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Norwegian Wood AKA Noruwei no mori (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Soda Pictures Review written by and copyright: Jon Meakin (8th September 2011). |
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The Film
 Toru Watanabe is a young man dealing with the loss of his best friend, who has committed suicide. They had grown up together with Kizuki's girlfriend, Naoko, and all three were close. Now he has developed feelings for Naoko, but she is also in turmoil and their awkward attempts at a relationship threaten her sanity. So, a right barrel of laughs then? There is no escaping the fact that Anh Hung Tran's film, an adaptation of Haruki Murakami's renowned novel, is a somber and serious affair, but it is bittersweet and nostalgic too. Some reviews have criticized the method of adapting the novel (in particular Toru's narration), which I haven't read, so I can only comment that I found the film's measured style engrossing and moving. Eventually! It is far from perfect and when it meanders, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was sabotage, because when it's right, it's sublime and you wonder why a couple of scenes were done in a way that seems to pull you out of the story. While a beautiful film, it is also frequently slow and indulgent, with motivations of characters sometimes questionable and brief scenes that on a first viewing can cause frustration. Still, they are only human and the film's greatest strength is that those characters are very realistic and worth committing to (Kizuki's suicide i s notable for the rather pathetic, human mechanics of how to sit in a car filling with fumes! It isn't dramatic or emotive; it's just quiet and awkward and seems more real for it). The story is full of ideas; love, sex, death and grief to name a few, but it tackles them all with confidence. And it isn't a challenge to watch, certainly not depressing despite the synopsis. Eastern cinema sometimes falls into a trap of feeling contrived and sensational, with characters seemingly constructed to force the narrative (the recent Confessions is a prime example). This melancholic story takes place in that awkward, awful time following the loss of a loved one and it is suitably unpredictable, just as life can be when you are aimless and being forced to face up to an uncertain future. It shows how well essayed the characters are when you consider that on paper, you might find Toru unlikeable. He is strongly attracted to another girl and his inability to pull himself together is hurting all concerned, but Ken'ichi Matsuyama's quiet performance perfectly captures how difficult it is for him to let go or hold on to the past as he wrestles with doing the right thing, based on his own emotions or a misplaced sense of duty. I may have made Norwegian Wood sound indistinct, but it is actually finely constructed around the characters. Notice how they break into groups of three, with Toru the only constant. We start with him, Kizuki and Naoko. When Kizuki dies Toru moves to Tokyo and forms a new trio with a charmer and his neglected girlfriend, Hatsumi. Naoko ends up in a retreat to recover from her grief and she is helped by another patient who in turn chaperones between Toru and Naoko when he visits, so yet another group of three. Finally Midori at first seems the only loner, but her dangerous flirting and lying becomes something else when Toru meets her sick father, making the last triangular relationship. The story is very adult, with a strong sexual element in all the characters. Toru in particular wrestles with notions of commitment, desire and the importance -or not- of sex. His experiences in Tokyo with his friend and the views of the neglected girlfriend epitomize this, while Kiko Mizuhara is superb as Midori, a girl who uses her sexuality as a defense, yet may be more brittle than she lets on. And Rinko Kikuchi, who overall gives a stunning performance in the hardest role, is very frank as Naoko, recognizing Toru may have certain needs! If you're thinking this is an explicit film, put it out of your mind. This is no Lust, Caution and in fact is much better and more adult for the lack of nudity and the films overall lack of sensationalism is at its most effective and important when the descriptions are so explicit. Each of the three triangles represents an alternative path for Toru and it's very cleverly done, with even the seemingly secondary characters being fully fleshed out and complicated. I have only mentioned a few of the cast, but they are all excellent, relishing the intelligent roles and working with genuine chemistry between each other. The story takes place over several months, almost in a seasonal fashion, adding an essential sense of time when it could have drifted, while giving Tran plenty of opportunity to use various weather conditions to wonderful visual effect. The fantastically realized 60s atmosphere with occasional, predominantly Western, music of the era (the title is a Beatles song that represents the story) completes a consummate delivery of a film, that while it can be slow, is also an excellent fusion of styles. The story and structure is very Japanese, but the meticulous detail in the characters is Kubrick or maybe Paul Thomas Anderson when one considers the catchy, period vibe (plus the effective and original score is from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, who worked with Anderson on There Will Be Blood). It’s only let down by brief scenes that can seem lost and ineffective, but another viewing may balance those out too.
Video
The widescreen, 1080p transfer is excellent and the film has a range of visuals that are perfect for Blu-Ray. Tran works potential out of every scene, with wonderful seasons outdoors complemented by gorgeous colours and contrasts of light inside. Toru's first date with the enchanting Midori is particularly memorable for the lighting in her apartment.
Audio
Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is the single audio track available, with selectable English subtitles. It's a very dialogue heavy film and voices are centered well, but otherwise the soundtrack is wide open and makes good use of a surround set-up, especially with the brief interludes of music.
Extras
There is a making of feature which is thorough (52 minutes) and subtitled, with a documentary feel, rather than a marketing piece, but it's slightly let down by having no subs for the names of the interviewees! You have to guess who they are by what they are talking about, which is a shame. There is also footage from the premiere and opening day in Japan and the Venice festival, plus galleries of poster artwork (some wonderful examples in there) and the trailer.
Overall
Norwegian Wood is a special film. Typically Japanese, yet modern and unpredictable, the somber and tough subject is nevertheless engrossing and beautifully told. It occasionally lapses into indulgence, but the ending is sublime and leaves you satisfied (I loved the final line of dialogue). The Blu-Ray is crisp and well presented with extras that demonstrate a confident cast and crew working easily with each other, which translates well to the screen.
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