A Scene at the Sea; or, The Calmest Ocean
He comes every day. He's getting much better.
A Scene at the Sea is the third feature film directed by the great Takeshi Kitano. Interestingly, it is also one of the few director’s filmmaking endeavors which do not contain overt violence or yakuza references. Instead, the movie tells the simple story of love between people and love for the ocean.
He comes every day. He's getting much better.
A Scene at the Sea is the third feature film directed by the great Takeshi Kitano. Interestingly, it is also one of the few director’s filmmaking endeavors which do not contain overt violence or yakuza references. Instead, the movie tells the simple story of love between people and love for the ocean.
Release Info
Directed by: Takeshi Kitano Starring: Claude Maki, Hiroko Ooshima
Language: Japanese Original Title: あの夏、いちばん静かな海。Runtime: 100 min
Synopsis
Shigeru (Claude Maki) is a young man who is a deaf-mute. He works as a helper at a company which deals with garbage collection. One day, while collecting garbage, Shigeru spots a broken surfboard. He takes the board with him and fixes it. With the help of his girlfriend Takako (Hiroko Ooshima), who is also a deaf-mute, Shigeru takes the surfboard to the seaside and starts practicing. He is determined to learn how to surf.
Kitano Blue
Similarly to Boiling Point (1990) and Getting Any (1994), A Scene at the Sea remained a rare Kitano film which was hard to track down in the West. Nevertheless, thanks to the power of the internet, I finally managed to watch it.
Think of this movie as it were a crossover between Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights (1931) and Luc Besson’s Le Grand Bleu (1988).Takeshi Kitano himself expressed in an interview that a painter needs only one image in order to tell a story, whereas a film requires 24 images per second in order to get anywhere. So, it was his intention to make a film in which the story is told not through dialogues but visuals. If it had not been for occasional remarks of the supporting characters, A Scene at the Sea could very well be classified as a silent film.
Shigeru (Claude Maki) is a young man who is a deaf-mute. He works as a helper at a company which deals with garbage collection. One day, while collecting garbage, Shigeru spots a broken surfboard. He takes the board with him and fixes it. With the help of his girlfriend Takako (Hiroko Ooshima), who is also a deaf-mute, Shigeru takes the surfboard to the seaside and starts practicing. He is determined to learn how to surf.
Similarly to Boiling Point (1990) and Getting Any (1994), A Scene at the Sea remained a rare Kitano film which was hard to track down in the West. Nevertheless, thanks to the power of the internet, I finally managed to watch it.
Nevertheless, it is so gorgeous looking! Every aspect of the production, from the performances through shooting locations to cinematography, is just outstanding. I can’t get enough of the seaside locations featured in the film. Additionally, whenever Joe Hisashi’s music score kicks in, I get super elated.
Kitano admits that if it had not been for Hisashi’s music, the movie would not have been such a powerful viewing experience. Indeed, the score really enhances many scenes, such as the bus stop sequence, Shigeru’s training, or the tear-jerking ending.
In addition, I have to praise the performances of Claude Maki and Hiroko Ooshima who played just with their expressions. Maki would go on to appear in Kitano’s later film, Brother (2000), whereas Ooshima did not continue her movie career. A Scene at the Sea remains her only acting credit to date. Interestingly, the movie marks the first appearance of Susumu Terajima as Kitano’s regular.
Recommendations
If you want to see the poetic side of Takeshi Kitano, then A Scene at the Sea is a must see! It is a quiet story about an (extra)ordinary couple and their passion set amidst the calming blue. Highly recommend it.
If you want to see the poetic side of Takeshi Kitano, then A Scene at the Sea is a must see! It is a quiet story about an (extra)ordinary couple and their passion set amidst the calming blue. Highly recommend it.
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