I admit that I kind
of fell asleep in the first third of the film. I was really tired, but it was
also just really slow. These Japanese films really love their deep silences.
And this isn't a bad thing. It intensifies the drama. I just wasn't really in the
mood for that type of movie yet. It picks up a little in the second half
(you'll know exactly when the demarcation is), but it still moves at quite a
slow pace. It is a very sad story, and the emotions are only exasperated by the
speed at which we experience them. It is a slow burn and the actors marinade in
the fire.
It is a very sad and
poignant movie. It is left open ended which is a little frustrating but I can
understand why that had to be done. What I don't understand is why it is titled
Harmonium. The Japanese title is not Harmonium, but rather "Stand on the
Brink." That harmonium plays a relatively minor part in the film, but it
is given outsized importance by the title. And why not any other instrument? A
more common one perhaps, rather than a variation on a piano.
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