KOKUHO – Review by Diane Carson
Kokuho explores 50 years of Kabuki actors’ lives.
Of the artists the Japanese most revere, Kabuki actors rank high on the list. This knowledge informs and underscores the heightened personal and profound cultural crises in director Lee Sang-il’s Kokuho, translated as Living National Treasure, (Ningen Kokuho), referring both to Kabuki theater and Kabuki masters. As prescribed by the custom of honoring direct bloodline legacy, a Kabuki actor bequeaths his exalted position to his heir. That entitled person is Shunsuke Ōgaki, son of celebrated Kabuki actor Hanai Hanjiro II. However, after witnessing the violent yakuza murder of Kikuo Tachibana’s father by a rival gang and later observing a magnificent onnagata performance (a male playing a female role) by Kikuo, Hanjiro II adopts Kikuo who proves to be a disciplined, devoted Kabuki student. Talent will oppose and contest tradition.
Over fifty years, through intertwined lives, Kikuo and Shunsuke grapple with their inheritance, their contrasting professional commitment or lack thereof, and their acceptance or rejection by the Kabuki world. Resentment, anger, and their contrasting work ethics dominate Kikuo and Shunsuke ‘s rivalry. Kikuo shows more innate talent and, more importantly, infatuated interest than Shunsuke despite lacking Shunsuke’s heritage. Further complicating Kikuo’s and Shunsuke’s relationship, a girlfriend is enamored of both, creating more tension between the two men, as does an illegitimate daughter. And Geisha Fujikoma adds another romantic entanglement. Over five decades, illness, friends’ reactions, other intertwined lives, and much more all impact Kikuo’s and Shunsuke’s careers.
Satoko Okudera’s screenplay adapted Shuichi Yoshida’s 2018 novel of the same title, an eight hundred page work first cut to four and half hours film time and now running just under three hours that speed by. To ensure authenticity, author Yoshida spent three years as a Kabuki “koken” (specialist stage assistants always dressed in black), researching through first-hand experience this complex stage and backstage environment. His in-depth knowledge extends to minute details of makeup application, hair nets and headgear, costume design, and subtle, practiced movements of the primary actors. He even shows the conscientious “koken” managing props, helping the actors walk to the stage in their heavy costumes, and then arranging the stars’ shoes for the actors to slip easily into them as they leave the stage. No element contributing to mounting Kabuki theater is overlooked.
Adding to this film’s enthralling experience, cinematographer Sofian El Fani captures the rich, gorgeous colors of the Kabuki costumes. Marihiko Hara’s music dynamically interprets the moods and emotions complementing Tsuyoshi Imai’s all but invisible editing. Enhancing the drama, Imai holds on close-up shots just when needed, while also presenting stage productions with impeccable timing. In the theater sequences, the acting dominates, as it must and should, rather than using quick cuts to move the plot forward. In essence, this film luxuriates in Kabuki in all its complex aspects, inviting viewers to cherish every moment.
Prominent Japanese actors contribute to a consummate experience, from Ryo Yoshizawa as Kikuo Tachibana to Ryusei Yokohama as Shunsuke Ōgaki, son of Hanjiro Hanai II, distinguished head of a famed Kabuki bloodline, played by the iconic Ken Watanabe. Expressing profound admiration for the lifetime training for and performing in Kabuki theater, Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama devoted a year and a half to studying Kabuki dance and movements, hoping to present credible performances while always acknowledging their lack of the expertise that it takes a lifetime to master. A who’s who of outstanding supporting actors adds depth and their proficiency, including Mitsuki Takahata, Nana Mori, Shinobu Terajima, and Min Tanaka.
Only superlatives describe the aesthetic pleasure that is Kokuho. On a personal note, I’ve had the honor of seeing day-long Kabuki theater in Tokyo. This film took me back to that mesmerizing experience, knowing and feeling the achievement of great art and artists. The Japanese entry for this year’s Best International Feature Film Academy Award (making the shortlist) and nominated for a Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar, this highest ever grossing Japanese live-action film, Kokuho is in Japanese with English subtitles at cinemas now.
