Watched The Wandering Moon
What is love?
So, I went to see a Japanese movie, The Wandering Moon 流浪の月 in the cinema. The mood was very depressing throughout the entire film. And the plot carries a lot of weight and is hard to talk about. The cinematic was kind of beautiful in its own way. I don’t claim to have better taste than anyone, but I feel like I should write down something.
Minor spoilers ahead.
I’ve only talk about stuff that you may have seen in trailers.
The movie opens with a thick layer of sadness. When it starts to rain, our protagonists meet each other in a park; a university student Fumi 文 and a ten year-old girl Sarasa 更紗. That was the moment when their bond begins. For your convenient, here’s the trailer with English subtitles.
If I had to use my words, I’d describe the story works like a mirror; it give you a taste of certain sides of the social issues that are rooted deep in Japanese culture. Many people avoid watching Asian films because of the language barrier, they just don’t deserve to know how those films try to reach your soul to the deepest. Allow me to exaggerate a bit, it feels like I’m being stabbed a couple times. If you’ve watched it and are not moved by the characters in this movie, you must have a cold heart.
Despite the film is very slow-paced, the editing makes it more interesting to watch. The backstories of our main characters were told with multiple flashbacks. It was told in a way to reflect how their past affected their present lives. They both tried to move on, but it seemed like there was no way out. That’s why they chose to escape from it.
I do not have much to say about this film. In a society that is filled with prejudice, we tend to find something or someone to blame. Because it’s convenient. Many of us did that even without knowing the whole story, but who cares anyway? We put labels on people. If people could stop pointing their fingers at someone for a while, the world would be a much better place. I think this was one of the messages that the movie was trying to convey.
People only see what they want to see.
In my opinion, the main gist of the film is to tell us that someone who’s supposed to be a criminal does not necessarily mean the individual is a bad person. It all depends on how we see the person, from our own point of views. Even if the person has no evil intent, or the slightest bit of bad thoughts towards anyone, it must still be their fault. That’s very sad. No one would even try to defend them, not a single fucking person. At the very least, this was how I interpreted it. This, of course, reminds me of the film Villain 悪人 (2010) also directed by Sang-il Lee 李相日.
The score is very well done. It gave me chills when it was played in the background during a few scenes. Especially the scene where they’re being separated, it almost got me.
When the film ends, I was a bit upset that the main characters don’t seem like they’re planning on how to “deal with” their problems, even though after what they went through. But I’m glad they met each other again. It took 15 years for Fumi 文 to finally confess about his true feelings to Sarasa 更紗.
What I love most is that they literally pick a fight against the whole world. They don't need anyone to understand them as long as they feel each other's emotions. People just don’t deserve it. No one will listen anyway. Their bond between them beyond any words could even describe. I had an urge constantly, I wanted to yell at people “Just leave them alone!” I sincerely hope they can fight back together, while holding their hands.
I can sense the audience in the entire house holding their breath while watching. I hear absolute silence, with very occasional noises caused by someone. It was a very rare case. When the film ended, I thought to myself how long it had been since a film had touched me.
This is what a real world looks like to me. No happy ending. I guess everyone wants their own escapes. Let’s wander to the moon.
The last thing I want to share is this pair of bookmarks from the film. It can be split in half with the die-cut line in the middle. I wouldn’t dare to separate them. How could I?
Some sidenotes, the child actor who plays young Sarasa 更紗 did an amazing job. I think the director try to presents a relationship which is more pure and innocent. The main characters dress like they’re sponsored by the clothing brand Muji.
My Afterthought
I remember the sobbings, the regrets, and the griefs. But there’s still a little bit of hope in it. I’d recommend to people if you wish to feel something different. It will trigger your emotions, guaranteed.
Watched in Cinema
- Director
- Sang-il Lee
- Starring
- Suzu Hirose 広瀬 すず, Tori Matsuzaka 松坂 桃李
- Genres
- Drama
- Release Date
- Oct 2022
This is #Day68 of #100DaysToOffload.
Footnotes
- Such as shut-ins, domestic abuse, family matter, and social media influences can be seen in the film. ↩︎