Saturday, May 12, 2012

Sayonara Itsuka (R) 7.5

Sayonara Itsuka (2010) サヨナライツカ: Higashigaito Yutaka is transferred to the Bangkok branch of Eastern Airlines. In three months, he will marry Michiko, a relative of the airline's founder, and though he doesn't love her, he knows he could be CEO one day if they wed. (6.8)

Director: John H. Lee
Writers: Jinsei Tsuji (novel), John H. Lee (screenplay)
Stars: Miho Nakayama, Hidetoshi Nishijima and Yuriko Ishida
Language: Japanese (w/ English subtitles)

This movie tells a quite a simple story that spans several decades. It is beautifully photographed and acted on, giving attention to details for the time periods.  At the beginning, I found myself not being able to empathize with the two main characters because of the circumstances of their meeting.  Yet, the ending brought me around, and the poem at the end is the most powerful part of the whole movie.  (If the English translation is that elegant, in its original Japanese, it must be fabulous.)  If anything, the storytelling in this movie shows that the simplicity of the tale doesn't make for a boring movie.  My Rating: 7.5

"To live is to prepare for goodbye;
For lonelinss is a friend
who will not betray.
..."

1 comment:

  1. Since people keep searching that poem, here's the full text.

    ----------------------------------------------
    Sayonara Itsuka - Goodbye, someday!


    To live is to prepare for goodbye;
    For lonelinss is a friend who will not betray.

    Shiver not in the pouring love,
    instead buy an umbrella.

    Believe not in happiness,
    even in the passions of love ...
    Confess not your love,
    even if you would die for it.

    For love is like a season;
    It comes and goes to decorate life's boredom.

    The momoent you call it Love,
    it melts away, an ice sculpture ...

    Sayonara Itsuka (Goodbye, someday)

    Happiness lasts not forever;
    As despair lasts not forever.

    Some days, there is Goodbye;
    some days, there is Hello.

    At death,
    some look back on being loved;
    While some look back on having loved ...

    I shall look back on having loved,
    I shall look back on having loved ...

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