The 17th Japanese Film Festival in Australia wraps up after a mammoth tour around Australia. Eden Law (Fukushima JET 2010-2011, current member of JETAA NSW reviews some of the films that were on offer.
Is this organically-made?
This is a very Japanese melodrama, filled with messages about perseverance and dedication, themes that were common to many of this year’s film festival selection. The story of an apple farmer’s struggles to grow viable organic crops, it is actually based on a true story of Akinori Kimura and his wife Mieko Kimura, first popularized in a tv special and then a book (by the catchy title of “Kiseki no Ringo (Zettai Fukano) oh Kutsugaeshita Noka・ Akinori Kimura no Kiroku”) written about them by Takuji Ishikawa.
Son of an Aomori apple farming family, from an early age, Kimura (Sadao Abe) is shown to be an inveterate tinkerer, taking apart things to see how they work (although not so proficient on putting them back together again). Dissatisfied with the conservative and incurious mentality of his home town, he leaves for Tokyo for greater and better things, only to be ordered back to attend his own wedding arrangements to the local beauty, Mieko (Miho Kanno). Apparently this was enough to get Kimura to ditch his entire career in the city and settle down without complaints, to do the one thing he had scorned – apple farming, no doubt delighting his parents that their son is finally settling down and cleaving to his appropriate destiny. But then Kimura discovers that his young wife has a severe allergic reaction to all the chemical pesticides and fertilizers. So turning that curious tinker’s mind of his to the problem, he embarks on what will be a long and hard road to perfecting the perfect organic apple.
While the suffering and tribulations the Kimuras (they ended up having three daughters) endure are harsh, at times it seems so over the top that it veers closely into melodramatic territory. It’s hard to believe that the very young children shared in the suffering of their parents, for example, a sentiment echoed by Kimura’s best friend who at one point berate him severely for neglecting his daughter’s needs in a “selfish” pursuit of his dream. They have no electricity, nothing to eat, and Kimura has to take odd jobs in Tokyo to keep the family going, before losing it in a mugging – one disaster upon another. Abe’s portrayal of Kimura is also problematic, as the actor, whose cheerful face, while expressive enough to show a measure of unease beneath that ever-present smile, sometimes hits the wrong note and fails to convey the appropriate emotion that particular scenes call for. In these instances, Abe just seems at best a slightly confused person who knows that something is wrong but not entirely sure what, thereby lessening the emotional impact. It does admittedly, bring an extra level of tragedy to Kanno’s role as the long-suffering wife, who for whatever reason, continuously supports her husband through thick and thin; her acting range is decidedly broader and richer in depth. Tsutomu Yamazaki, as the wise father-in-law, in contrast, radiates such presence and dignity without having to do very much that he threatens to steal every scene he’s in. He’s the kind of strong, silent parental type that everyone wishes they have in real life.
However, it’s undeniable that it is quite a compelling story, and the Kimuras are such sympathetic characters that you can’t help but become invested in their struggles. The locations are extraordinarily beautiful, with Mt Iwaki in the background. And while I can’t be sure, I think the dialogue were spoken in Tohoku dialect, a delightful detail since I had lived in Tohoku for a time, and it certainly reinforces the bucolic country setting. Chosen to close the 17th Japanese Film Festival, it is an appropriate choice that echoes the festival’s theme of discipline, endurance and cooperation.
Fruits of Faith (Kiseki no Ringo) by Yoshihiro Nakamura, released June 8 2013 in Japan, starring Sadao Abe, Miho Kanno, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Takashi Sasano, Masato Ibu, Mieko Harada and Tsutomu Yamazaki.
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