecapitolcity,whichissupposedtobeEdoormoderndayTokyo.BoththeMountainManandtheNewWifetraveltothecityseekingfortuneandamorelavishlife,buttheyquicklybecomeboredwithitandthenthefilmreallydoesevolveintoahorrormovie.

Tocureherboredom,theNewWifeorderstheMountainMantobringhertheheadsofdistinguishedmembersofthecapitol.Eachday,hereturnswithasacofheadsforhiswife,whoarrangesthemandplayswiththemasiftheywerepuppets.Sheasksformorehideouslookingheadstocompletehercollection.Shewantsanaudience.Theseheadsarehercourtshecherishesthem.Shespeakstotheminheremptycourtlyrhetoricastheyrotaroundthehouse.TheMountainManbeginstothirstforspringwaterandemptyspaceeventually,bothagreetomakethetrekbacktothemountains,takingtheshortcutthroughtheblossomingcherrytrees.Withoutgivingtoomuchaway,wecanbesurethattheyeachcometoasinisterend,andinclassicShinodafashion,weasviewersarelefttowonderwhichpartsofthestoryaretrue,orifthecharacterseverexistedtobeginwith.

Itfeelslikefreshgreenleavesaresheddingtears.

ShinodasfilmsareincrediblysadUndertheBlossomingCherryTreesisnoexception.Asitprogresses,thefilmmakesitclearthatnoonewillbeallowedtohaveahappyending.Shinodaexerciseshistalentoftakingtheviewerthroughawiderangeofemotions.IveoftenfoundthatafterwatchingoneofhisfilmsImexhaustedIusuallyfeellikeIvewatchedseveralfilmsatonce.CitingOrsonWellesasaninfluence,Shinodahassaidthatfilmsallowustoexperienceheightenedemotions,oneswemaynotusuallyexperienceineverydaylifehealsosaysitismuchmoreinterestingtolookatevilthantolookatgood:IthinkIcontinuemakingfilmsbecauseitisawaythatIcaninvestigateevilevilgivesusagreatmotivefordoingthingsunhappinessgivesusaveryfertile,richgroundforemotionsandeducationemotions.

Throughplayingwithfamiliararchetypes,Shinodaallowsustowitnesstheseevilsandexploretheiroutcomes.Thisisahorrorfilm,anditisclassifiedassuch,butthehorrorexistsinthehumanaspectsofthisfilm,notinsomevagueapparition.

UndertheBlossomingCherryTreesisawayofinvestigatingthisevilahumanevilanevilthatoozesoutofsuperstitionandtraditionaneviloftheideasofwhatwealthandbeautymaybringtothosewhochoosetoseekitatanycost.

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