“We Came to See the River” is a short film premiering at the 21st Japan Film Fest Hamburg along with a number of other short features that showcase the experimental side of Japanese cinema. It revolves around seven lost souls who come to see the river, maybe to find solace in it, and perhaps resolve the issues that are pre-occupying them.
Kazuo and Osamu are fellow actors, Kou and Minato are two friends who are having problems at home (Kuo has just divorced his wife and Minato's wife has gone to live with her mother, taking their child with her), Mugi and Shuhei are a couple whose relationship is seemingly nearing its end, and Nariko is a woman who is looking for her husband, but seems to have lost her sanity and thinks each of the male characters looks like him. The fates of these disparate individuals, united by their sorrows and their desire to see the river, eventually become entangled due to the actions of Nariko, who has lost grip on reality.
The acting in this movie is very expressive, and it must be, given the way the film revolves around its characters and their stories. They convey their emotions and their sense of hopelessness and desolation well; the interplay between the two actor characters, played by Yoshikimi Suzuki and Takikoshi Takahiro, is particularly enthralling, and the couple whose relationship is strained, played by Aya Okada and Yutaka Hoshino, evokes that feeling that many of us have experienced when a relationship has run its course and we are doing our best to remain kind to one another despite the hurt. The performance of Tsukasa Honjo, who plays Kou, is particularly strong, ably supported by his onscreen friend Minato, played by Yuki Kitabayashi, as well as the slightly zany interplay between the two fellow actors, Kasuo and Osamu; as the method-acting Kazuo, Suzuki's onscreen presence is particularly captivating. The performance of Megumi Takizawa as the woman who has lost her sanity is persuasive, yet a bit overplayed at times; perhaps she plays this role rather too well. There is a moment in the film, just before it reaches its denouement, where Suzuki and Takahiro play their roles a bit too theatrically, though this may be deliberate.
I was anticipating a river in the countryside, evoking a sense of serenity, nature and remoteness, but the scene is rather urban and desolate. The river is almost a forgotten feature amidst the roads, railways and grey urban landscape, with the bustle of city life going on around it. Whether this is allegorical (and I suspect it is) or not, it works well. I was expecting more of a focus on the river and what it represents, and it is not as central to the film as it could be, instead serving primarily as a backdrop to the characters. While this avoids cliché and the risk of pretentiousness, and allows the actors to shine, it possibly misses an opportunity.
The camera-work and editing are both good, and allow the focus to remain on the actors and their performances. The soundtrack suits the pace of the film well, though at times becomes a bit repetitive, and could perhaps evolve more as the films develops, to better evoke the changes of scene and of mood.
The premise of this story is a good one, and it does entertain and draw in the viewer, largely due to the strong acting performances. Whilst certain plot elements are resolved, such as the relationship difficulties between the couple, Mugi and Shuhei, or Minato, whose wife has moved away, and the desire of the actors, Kazuo and Osamu, to finally come good and put in the performances they have been striving for, I feel that the conclusion could give a bit more closure, after the film does so much to set the scene and let the viewer into the lives of the characters.
“We Came to See the River” is an interesting piece of cinema and showcases the skill of the actors well, with particular standout performances from Honjo and Suzuki. It evokes a sense of loneliness yet connectedness, against the impersonal backdrop of the city. It's an almost existential piece of film which does well, in a little over 25 minutes, to make the viewer think, but it could perhaps do more to explore the themes it introduces. Perhaps a slightly longer feature could have achieved this. That being said, I enjoyed watching this short movie and I think you will too.
