MUDDY RIVER (DORO NO KAWA)

Japan, 1981, 105 minutes, Black and white.
Nobutaka Asahara, Takahiro Tamura, Yumiko Fujita.
Directed by Kohei Oguri.

Muddy River (Doro No Kawa) is a beautiful and moving Japanese film. It is set on the river banks at Osaka in 1956.There are memories of World War Two and the growth of Japan in the post war period. The film focuses on a family running a shanty restaurant for workers on the banks of the river and on a family in a barge on the opposite bank. The mother in the barge is a prostitute who moves from place to place plying her trade.

While the film focuses well on the adults and their memories of a past Japan, the film presents the friendship between two nine year old boys with great sensitivity and meaning. The world view of the children is communicated very vividly as well as the puzzles about the adult world and the need for growing up with its sad disillusionments. The film, in black and white, creates atmosphere well as establishing relationships. While the film throws a great deal of light on Japan in recent decades, the film is readily accessible to a universal audience.

1. An entertaining and moving film of great quality?

2. The choice of black and white photography, the atmosphere of the river and of the city of Osaka? The world of the river bank: the shanty restaurant, the bridge, the barges, the boat? The visit to Kyoto, the festival, school sequences? The screenplay and photography immersing the audience in the world of the characters? An authentic world? Editing, pace? Contribution of the score? The song about the soldiers in Manchuria?

3. The title and its focus on the river, the symbolism of the river? The world of the river for old, young?Living on the river banks, and the river as a symbol of separation?

4. The period of the mid '50s and its style? World War Two, the war in China and memories? The effect on the Japanese of the war, building up Japan in the post war period? The background of Manchuria as communicated in the song? The Korean war? The quality of life, rich and poor? The film's focus on death as well as on the growth of the children?

5. The importance of the introduction to Shiodo and his horse, his talk, promise, the dramatic sequence of his death on the bridge? The mood of death? Nobuo and his response to the promise of the horse, his witnessing the death? The introduction of the theme of adult promises and their not being fulfilled; their effect on a child and his faith in adults?

6. The detail in the setting of the restaurant, the lifestyle, the work, the food, the customers and their talk? Nobuo's parents and their work? The genial atmosphere? A sense of propriety in the way Nobuo’s father ran the restaurant? Yet the memories of the war, Nobuo's father and mother meeting at the black market, his father deserting his wife, loving his second wife and son? Simplicity of life with emotional complications?

7. The contrast with life on the boat? Poverty? The father and his drinking and the pathos of his disappearance and death in the river? The mother and her working as a prostitute? The voice from the galley of the ship, her reputation, the response of her children, Nobuo forbidden to go to the boat? The wealth of her cabin and Nobuo's visit, his final glimpse? The men talking about the prostitute? The world of the poor and outcast?

8. Nobuo as the central character of the film? The focus of the narrative and of the themes? A genial young boy, a nine-year-old, his living so much alone, meeting the customers at the restaurant, love for his father and mother, the promise of the horse and his experience of Shiodo's death, the look of the horse at the time and its disappearance from the scene? His life of wandering the river banks, the bridge? The glimpse of him at school, looking out the window, going to watch television with his friends? The initial encounter with Kiichi and the discussion of the giant carp and glimpsing it? Their playing together? Nobuo's visit to the barge, his slipping in the mud and Ginko washing him? The mother's voice and her telling him not to go again? The world of a nine-year-old boy? His experience? Respect for his parents, growing in friendship, the visit to his father's wife and her reaching out to him? His facing up to the realities of life and death? The importance of the festival and his disappointment in his father? His needing to grow in trust?

9. The characterisation of Kiichi in comparison with Nobuo? A nine year old boy, a harsh life (and his memory of the classrooms and his having to leave, the honourable work that his father did, carrying cargo)? Friendship with Nobuo, sharing the view of the carp, the death of his father and seeming to take it with such calm, Nobuo's visit to the barge, Ginko and Kiichi's visit to the restaurant: good manners, his delighting in the food, the emotion in his singing the song, his being fascinated by Nobuo's father's trick and wanting it repeated, his delight in sharing the visit (and his sister treading on his toe and his mentioning this!)? The strong bond with Nobuo? Nobuo seeing him through the school window, giving up the television to be with his friend? The build-up to the festival, the money, the wonder of the sideshows, the decision to keep the money, the sadness of Kiichi's losing the yen, the intensity of their search? The sequence with the burning of the crabs and Nobuo's reaction against it? His glimpse of Kilchi's mother? His revulsion, passing Ginko, rushing home? His depression at the loss of friendship and his sense of betrayal?

10. The portrait of Ginko: her age, attractiveness, doing all the work for her mother, her washing Nobuo? Her sombre attitude towards life, the visit to the restaurant, stepping on her brother's toe, her courtesy, delight in wearing the dress but giving it back? The later sharing the bath and her laughing with Kiichi's comment on this? The losing of Nobuo's friendship?

11. The children's mother and her sitting in state on the boat, being only a voice, Nobuo's visit and her courtesy, her sending Ginko over to help in the restaurant when there was need, Nobuo's looking through the window and his disappointment? Her reaction to her husband's death? Her using her children? Their moving on?

12. The portrait of Nobuo's parents? the background of their story, the mother and her love for her son, worry about her husband? The father and his lost possibilities, giving his life to the restaurant, his reaction to his deserted wife? The messenger and the decision to visit her? The pathos in the hospital, her reaching out to Nobuo? Nobuo's mother coming and her apology? The promise of the father to take the children to the festival and his needing to go to the sea, arriving home late? The parents and their understanding of Nobuo's depression? Encouraging him to seek out Klichi again?

13. The brief glimpse of the children and school, the kids watching TV and cutting off Nobuo?

14. The world of children? innocence, friendship, joy? Hurt and sorrow?

15. Nobuo's depression, the boat going and his realising that he would lose Kiichi and the friendship? The poignancy in his desperate run, the bridges, the various glimpses of the boat, his calling Kiichi's name? The boat going further and further away? The loss of friendship and innocence?

16. A satisfying emotional experience? Story of Japan? Understanding of the Japanese?