Kabei is directed by Yoji Yamada, who is well known for his trilogy of samurai films, ‘Hidden Blade’, ‘Love and Honour’ and ‘Twilight Samurai’. Kabei tho’ is set in early 1940’s pre-war Japan,and is centered around the Nogumi family, the film touches on many themes.It starts with the arrest of the father, Shigeru, a writer, who is detained under the ‘Peace Preservation Law’,he is suspected of being a communist,as he gets taken away,the family are told,don’t expect him back too soon. Kabei tells her two daughters,Teru and Hatsu the following day when they go off to school ‘act like nothings wrong’. A picture of Shigeru is set at the dinner table,and at the family meal time, Shigeru is there and doesn’t miss out on’Ita daki mas!’ that his daughters say.
The sometimes clumsy Toru Yamazaki, appears at the family home,who was a student of Shigeru’s and advises Kabei,’Go to the Tokyo District Courthouse,go to the ‘thought’ section’,to see if she can arrange a visiting time,maybe a release date.Conditions differ from prison to prison,Yamazaki picks up a photo of Shigeru ‘ Sensei – you are not alone,don’t give up’.
When Kabei arrives at the Courthouse and asks when might he be released,she’s told ‘That depends on you,get him to start thinking like a proper Japanese’.
Theres quite an amusing scene at the local Neighbourhood Association meeting,which starts with the bow to the Imperial Palace,then someone asks ‘Isn’t the Emperor at his Hayama residence now?,we should face Hayama, which direction’s that?’,'er,this way’, everyone shuffles around, ‘But its bow to the Imperial Palace!’, ‘Thats right..’ everyone shuffles around again.Shigeru gets transfered to a normal prison,but still the conditions are harsh,the food is bad and he has sores all over his body where he has not had a change of clothes. Throughout the film,students and fellow professors who were close to Shigeru start to distant themselves,after his arrest,through fear of recrimination.At the family home, the not so popular Uncle Senkichi comes to stay,and also Aunt Hisako,who helps with the chores,who’s affection for Yamazaki grows,but she observes that maybe he has feelings only for Kabei. Another scene shows how the nation was preparing for war,Uncle Senkichi is walking in the street and comes across a group of women protesting,’Luxury is the foe!’,and ‘Say no to extravagant clothes!’.'Please give up your rings for the sake of the nation’,when Uncle refuses to give up his gold ring he’s called a traitor,he gets taken away but is later released. All the while Shigeru’s condition worsens but he keeps it from his family.
Uncle Senkichi decides to return to Nara, and, as he’s leaving he gives his gold ring to Yamazaki, to buy everyone sukiyaki, ‘but don’t donate it!’,Uncle tells Yamazaki. Aunt Hisako returns to Hiroshima.Because of her refusal to divorce Shigeru ,Kabei is disowned by her father, on the radio Japan is at war. Yamazaki is playing with Hatsu and Teru when they recieve the telegram that Shigeru has died,Kabei was away queing for food. Although due to ill health Yamazazki had avoided the draft, he is now called up and is resolved to die for his country.The film skips forward to after the war,and the neighbourhood has been bombed,in Nara Uncle Senkichi dies in spookily foreseen circumstances,and Aunt Hisako has died due to radiation sickess in Hiroshima. A figure approaches the house, ‘Yamazaki…’ Kabei says, but the figure is Komiyama who served with Yamazaki.He tells her how their boat was sunk,and that when he had tried to save Yamazaki he had pushed his hand away and said, ‘..don’t bother’.
I thought the film was abit quick to finish, but that doesn’t diminish the film’s impact, it’s a great period peace and touches on a side of the war that i’d not seen depicted in many films,the impact the war had on citizens surviving the day to day,trying to find enough food to live on.It reminded me of the novel by Akira Yoshimura – ‘One Man’s Justice’,which is set in post war Japan. With a great cast,Sayuri Yoshinaga playing the lead as Kabei, with Tadanobu Asano as Yamazaki.
