Top films of Japan: top-5

Asian cinema is very special and unusual in the eyes of the audience, accustomed to Russian cinema and Hollywood stories. Thus, directors from the Land of the Rising Sun remove the most psychologically heavy and at the same time endlessly fascinating films. Korea, Japan, Thailand, China - these are countries whose culture is sufficiently superficial to anticipate the uniqueness of their cinematic masterpieces. Below is the top-5 of the best films of Japan, compiled by the passionate fan of Asian cinema, Winnot Ira Krish (NET Nebraska).

"No one will know" (2004), director Hirokazu Koredaeda

The plot line is based on real events, known as the "case of the four abandoned children of Nishi Sugamo." If you like movies about Japan, shot with documentary accuracy, then this story, of course, you will have to taste. The movie tells of four brothers and sisters happily living with their mother in a tiny apartment. Each child has his own biological father. None of the children ever attended school. They spend time watching TV and playing computer games. Sometimes they have to hide from the owner of the apartment, who does not even suspect about their existence and is sure that he is renting a lonely woman. This picture, like many films in Japan, is not for the faint-hearted. Although there are no scenes of violence or heartbreaking moments in it, it is nevertheless filled with inner tension that keeps the viewer on the edge of the chair.

"The taste of tea" (2004), directed by Katsuhito Issi

Movies about Japan usually talk about life in big cities. However, this movie is an exception. The scene is the provincial Japanese town of Tochigi. The main character is Yoshiko, and she is not at all a typical housewife: instead of endless cleaning and watching serials, she works at home to create her own anime. The director makes a special emphasis on visual effects, emphasizing individual thoughts and feelings of the characters. "The taste of tea" - a picture comparable to the movie "Fanny and Alexander."

"The Deceased" (2008), directed by Takita Yodziro

The protagonist, Daigo Kobayashi, all his life worked as a cellist. Suddenly, the musician was left without work and without a penny in his pocket. Looking through the newspaper ads, he chooses a company called "The Departed", thinking that it is a question of a travel agency. Arriving at the site of his new job, Kobayashi learns that he will prepare the bodies of recently deceased people for burial. It's no secret that many of Japan's films are focused on the theme of death. However, this picture does not call for concentrating on the ideas of the end of life or life after death; On the contrary, it tells about people who have remained alive.

"The Battle of the King" (2000), directed by Kinji Fukasaku

The film tells a terrible story about a game invented by the Japanese military and implemented in legislation to reduce aggression in schools. Students are planted on a desert island. Each schoolboy is given a weapon (sometimes - absolutely useless), and the game begins: the teenagers kill each other until there is only one left alive. The drama, chilling blood, is flavored with a generous portion of black humor. The picture is based on the same manga and only confirms the widespread view: Japan's films are almost always tougher and more terrible than Western cinema.

"The Tokyo Sonata" (2008), directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

This is the story of an ordinary family with its uncomplicated everyday life. The film begins with a typical day. However, on this day the company decides to fire employees and move business abroad, where it is much cheaper to conduct business. Ryuhei is one of the laid-off workers. Every morning he puts on a suit, takes a case and goes to the employment center, where long hours stand idle in a queue to eventually reject all jobs offered to him - everywhere the salary is lower than the one to which he is accustomed. Having lost the structure and solidity in life, Ryuhei finds an old friend who has long been without work and with various tricks creating an image of a busy person. However, the situation becomes more complicated when a friend commits suicide. Ryuhei spills his stress on family members. This is not obvious at first glance, however, the "Sonata of Tokyo" refers to the genre of "horror" and can easily be recorded in the most terrible films of Japan.

The choice is yours

All of the above films are genre dramas. Undoubtedly, the spectator's tastes vary greatly, and, probably, someone does not accept viewing dramas at all. Nevertheless, Winnot Ira Krish invariably gives the most objective assessment of the movie, so, perhaps, it is worth considering about familiarity with the famous dramas from the Land of the Rising Sun? The films of Japan, China, Thailand and Korea are still exotic for Western viewers, and each picture can inspire a new assessment of reality and give unique impressions.