TONY TAKITANI/ TONI TAKITANI
Japan, 2004, 85 minutes, Colour.
Issei Ogata, Rie Mayazawa, Shinohara Takahumi, narrated by Hidetoshi Nishihijima.
Directed by Jun Ichikawa.
New York Times describes this film: "A delicate wisp of a film with a surprisingly sharp sting"
The central character, Tony Takitani, is seen as a boy, his growing up, as an adult. But the film opens showing his father, a jazz musician, before the war, imprisoned in China, harsh treatment, surviving and released. He then travels, neglecting his son.
This is also the portrait of a young man growing up after World War II in Japan, talented, technical design, his work. He is attracted to a young woman who declines his offer and marriage but then changes her mind. The story is quite idiosyncratic in showing the wife’s love for shopping, buying excessive clothes, a room in the house just for her clothes. Just as she returning some clothes to a store, she is killed in a car accident on the street.
The last part of the film is Tony’s eccentricities, hiring young woman as long as she wore his wife’s clothes – but she declines. Than an encounter with a man who had been involved previously with Tony’s wife. Then his father dies.
Tony keeps his father’s trombone, his wife’s clothes – but eventually sells them, a life of many disappointments.
- The title, the focus on Tony? As a boy? Growing up? Adult? His relationship with his father? His profession? The attraction to the young woman, marrying her? The consequences and her extravagance?
- The setting, the initial visuals of Japan, pre-war, the war, aftermath? The context for Tony’s father, jazz musician, career, China, survival, woes? Neglect of his son?
- The portrait of the boy growing up, postwar Japan, the boy, education, talents?
- Adult Tony, technical design, his work, a loner, the attraction of the young woman, fashion, the dresses, her obsession? Tony marrying her, the consequences?
- The wife, younger, shopping, extravagance, leaving?
- Tony, in middle age, life experiences, disappointments, persevering?
