A Scene at the Sea [DVD]

I'm a big fan of Takeshi Kitano's work, and I feel this film is his best. Whilst films like Hana-bi, Kids return, and Sonatine may have all the idiosyncratic traits that have made Takeshi so critically acclaimed, they all rely on extremities to convey their message. In the case of 'Ano natsu, ichiban shizukana umi', the director has excelled himself by retaining all the interesting and original traits of his more graphic films, yet managing to tell a story that is just as deep and provocative, only to a more subtle degree.

The story tells of a young, deaf, disenchanted garbage-collector who one day finds a ruined surf-board lying amidst some rubbish. This inspires the boy to become a great surfer, and with the help of a young deaf girl, he gradually becomes more skillful as time progresses, their love blossoming during the course of the movie.

The camera work is extremely sedate and eveloping, managing to capture the calmness of the sea. The characters do not speak, yet the story never seems to drag at all, with each scene drawing the viewer steadily into this very attractive and insular world that they inhabit. The music, scored by Joe Hisiashi, has a very static, timeless quality to it - a mixture of marimba, synthesizers, piano & string instruments manage to convey the atmosphere of the film exceedingly well, with the main theme song capturing the extremely meloncholy feel of the film.

This is one of the most beautiful, haunting films you will ever see.

In addition to the previous reviews, which effectively describe and summarise this film, here are a few comments to help you decide.

Firstly, this is an excellent film, but it is no all-action surf movie - so don't even think about buying it if you want to see tsunami-sized breakers and tunnel-shots! The surf gets to about three feet (at most) and the beaches are mostly black ash: an interesting contrast to the more familiar North Cornwall coast! It is also fascinating to see the Japanese take on surf culture - it is recognisable, but very different at the same time. In my opinion, you'll get more from this film if you have an awareness of Japanese culture and enjoy films of a "world cinema" genre. There are things you might like to be prepared for and accept as part of the much bigger picture, some of which aren't exclusive to Japanese films, of course.

Typically, the visual aspect is often more important than the narrative: there is very little dialogue and, when the film concentrates on the two main characters (both of whom are deaf), there's no sound. You experience what the characters experience, although I didn't notice this at first. You might find that some of the acting seems to be improvised or un-rehearsed; some dialogue might appear to be unnatural (especially the comments of the surfers about the main character, Shigeru, as he attempts to teach himself to surf with a broken board). I think, though, that this is because most films are over-rehearsed and over-directed in comparison (or at least closely controlled). Life is, on the whole, pretty slow-paced (dull, even) compared to the action films we are used to watching.

There is plenty of comedy, a lot of which is very subtle. I'm no Japanese expert, but I know that there are things I laughed out loud at that would go over many heads. (I have the opposite problem with Shakespeare - I can't understand it at all, yet those around me seemed to think it hilarious!) I especially enjoyed the antics of the two "friends" who began surfing when they started to think that they were missing out on something, and made more of a mess of learning than Shigeru did - wetsuit put on backwards and tripping over the board leash (which makes Shigeru laugh in the same way that others laughed at him) and they even turned up to a competition they'd not entered. Shigeru's acceptance into the group is touching, even though he is still clearly out of place, and his eventual success is inevitable. His totally dedicated girlfriend Takako stays with him despite hardly ever even being acknowledged. There are parallels of a stereotypical, old-fashioned Japanese role-model of the wife that you see in Ozu films; she picks up and organises clothes for him, walks behind him when they're out "together" and sits waiting patiently for him to return.

And just as things are all coming together nicely, the ending brings a totally unexpected twist ... but I'll not spoil that for you! You'll just have to buy it and see.

This is a lovely film. It's feelgood, I guess, but not in a sickly manner. There is a realism to the film that few modern `realists' like Ken Loach, could learn from.

There are no `baddies' in the film. People laugh at the primary attempts of the deaf lad surfing and they laugh; not because they are evil but because it is funny, even his deaf girlfriend finds it funny.

And there is no phony triumphalism. The boy is shown to face the same challenges as everyone else when they start out on surfing (or any new experience). Yes, at the competitions when Shigeru is called and no one tells him and, so he misses his turn, it is not seen as anything other than the childish behaviour of young people.

Having two deaf people as the central characters seems only to have been something to add to the story. Kitano seems to just let things go as they are and he has no agenda other than to make a really good film.

The dialogue, what little there is, seems a bit frigid at times, but it is not important. Kitano could have made this as a silent movie.

The tracking shot along the promenade are beautifully done and hint at Kitano's aesthetic that one find in the excellent Dolls [DVD] [2003].

I agree with Ryan, it is one of the most beautiful films you will see, but it cannot be compared to Dolls and Hana-Bi [DVD] [1998].