The Matagi are traditional hunter communities in Japan, known for their deep connection with nature, sustainable hunting practices, and unique cultural heritage. They originated in the mountainous regions of northern Japan, particularly in the Tohoku and Hokkaido areas. The Matagi have historically relied on hunting as a way of life, primarily targeting animals such as bears, deer, and rabbits. At the same time, their existence remains unknown out of the borders of Japan, which is probably one of the reasons Masashi Iijima chose them as his theme of his debut feature, which is based on the homonymous novel by Kazuichi Iijima.
The story takes place in 1983, in the village of Hibara, located deep within the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture in northern Japan. In this place, the traditions of the matagi remain strong. When the snow begins to thaw, the men follow custom and put their occupations aside to head into the mountains. 20-old-year Nobuyuki lives in the area, mostly dealing with work in his father’s poultry farm, but seems to hate everything about it: his work, the area, the people, the traditions, and even his father who constantly makes fun of him for his city-like ways.
One day, he learns from the boss of the bear hunters association that the environmental agency has banned bear hunting for this year, something that annoys all the matagi, who accept the decision, though, without much protest. With one exception, though, Reijiro, a young hunter, who is not keen on not following instructions, and is set on finding and killing a bear, even if this deems him a poacher, and will bring legal consequences onto him. Furthermore, he forces Nobuyuki to follow him, using the fact that when the latter was 4 years old, he saved his life by giving him a blood transfusion. The two eventually start their trip in the mountains, with their ‘mission’ eventually leading to their bonding.
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“Promised Land” is an unusual film on a number of levels. For starters, the concept of the matagi is ambiguous in itself, with the killing of bears in particular, even if done with respect to nature and in ritualistic fashion, seems both unnecessary and even dangerous today, especially since the number of the animals have steadily declined. As such, in this case, the government’s directive in the story is not exactly the order of some bureaucrats that have no respect for the particular tradition, but actually one that makes sense on a number of levels, deeming Reijiro’s actions somewhat irresponsible and self-centered. At the same time, the comment on particular styles of life and traditions and the way they are disappearing in the face of modernity does echo quite loud through the story, making the whole presentation rather ambiguous.
Furthermore, the visual and narrative approach here is also unusual. The movie starts in a rather bleak tone, with the usual desaturated tones of Japanese cinema creating an atmosphere of suffocation and tension. However, as soon as the two protagonists head out on the mountains, the long shots and the bright images, dictated by the presence of snow, take over, perhaps in a comment about how better life is when people are within nature.
Moreover, while the first part is relatively dialogue-heavy, and the pace relatively fast, the exact opposite happens during the second, which is slow-burning and bathed in silence. That this silence is broken by dialogue that is actually more of a monologue, is also an unusual approach in the analysis of the characters, even if Reijiro’s motivation becomes quite clear. That a bear needs to be killed though, in order for the characterization and the change the main characters undergo to be fully presented, again can be described as ambiguous.
Lastly, the somewhat inconclusive ending, which seems to imply some sort of adaptation to reality by Nobuyuki, is also muddied, resulting in a movie whose comments never become clear.
On the other hand, technically, “Promised Land” is on a very high level. Ryo Otsuka’s cinematography is impressive in both aspects of the movie, with the snowed images in particular being rather memorable. At the same time, his approach is rather realistic, to the point that there are moments the movie looks like a naturalistic documentary. Shinichi Fushina’s editing results in a pace that is slow in the beginning and even slower in the mountains, in a way that mirrors the style of life in particular areas, thus adding to the permeating realism of the movie. Lastly, at 89 minutes, the film definitely does not overextend its welcome.
Rairu Sugita as the frustrated Nobuyuki is quite good in his adolescent disgust of rural life, while Kanichiro, as a character that is essentially the exact opposite, one that has acknowledged his fate and adapted to it, abolishing, though, any kind of change, is equally good in the role of Reijiro. The antithetical chemistry of the two is definitely one of the best aspects of the movie.
“Promised Land” may be a bit confusing regarding its comments, but it is definitely beautifully shot, well acted, and also works rather well as a presentation of a life that is relatively unknown, particularly outside Japan.
