Things I Watched: Asako I and II

Recently I’ve noticed a bit of a strange tension creeping into certain films I watch. It’s hard to describe but revolves around not knowing whether a character is being truthful or not. It makes me feel uncomfortable; a little bit anxious. It crept up again in Asako I and II, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Asuko I and II is the latest film from Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi – best known in the West for his excellent four-hour film Happy Hour. That film was followed the lives of four female characters and similarly Asuko I & II bases itself on the life of a woman – the main character Asuko. In the beginning she falls madly, deeply, truly in love with a guy called Baku. They eventually split but her feelings remain steadfast years later. This causes consternation when she gets into a relationship with Ryohei – an Osakan businessman who looks exactly like Baku, minus the long hair.

I have a feeling the reason the film made me feel uncomfortable is because it expresses the displeasing truth that people are haunted by past trauma. In the film, this manifests into the otherwise reticent Asako being unable to swallow her feelings for the elusive Baku – who disappeared one day in her youth. It deeply confuses her, prompting actions that are distinctly unlike her (i.e. being assertive and spontaneous). It reveals the masks that we wear aren’t always able to quell the embers of memory that live inside a person’s heart, especially when it comes to former relationships.

It also seems that Hamaguchi has a bone to pick with this in particular given that the final scene features a momentously philosophical analogy that people are like rivers: disgusting yet beautiful.

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