Humanity and the Paper Balloons film review

Humanity and the Paper Balloons film review

The film Humanity and the Paper Balloons analyzes the lives of Unno and Shinza and the struggles in the crumbling job market at the time. The stories of the characters are run at the same time and capture the struggle of both characters in understanding their hassles in life. Unno, the samurai, looks for work and opts to visit the father’s former employer Mouri. However, Mouri gets tired of being bothered by him and asks his men to stop him and refuse to invite him to their house. On the other hand, Shinza continues with running an illegal gambling practice and is stopped by the pawnshop owner. After several failed attempts to reach Mouri, Unno starts drinking. After the wife learns of the failed attempts and reason for his drinking, she kills him and commits suicide. Shinza is also killed during his fight with Yatagori. Although people are shocked by the deaths, suicide is part of the community. The director, Yamanaka, seeks to express the aspect class and wealth gap in Japan, thus uses the realism approach in the scene where Mrs. Unno kills the husband and herself in a traditional ritual of honor and the scene where the villagers learn of the incidence.

The director makes use of the reference to a realistic and factual event in the Japanese culture in the scene where the wife to Unno commits murders. As highlighted by the author of Rethinking Bazin, “Behind the logic of direct realism is the presupposition that the world of a realist film ought to look like what was before the camera when and where the film was made” (Morgan 455). In that, the world where the process of production is in is way replicated in the film production. The aspect of perceptual realism represents the reality illustrated in film and photography to be a result of the imagined truth of the people. Although the aspect is contested with some experts expressing realism as the concept of creating the perfect or perceived perfection of the world. In the case of this analysis, realism is described as the inspiration as things and concepts related to the truth or familiar concepts in the society where it is made.

In the film by Yamanaka, the aspect o realism is carried in the scene where Mrs. Unno kills the husband and herself in a samurai tradition. The seppuku tradition was considered as a ritual in which a samurai would commit suicide as get to maintain their honor. The use of the style of committing suicide and murder creates the concept of realism as the process is used by people who were considered to have physical strength. The event is relatable as seppuku seems like the only way to die but still be respected in death. Moreover, the setting of the scene reveals concepts that are real and can be used to represent a concept in the Japanese lower class.

The scene of committing murder and the scene that follows aids in developing a concept that can be analyzed by the realism analytical tool. The scene develops a concept that is unique to the Japanese culture and is considered as a normal way of samurais to die. The reality of the problems that the people in the given society face has characterized the manner in which the villagers respond. “it is a double suicide. Go call the landlord” (1:25:30). The review of the deaths in society is simple, and no one makes a fuss of it. The community members seem shook but also expressed the aspect of the murder as a normal aspect of society. The people do not wail and are standing in the streets, just gossiping about the deaths. Moreover, the initial reaction is to call the landlord, who would likely find a way of clearing the room to get new tenants. The reaction in the scene compared to when the daughter of the pawnshop owner is abducted causes the viewer to understand the differences in the value of life. The representation of the scene seems to capture aspects of reality in presenting the damages caused by classism and the continued wealth gap.

The realistic approach used in the scene is essential in developing the main theme of classism and the wealth gap in the community by the director. The main theme in the film is the expression of the different wealth positions of members of society. In that, the difference between the lives of the rich and poor members of society. The director hopes to analyze the power accompanied by being in certain wealth groups and the hopelessness among members of other societies. The director makes use of the event to present the clear case of the lives of the people in the higher places matter more than those of the poor. The villagers have experienced different forms of challenges. Unno tells the wife before he sleeps that the issue of getting a job in the businesses of Mr. Mouri will have to wait until the arranged marriage is addressed (1:20:20). The scene and the deaths illustrate the value attached to the issues and challenges of the rich as compared to the challenges of the poor members of the community. Yamanaka captures the contrasts in the community by expressing the reaction of the people to two deaths in society. The analysis of the event based on realism allows the main theme to be advanced to the viewers.

Similarly, the use of the realistic approach as the analytical tool aids in understanding the aspect of honor deaths. The ending of the lives of Unno and the wife is used as a reflection of the greater position of the lives of the poor in the hierarchy of humanity in the community represented in the film. Majority of the people in society experience different forms of challenges in their daily lives. For example, Mr. Mouri continuously refuses to speak to Unno. In the scene, the letter from the father is not passed to Mr. Mouri, as Unno is not given the audience after trying hard to reach him (1:23:20). The life of the samurai and the wife has been one of dignity and honor. Although some of the villagers express their disappointment with Unno, he has ensured to provide and care for the wife. The use of the seppuku captures the aspect of the truth of the life and death of the people in the lower class. The lives of torture and dignity are met by death bestows their honor. Nonetheless, the deaths are considered as another death of nature in the lower class as the dignity of the people is rarely understood or praised as compared to the undignified lives of the rich.

The main argument of the director is the concept of the wealth gap, and lack of equal opportunities in Japan as the realism analytical tool expresses in the scene of suicide towards the end of the film. The film expresses the struggles of a given community in the hands of the rich. The real aspect of dignified death in society expresses the clear distinction of life-based on wealth as viewed in the community. The use of the samurai death of honor allows the life of a person to be considered as well lived. Even so, the wealth gap continues to be justified even in death, as the dignified lives of the people are rarely talked about. The director makes use of realism to capture the society that inspires the development of the movie. In that, the challenge of the wealth gap is a reality that people have learned to endure, and the aspect of dignity and values is not considered as the tool to succeed in the community.