Audience Member
had to see the movie after reading the book. enjoyed seeing the book 'brought to life', basically to see the "kimono porn", and the hybrid Eastern/Western architecture. Wow are the younger sisters spoiled and indulged, in the book its not so clear, but painfully so in the movie.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
Audience Member
an epic period pic/chick flic-Japanese style
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
Full Review
s r
A well made film showing the cultural intricacies of the Japanese middle to upper classes. Ultimately, it was a sad film when it came down to seeing the struggles to meet cultural expectations. It was almost a Jane Austen novel Japanese style. The power struggle between sisters was very intense.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Tremendous adaptation that captures so much of what makes Japan, and Osaka, tick.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Ichikawa Kon's one of the bests. How beautiful the first ohanami scene!! Kishi keiko and Sakuma Yoshio...great acting. Yoshinaga Sayuri speaks very few lines. Ichikawa knew Yoshinaga was a bad actor if she speaks too much.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The Makioka Sisters is a divine and superbly made drama about four sisters. I only heard about this film while browsing through a number of Asian films getting releases through the Criterion Collection, and seeing that I have yet to be disappointed by anything released by them, I gave it a shot. Yet again, I have fallen in love with another Asian drama. I don't know what it is about them, exactly, but I seem to be addicted to them like crack.
The film starts off in 1938, and follows four sisters: Tsuruko - the eldest and domineering sister, Sachiko, Yukiko - the unmarried sister whose older siblings keep trying to set her up, and Taeko - the rebellious sister whose love life is a whirlwind of less than stellar boyfriends.
Tsuruko is intent on preserving their family's traditions, especially as she was the one who raised her sisters after their mother died, while Sachiko is a little more lax than her elder sister, but still tries to maintain the family's image and traditions to a certain degree. But, when it comes to Yukiko and Taeko, they are more intent on forging their own paths in life, even if it means ignoring old traditions. Yukiko never seems to be interested in any man that her elder sisters try to set her up with and she doesn't seem to know what to do with her life. Taeko, on the other hand, when not having troubles in her love life, wants to make a career out of making dolls, perhaps even to travel outside of the country for her artistic pursuits.
As the seasons pass and war breaks out, the sisters have a series of conflicts that erupt, between each other, or between the elder sisters and their husbands as their old ways and thinking are turned upside down in a number of events in congruence with the changing times sweeping across their country. But, more importantly, the film is about family and staying close to each other even the worst of times.
The story in this film is quite brilliant and I loved how it took its time to dissect all the characters and their lives, rather than trying to rush through them like most other dramas would. Each sister felt like a human being, rather than a cardboard cutout to service the script, making each one feel fascinating and intriguing in their own ways. The script does a great job not only deciphering the four leads, but a number of other characters as well. It felt like a living, breathing world that I was sucked into.
The acting is also top notch in every regard, as there is not a single weak performance to be found anywhere in the film. The actors displayed a natural talent and charisma to their characters, and make them come to life as a drama like this should make them. Plus, thanks to their acting, you grow to care about their characters because they make them so believable.
If you enjoy a good drama, The Makioka Sisters is definitely one to see...if you have patience. For me, the 140-minute running time felt like nothing because the script, acting, and direction are all so brilliant, but for others, they might not enjoy the very slow pace of the film and long running time. I think it's a brilliant and intelligent film with a lot to say about tradition, family, and changing times. This film is indeed among the greatest dramas I've ever seen and can't recommend it highly enough.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
Full Review
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