Tree Without Leaves

Visually great, the Oedipal stuff was fascinating and I liked the earlier scenes. As the film went on and shifted focus from the mother-son relationship onto the downfall of the family I found myself losing interest as the approach the film took was far too distanced and lifeless for that stuff to have any emotional impact on me. Still the mother-son stuff retained some impact - particularly the scene where he starts kicking her because she won't buy him what he wants.

This movie really drew me in & kept tightening its grip on me, but then it just peters out around what I think is supposed to be the climax, cutting straight to the denouement. I'm not the type of person who demands that every plot lead to some kind of "resolution," but it felt like part of the film was missing. Still, this film left a strong impression on me, and despite my problem with the dramatic arc, I'll definitely watch it again.

Beautifully shot in b&w, Tree Without Leaves is somewhat of a showcase of the Japanese folk culture which a year earlier, in 1985's "Tokyo-Ga", Wim Wenders had argued was lost to the ages. Other than that, it is an extremely slow movie littered with superfluous scenes and a very slight climax, so equip yourself with the patience of a zen master.