After the success of the short and feature edition of “Tokyo Kurds”, Fumiari Hyuga changes his subject completely, with his latest documentary following comedian Daisuke Muramoto, in an equally thorough, as much as dramatic portrait.
“I Am a Comedian” is screening at DMZ International Documentary Festival
Muramoto, with his quick delivery of intense humor, won first place in Japan’s most prestigious comedy contest in 2013, soon reaching the height of his popularity, appearing in hundreds of shows every year. However, when he started dealing with “sensitive” issues including politics, nuclear power plants, Fukushima, immigrants, and the comfort women issue, he gradually disappeared, essentially deemed a troublemaker. Hyuga follows him at around this point, as he struggles to get back his career without compromising, traveling to the US to try his hand there, and finding another huge obstacle when the lockdown ends up with his shows canceled. At the same time, Hyuga also examines the man behind the comedian, with his visits to his divorced parents, his past as a child, the intense psychological struggles that still torment him, and the way fighting his father has shaped him.
Evidently, having won the utter trust of Muramoto, the documentarian stays rather close to him, both his professional and personal moments, who eventually are revealed to be utterly intertwined, as his life experiences dictate his comedy, to the point that events like his father’s death become part of it. It is this sincerity and in-your-face-attitude, along with the ability to turn such dramatic events to comedy, that is what essentially allows Muramoto to stand out, while making his portrait so captivating. The same applies to his insistence to his belief that laughter can change the world, as much as his portrayal behind the stage, who is eloquently revealed as one of depression and probably alcoholism, for which making people laugh seems to be the only medicine.
This presentation, which benefits the most by the excellent editing, particularly in the way live performances are intermingled with Muramoto’s life outside the stage, is what allows the film to remain interesting from beginning to end of its relatively long duration for a documentary (108 minutes). As we watch the essentially heroic efforts of a man to win against himself while using his struggle to offer laughter, it is very difficult not to empathize with him, which is probably the best asset of the movie.
Despite the fact that is definitely not a hagiography, “I Am a Comedian” will definitely make its viewer to search for Muramoto shows, and even hang out with him, and that is where its true value lies.
