Winter's Flower (1978) [Film Review]

Winter’s Flower; or, In Pursuit of Forgiveness

     Uncle, thank you very much for the violin. Mr. Minami brought it to me yesterday... I was so happy that I slept with it. It's raining here in Japan now. I'm writing this letter trying to imagine your face... I'm alone in this world, so your existence is so important. It's so hard to put it in words how important it is to me. Mr. Takeda told me that... you might come back to Japan. Is it true? If it's true, I'll be too excited that I won't be able to sleep.

Winter’s Flower is a 1978 Japanese production directed by the late Yasuo Furuhata and starring the late Ken Takakura. Though the film is one out of many collaborations between the director and the actor, it is not as popular nowadays as Dearest (2012) and Railroad Man (1999). Nevertheless, Winter’s Flower is an enchantingly beautiful melodrama that deserves to be discussed over 40 years after its release.

Release Info

Directed by: Yasuo Furuhata Starring: Ken Takakura, Kimiko Ikegami, Kin'ya Kitaôji, Kunie Tanaka

Language: Japanese Original Title: 冬の華 Runtime: 120 min

Synopsis
Hideji Kano (Ken Takakura) is a yakuza member who is released from prison after serving 15 years. In the past, he was forced to kill a friend for the betrayal of the gang. In consequence, he also orphaned the daughter of a friend, Yoko (Kimiko Ikegami). While exchanging letters with her, Hideji pretended to be an uncle, always trying to support Yoko and also dreaming that one day he will meet her in person. Unfortunately, Hideji is immediately thrown back into the yakuza world after his release. The gang is threatened by the rival yakuza from another district and Hideji is asked to help the boss. The more he thinks about Yoko, the more he can’t bring himself to meet with her.

The Power of Tchaikovsky

The most striking aspect of Winter’s Flower are absolutely magnificent visuals. Skilled cinematography and wonderful locations of Yokohama provide a time capsule of Japan at the start of the bubble era in the late 1970s. The sequences of Ken Takakura wandering the streets (with a low-key music score by Claude Ciari) are just pure aesthetics.

With regard to the screenplay, the story itself is quite engaging. The atmosphere of mystique and chivalric values of the yakuza in a way reminded me of the immortal The Godfather (1972). At times, the exposition dialogue may be a bit challenging (who is who and how he stands in the hierarchy), but the ethereal sense of sadness and melancholy (Hideji’s contemplations in a café that plays Tchaikovsky) compensates for these shortcomings.

Winter’s Flower is not so much a crime drama, but a tale about the inevitable passage of time. There’s no place in the new world for traditional yakuza, and; additionally, Hideji himself realises that he has nobody close to him (his only aim is to ensure Yoko’s prosperity).

Speaking about performances, Ken Takakura is simply amazing! He was such a versatile and mesmerising actor. Indeed, he belongs to the pantheon of classic Japanese stars together with Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai. I also like the performance of young Kimiko Ikegami who is probably best known for her appearances in Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Hausu (1977) and Hideo Gosha’s Geisha (1983). In addition, the great Isao Natsuyagi and Kunie Tanaka appear in supporting parts as Hideji’s colleagues.

Recommendations
I recommend Winter’s Flower to anyone who searches for a quiet, enchanting, and compelling drama for a calm evening. It is literally a crime that this film is so rare and unknown even today. Try to grab a Blu-ray version in order to fully enjoy the magnificent panoramas of Yokohama. They don’t make such classics like they used to.
Overall score: 9/10