日本映画の紹介と感想（２）日本語と英語で書いてみた

　　　　 魂萌え　　　　　　　　
 
 「魂萌え」は辞書にはない言葉で、原作者桐野夏生の造語である。　肉体は老いても心はまだ衰えない、むしろ萌えている、という女性のパワフルな生命力を現した言葉だという。この映画のテーマである。桐野夏生、という名前を聞いただけで映画の内容まで分かるような気になってしまうのだが、果たして観客は納得かそれとも肩透かしを食った気になるか。映画を見てのお楽しみ、である。日本映画はハリウッドの超大作に比べて派手さには欠けるが、内容まで貧弱とは思えない。人間の深いところを突いてくる静かな気迫では勝るとも劣らない。邦画を馬鹿にしてはいけないと教えてくれるような佳作である。
 
大きな波風もなく中年まで結婚生活を築いてきた主人公敏子（59歳）が夫の急死で思ってもみなかった人間関係に巻き込まれていく。葬式が終わって息つく暇もなく敏子は夫の秘密に気づいてしまう。まさかの愛人の存在だ。専業主婦の敏子は夫の世話と子育てに明け暮れ、いわゆる人生の黄金期を迎えようとしていた矢先だった。急転直下の展開である。自分の知らなかった夫の別の顔。まったく気づかなかった自分の不甲斐なさ。それだけでも十分につらいのに子供たちが自分勝手なことを言って敏子をさらに混乱させる。逃げ出した先のカプセルホテルで出会った人々にも翻弄される敏子。ここまでが物語のプロローグになる。
 
巻き返しは敏子が世間知らずの家庭の主婦から、徐々に腹をくくっていく過程に描かれる。まずは愛人との対決。第一ラウンドでは気圧されてしまった敏子も、様々な経験を経てから望んだ第二ラウンドで強さを身に着けている。遺産相続についても一歩も引かずに自分の要求を貫き通す。映画は丁寧な目線で愛人と本妻の戦いを描く。赤いベディキュア、僅かに震える指先、髪形も洋服も大事な女の武器である。映画では敏子を風吹ジュン、愛人を三田佳子が演じ迫力ある戦いを披露する。もはや男の存在はどうでもいいといった体である。次は勝手な子供たちとの折り合いのつけかた。二人の子供の言い分を聞きつつも決して言いなりにはならない。母親として凛とした態度で決定を下す様子からは夫に頼りきっていた優柔不断な女の姿は感じられない。
 
映画は妻と愛人との間で10年もの間二重生活を過ごした男の心を全く描かない。愛人には「妻は古い家具のようなもの、漫然とそこにあるだけだが捨てるのも面倒」、と言う。同じ顔で妻には「定年まで支えてくれて有難う」と定年記念にもらった花束を手渡したりする。どちらの言葉も本心だろうが身勝手なものだ。映画はひたすら、変化していく敏子にのみ焦点を当て続ける。平凡な家庭の主婦ながらも、新たな道を切り開こうとするたくましさを持った女性。人を押しのけたり、他人を傷つけたりすることなく、前を向いて自立へと歩き出す敏子を観客は応援したくなるだろう。いくつになっても自立はできる。その気持ちを捨てないで、というのが同年代を生きる女性たちへのメッセージだろうと思う。

風吹ジュン
中年になってからいい味が出てきた

Tamamoe (Flame in your Heart)
 
The title “Tamamoe” cannot be found as a word in a dictionary, because it was coined by Kirino Natsuyo, a writer. She says “I want to express that woman are full of spirit. Even as they get old outside, they never lose their inner enthusiasm. To describe this state, we now use the word, being ablaze, or “　moeteiru ”.
The word represents the film’s theme. When you learn that the movie is based on that Kirino Natuyo’s novel, you may imagine how the film will unfold. Wait until you actually see it to decide whether it is exactly what you expected or far from it.
Compared to Hollywood’s breath holding spectacle movies, Japanese movies are generally moderate. However, they rival or even surpass American movies in depicting the delicate inner side of humans with a quiet but strong will to pursue the depth of humanity.
 
Toshiko (Fubuki Jun) aged 59 believes she has lived a peaceful marriage life (for) more than thirty years until (she faces) her husband’s sudden death, which throws her into the unexpected troubles out of the blue. With little time to relax, she finds her late husband’s secret after the funeral. It is his infidelity. At first, she can’t believe it, but the positive evidence tells her what he had been doing behind her back. As a full-time homemaker, she has devoted her days to the support of her husband and child rearing and now is the time to enjoy her golden period of life. What has been awaiting her is a sour reality. She gets upset about having been ignorant of her husband unfaithful behavior. What is worse, her children get her more confused for imposing their ideas. They are trying to design her future to be convenient for their own desire. Unable to bear the troubles, she resorts to a capsule hotel for the first time in her life but her momentary peace is disturbed with people there. The story up to here constitutes the prologue.
 
 
 
With various experiences, Toshiko gradually grows as a person and comes to realize she has to stand up for herself when needed. She meets her late husband’s lover. At the first time, Toshiko is overwhelmed by the woman’s sensuous presence. But at the second confrontation, she radiates an imposing air against her opponent as the heiress. The film focuses on this seemingly plain, but emotionally tense scene with the lover’s deep red pedicures and neatly coiffed hair, and Toshiko’s subtly trembling finger tips. Their outfits play an important role to visualize their respective situations. On the screen, Fubuki Jun and Mita Yoshiko(lover) play their roles with tremendous impact. In their tense battle, her late husband appears to have no importance at all. Then Toshiko should come to term with her children. Since she is not a people pleaser anymore, she knows how to cope with them. She does not give in but tells them what she will do whatever they insist. Her decisiveness and independent manner shut her children’s mouths.
 
The movie does not depict what Toshiko’s husband feels about a decade long dual life with his wife and lover. He says to his lover, “Wife is like an old piece of furniture. It is there with no particular significance -- all the same, it’s a burden to throw it away”. Nonchalantly, he says to Toshiko “Thank you for supporting me all through to my retirement” and gives a bouquet presented by his former co-workers on his retirement day. Both expressions probably convey his honest feelings but I cannot help saying,” What a thing to say!” The screen earnestly follows Toshiko’s inner growth. A naïve homemaker faces the harsh world and matures into a full-fledged independent woman, with loving kindness intact. The audience would applause her for her positive and active way of living. If there is a will, there is a way. The movie sends this message to all women of the same generation.