Well, not exactly the elderly, but the mature would be more accurate (over 45 if you prefer), since I felt that some performances could not be missing, despite the initial rule I have considered, of over 50. Furthermore, films like “Ikiru” and “An Autumn Afternoon” could definitely be included in this list, but I chose to list more contemporary films, with the oldest one being produced in the 80’s.
The reason for this list is the fact that I felt that the directors from SE Asia always had the ability to make the most out of actors of later age, in contrast to other regions, where the roles are mostly assigned to the young and “beautiful”, with Hollywood, evidently, holding the lion’s share. The reason behind this tendency may well be that countries like Japan and S. Korea have an aging population, but the fact remains, that quite frequently, impressive performances from older actors do appear in the films in the region. Here are 15 of them, in chronological (ha!) order.
1. The Ballad of Narayama (Shohei Imamura, 1983, Japan)
Imamura directs a film that borders on being a documentary, due to the realistic depiction of life in the mountain villages of the country, a century before. However, he retains his distinct style, as he includes many sex scenes, unexpected moments of humor, and a number of shots that could only be characterized as horrendously realistic.
Sumiko Sakamoto (born November 26, 1936) gives an astonishing performance as Orin, a very difficult character that can feel and show love and at the same time act in an utterly cruel fashion.
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2. Madadayo (Akira Kurosawa, 1993, Japan)
“Madadayo” is not an epic film as the ones that made Kurosawa one of the most prominent filmmakers of all time. However, man is once more the epicenter, as Uchida proves to be a force that can shape everyone around him for the better. Furthermore, Kurosawa seems to identify with the protagonist, as he shouts “Madadayo” (not yet), since he also was present and shooting films, in spite of his age (83 at the time).
Tatsuo Matsumura (born December 18, 1914) as Professor Uchida is impressive in a very demanding role that has him depicting a number of psychological statuses and behaviours, with the dominant one being his will to live.
3. A Family (Lee Jeong-cheol, 2004, S. Korea)
The main axis of the film is the relationship between father and daughter, which is analyzed to the fullest and in very dramatic, but realistic fashion. He ignores her, considering her stubborn and immature as a child, and she considers his behavior cruel and egoistical. Both of them want to get away from each other, but the circumstances do not allow them to and they end up living in a situation filled with misery and lack of understanding. She desperately asks for support from her family and her father constantly misunderstands her behavior.
Joo Hyun (born March 1, 1941) is very good as a bitter, sick father, while his chemistry with Soo-ae, who plays Jeong-hwan, is one of the film’s biggest assets.
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4. Dear Doctor (Miwa Nishikawa, 2009, Japan)
Miwa Nishikawa does a great job on both script and direction, with her prowess finding its highlight in the conception of Dr Ino, who is the one that makes the movie stand apart from the majority of similar films coming out of Japan.
Tsurube Shofukutei (born December 23, 1951) does a great job in one of the few protagonist roles of his career, which has started in the 80’s, proving that this is an “honour” that should be bestowed upon him more frequently. The depiction of a variety of feelings and psychological statuses is outstanding, and is even stripped by the regular hyperbole so frequent among Japanese actors.
5. Mother (Bong Joon-ho, 2009, S. Korea)
Bong Joon-ho directs a crime thriller that moves on a very different direction that the norms of the genre suggest and in that fashion, did a great job on both the script and the direction, as he focuses on the mother of the accused. The film thrives n terms of characters’ analysis and plot development, while, at times, through Bong’s use of humor, it appears a balck comedy.
Kim Hye-ja (born September 14, 1941) is spectacular in a very demanding role as “Mother”, proving in her 70s that talent and competence know no age.
6. Grandmother (Brillante Mendoza, 2009, Philippines)
Mendoza uses the case to portray life in a poor district in Manila, where the majority of the wooden houses hang barely above overflowing canals and the rain is constant. Using a hand-held camera, he shoots his scenes in an utmost realistic fashion, thus resulting in the film appearing similar to a documentary regarding the lives of the poor elderly women in the country. Furthermore, he stresses the significance of women in local society, a fact emphasized by the almost complete insignificance of men in the story.
Both of his protagonists, the 85-year-old Anita Linda as Sepa and 79-year-old Rustica Carpio as Puring, are impressive in their respective parts.
7. Poetry (Lee Chang-dong, 2009. S. Korea)
Lee Chang-dong uses the real-life case as a base but strays much away from it in order to focus on the life of the elderly in the country, and particularly the ones who live in the borders of society mainly because they have not secured a significant pension. In that fashion, we watch Mi-ja trying to survive on her own, almost without any help from the state or relatives for that matter, with the case of her grandson making her life even more difficult.
Mi-ja, played with gusto and an almost constant cheerfulness by Yoon Jung-hee (born July 30, 1944), is a woman who manages to retain her cheerfulness and smile despite her dire circumstances, in a measured but at the same time impressive performance. The scenes where she seems unable to cope with the reality of her grandson and the shocking acts that prove the exact opposite are the highlights of her performance, along with the scene when she finally erupts and confronts Jong Wook. Lee based the film almost completely upon her, as she seems to be present in every scene, and she delivered in outstanding fashion.
8. Cold Fish (Sion Sono, 2010, Japan)
Sion Sono’s style (at least the one that made him an international cult sensation, before he started dealing with Fukushima) finds its apogee in this film. Borderline violence, extreme gore and sick sex make “Cold Fish” one of the darkest studies on the human psyche, while elements of black comedy and the ironic, social commentary about consumerism are equally visible throughout the film’s 146 minutes.
Murata is the exact opposite: Loudmouth, successful, sadistic, and willing to do everything to achieve his goals, either gaining money or having sex with women, or simply to satisfy his bloodlust, in an extreme presentation of the dark side of capitalism. (The girls that work in his shop and the way they are dressed and act is a distinct sample) Furthermore, a rather blasphemous comment about Christianity (in a tactic Sono started in “Love Exposure.”) is also presented through Murata, who seems to have a knack for using Christian symbols when he is maiming his victims. Denden (born January 23, 1950) is impervious in the role, and Sono actually anchors the film on him, with the rest of the cast reacting to his performance, for the most part.
9. Sweet Bean (Naomi Kawase, 2015, Japan)
Kawase focuses on realism and retains a slow pace, which, along with the “mellow” interactions among the characters and the subtle music, makes for a very low-key film. The issue, though, is with the narration, which does not seem to examine the aforementioned subjects in depth, but keeps a somewhat detached approach to them, while focusing on the beauty of the images depicted in the film. The same applies to the subplots, that include the sad story of a female student named Sakana, and Sentaro’s back-story, which are only epidermically examined.
Kawase centered the majority of the film on Kirin Kiki (born January 15, 1943), who gives another sublime performance as Tokue, presenting a quite lovable character and proving, once more, the prowess of older Japanese actors and the skill the country’s filmmakers have in directing them. Masatoshi Nagase as Sentaro and Kyra Uchida as Wakana present their characters on par with the general aesthetics of the film, but are definitively on a lower level than Kirin Kiki.
10. Mr Six (Guan Hu, 2015, China)
Hu Guan could easily shoot an action film that focuses on the battles between the old and new criminals; however, he decided to direct the film toward Mr. Six’s character and focus on realism, particular through two axes: His relationship with his estranged son, and the realization that the world has changed significantly, outside of his microcosm. At the same time, some secondary social comments deal with male friendship, the difference of values between the previous and the current generation, and the place of women in society.
Feng Xiaogang (born March 18, 1958) is sublime in the titular role, as he presents a multi-leveled character, whose opposing characteristics make him contradictory, at least until his real self is revealed. In that fashion, Mr Six is hard on his son but loves him deeply, he appears fearless in front of any kind and size of enemy but is scared of hospitals, he is dignified but could also be characterized as a righteous ass. Xiaogang manages to portray all these characteristics impressively, in a wonderful performance that netted him the Best Leading Actor Award from the Golden Horse Film Festival.
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