THE SEA OF SEIRO/ THE CLOCKWORK CURRENT: DETECTIVE MATARAI’S CASEBOOK/SEIRO NO UMI

Japan, 2016, 124 minutes, Colour.
Hiroshi Timaki.
Directed by Seiji izumi.

While this is a contemporary detective story, the screenplay takes the audience back into a Japanese past, mysterious, pirates, the sea…

Dead bodies are found floating in the sea, the current changing every six hours, difficulties in recovery of the bodies as well as a detective, a Japanese contemporary Sherlock Holmes, working on the case, interviewing the locals, their stories unfolding, as well as the introduction of a professor analysing the way the human brain works and some historians illuminating the past.

This means that the film is intriguing on many counts.

1. An interesting detective story? Contemporary? The Japanese variation on Sherlock Holmes?

2. The mysteries, the variety of strands, clues, all coming together? With the help of the detective, his investigation and detection?

3. The device of dates and times, moving backwards and forwards?

4. The tone for the, the opening, the police searching, the adults in the water, ice and lips sewn, the dead baby? The mystery of the bodies landing on the island, six, the detective investigating the tides?

5. The drug woman? The involvement of foreigners, removing the bodies? The company, the pitch for the new aquarium, the finding of the monster? The professor and the historical investigation, the past, ironclad boats, pirates, shoguns? Everything coming together at the end?

6. The professor, his lecture, explanations of the brain, the nature of genius and insights? His reputation, the novels? His personality, po-faced, smiling slightly? No real vibrant personality, the lack of personal relationships?

7. The professor, discussions about the brain, the senses, his interrogations, deductions and connections, forthright declarations? Footwork, interrogations, waiting?

8. The journalist, her enthusiasm, wanting to assist, to get a good story for a novel and article, the sensational headline cases, his rejecting them? Her plan, exuberance? The professor and his attitude towards her, letting her tag along, the theories, participation? Being a Dr Watson equivalent?

9. The police, the inspector, his being agreeable, participating in the investigations, interrogations? The younger police, against the professor, I am willing morning of the to give information, the limits?

10. The babysitter, her story, the story of the drugs, her being stabbed, getting a boyfriend, his helping with the parcel? The accident? Her ringing the parents and the information about the abduction? Truth, the flickering light, taking the baby, the smaller strap, the baby falling and dying, the parcel containing the baby? In hospital, the interrogations?

11. The parents, found tortured, the dead baby? Their being interrogated? The sitter and the information about the kidnapping, the conditions? The information about the past, Ibi and the clash with the son of the PR man who killed himself? Motivation for revenge?

12. The head of the company, going to the US, drugs, setting up the company, foreign workers, the tests and the drug deaths, in the water? His being in the car, the accident on the road, the opportunity for vengeance taking it?

13. The historians, the discussions, the information about the past, the years of the shoguns, the 19th century, the ships, ironclad, the pirates, the iron above the water, vulnerable below? The sinking, the submarines? The family, hard times? The babysitter’s boyfriend and his friendship with the head of the company in the past? Being given a job, the factory taken over, his being used?

14. The effects of the history, coming together, the submarines? The solution of the mystery?