Cinematic Point Of View

Director Hirokazu Koreeda wants you to open your mind. His films always challenge your expectations through beautifully crafted human stories. The film ‘Monster‘ is no exception and one of the best films I’ve seen from 2023.

Story

In the opening moments of the film we see a building on fire. Firetrucks roar down the road busy with pedestrians and children racing on their bikes to get a closer look. Gentle piano music begins to play behind wider shots of the city, the building fully ablaze. The sounds of impending doom? A natural destructive event heralding change and rebirth? The stage is set.

A mother (Sakura Andô) and her young son Minoto (Soya Kurokawa) watch the fire from a distance on their apartment balcony. Minoto asks his mother if a human had it’s brain replaced by a pig would it still be a human? He says his teacher brought it up based on research. The Mom laughs it off saying they teach kids such weird things in school these days but seems concerned.

Later, the mother returns home to Minoto in the shower having cut his curly hair, saying it was against school rules. Something is up. She can feel it. Mother’s instinct.

That night Minoto doesn’t return home on time. It’s late. Mother gets in her car and goes out to look for him. She spots his bike by the side of mountain road and finds him in a sewer pipe shouting the word “Monster,” his voice echoing into the night.

Soon, a classmate reports that a teacher is hitting Minoto. The mother demands answers. Is he being abused? Bullied? She confronts the school administration only to be met with rehearsed and empty apologies from the Principal and degrading mockery from the accused teacher.

These early scenes are so powerful, especially if you are a parent. You can easily imagine yourself as the Mom (Sakura Andô) and feel her helplessness and frustration as she attempts to wring some bit of human empathy and truth from the accused while comforting and trying to connect with her distraught son.

It all seems very simple. Then you begin to learn more about the events and people involved. Life is rarely as simple as it appears.

Koreeda starts layering the narrative as he cuts to different perspectives of the same events throughout the film. Each change in POV sheds new light on every situation and character. You learn things through character’s exchanging rumors and hearsay and then you the truth. The story takes unexpected turns. It’s a humbling and powerful narrative experience.

Characters

From the leads to simple side characters, you begin to empathize and understand where character is coming from. Honestly, I felt sorry in some way for almost everyone in this movie in some way. So much rumor, false information, tragic backstory, etc.

Saori the mother (Sakura Andô) concerned about her son’s behavior. She wants answers from the school and is met with nothing but robotic resistance and clear deception.

The seemingly simple, and obtuse, accused teacher Hori, (Eita Nagayama), is exceptionally complex if you are paying attention.

Both of the boys in this film, Minato and Yori (Hinata Hiiragi), give knockout performances as troubled kids in a world of troubled adults.

The Principal Fushimi (Yûko Tanaka) is another standout character, caught in the middle of everything. She has her own story. Her 50 yard stare is both frustrating and heartbreaking.

Craft

Hirokazu Koreeda’s speciality is crafting a story that hooks you emotionally and leaves you feeling open to many possible outcomes. He likes to position his world where there are no real bad guys. People making bad or wrong choices and being left to unpack it all. People working to find the truth. People trying to help. Lost people. Just people.

So listen to their stories. Pay attention. Try to understand them and accept them, even if society’s rules make it hard. Acceptance is front and center in “Monster.”

The cinematography by Ryûto Kondô is beautiful. Bathed in natural light and soft colors that leave you full of feeling. A cold blue room. A warm summer field. Beautifully framed shots full of movement filled with honest, realistic action. It’s what you’ve come to expect from Koreeda’s documentary style filmmaking.

The gentle score by Ryuichi Sakamoto lends just enough emotional resonance to guide the viewer when they need it. Lifting you up, pulling at your heart, and putting you to bed with all the care of an empathetic parent. Sadly, I believe that during post production, Ryuichi Sakamoto, who I’ve read was one of the most successful Japanese musicians in the world, passed away.

Conclusion

This movie is special. The movies touches on so many understandable and important human stories. I was hooked right from the start. It will hit you in the heart and get you thinking. It’s one I’ll want to watch again after some time and see the things I missed.

At age 51, I appreciate having my norms and preconceived notions challenged. ‘Monster’ is a film that did that so well for me. Hirokazu Koreeda is a master of bringing characters to life that are both ordinary, yet also extraordinary, just like all of us.