Onna no mizûmi

Extremely boring story told with some able filmmaking and musical pieces.

A very beautiful and poetic film about pride, alienation and the fluidity and fragility of love. The black-and-white cinematography is stunning and speaks much more than the characters do; they are often lost in the landscapes or separated by their surroundings a la Antonioni. The jazzy Schoenberg-esque soundtrack grates after a while, but is saved by the near flawless aesthetic style and restrained but affecting acting.

Seems to begin in a somewhat heightened reality but slowly moves into psychological territory. I like some of the surrealism, and the way Yoshida seems to strip his scenes of unnecessary bodies yet summon ensembles up out of thin air when it suits him; also the way he dismisses dialogue for long stretches. Some of the shots are familiar new wave staples, but many are truly striking. Truthfully, this movie seemed pretty directionless until near the end, but having seen it I hope to rewatch it.

Pretty, strong structural film quality, narrative frequently unencumbered by dialogue. Beep boop soundtrack becomes irritating. Lots of making out. Academically interesting.