August in the Water (1995) [Film Review]

August in the Water; or, Melancholic Blue
     Sometimes I become uncertain if it was… real, dream or just memories, and whether I'm alive or not.
Allow me to say out-front that I approach this particular review with great trepidation. This is caused by the fact that I have seen Gakuryu (Sogo) Ishii’s August in the Water for the fourth time already in the course of a year and still I do not feel I have digested it fully. On the other hand, I do not want to wait indefinitely, because I am not sure if I will ever be able to fully comprehend this film. In consequence, I apologise if my opinions will not be articulate enough.

Release Info

Directed by: Gakuryu (Sogo) Ishii Starring: Rena Komine, Shinsuke Aoki, Masaaki Takarai

Language: Japanese Original Title: 水の中の八月 Runtime: 127 min

Synopsis
Two high-school students, Mao (Shinsuke Aoki) and Ukiya (Masaaki Takarai) befriend a girl called Izumi (Rena Komine). She practices high diving and participates in competitions organised by the city of Fukuoka. In the meantime, the world is plagued by drought and an unknown outbreak known as the stone disease. The only hope to restore balance is to perform an ancient ritual during a full moon. Izumi suffers an accident while jumping from a pool platform and, in consequence, she gains special powers. She can communicate with dolphins and plants. What is more, she gains an understanding of humanity’s place in the universe.

Water Sensitive
Many people across the internet refer to this movie as a mix between science-fiction and fantasy with a touch of teenage romance. In my opinion, August in the Water is neither of these things. It is most certainly not a narrative-driven picture. In fact, Gakuryu Ishii goes out of his way to enhance the viewing experience by putting emphasis on mesmerising visuals and extremely ethereal music score. As a result, the film very much feels like a dream, an illusive vision that stimulates your senses, yet it is not entirely comprehensible.

The story is there of course but it does not take the center stage. In his own auteur manner, Gakuryu Ishii presents the viewers with glimpses of events, filling in blanks by putting necessary exposition into conversations done by side-characters, TV clips, interviews, or newspaper articles. Therefore, the audience has to assemble the pieces of the puzzle on their own, which is a very challenging task indeed, and opens room to many interpretations of the film.

The way in which I personally understand the film is that the drought and stone disease function as an allegory for a topical problem of modern society, which is lack of empathy. People in the world of today are so dissociated from reality, from contact with another human being that they function as automatons. Hence, their inwards turn to stone. By falling in love with Izumi, Mao understood the value of positive emotions which allowed him to live to the fullest, appreciate nature, and wait decades for the return of the love of his life.

What is more, Ishii can’t help himself but question the organisational order yet again (*Crazy Thunder Road flashbacks*). In spite of drought and disease, the city of Fukuoka organises the high diving competition. Consequently, the country of Japan functions as normally as possible regardless of the immediate threat.

The editing and cinematography of August in the Water deserve a scientific monograph, so I shall limit myself and just say that Ishii really achieved the impossible. Just by camera movement and the marriage of visuals and sound, he creates a one-of-a-kind ambience which covers as well as overshadows the main themes of his picture. Even without the English subtitles, you come to appreciate what is presented on the screen. My favourite sequences, without a doubt, are the opening intro and a water-throwing festival. Had there been a Blu-ray edition of the film in the West, it would have certainly made a great demo disc to test your home cinema setup.

I could devote many more paragraphs to August in the Water, but I feel I would not give justice to the film, so let me end my thoughts here. I know I have to go back and watch it for the fifth time because with each viewing I interpret this film, and Hiroyuki Onogawa’s music, differently. If you wish to read more on the film, then please refer to this informative article at Dazed which has lots of sources.

Unfortunately, the DVD edition of the movie is out of print, so do not get fooled by some preachy sites that refer you to expired offers from Amazon or Yes Asia because most certainly the writers themselves had not seen the film on a physical disc. As of now, the film frequently pops up on YouTube, which is sadly the only way to watch it. I sincerely hope that either Criterion or Eureka! will buy the distribution rights and give August in the Water a proper release it very much deserves. 

Recommendations
I recommend August in the Water if you seek for a magical, other-worldly experience. People need to be more aware of Japanese productions like this one. It is truly idiosyncratic but not by any means pretentious or quirky. It is an emotion rather than a tale.

Overall score: 8/10

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