MASAHIRO SHINODA

AND HIS FILM UNDER THE

BLOSSOMING CHERRY
TREES (1975)
DANIEL BEAUREGARD

04.02.15

Whencherrytreesblossom,peoplehaveparties.Theysitunderthetreeswithfoodandbeverages.Oh,
howbeautiful.Thatsallnonsensebeforethatthetreeswerefeared.
WhenhedirectedUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,Shinodahadalreadyestablishedhimselfyears
priorasanotablememberofJapaneseNewWavecinema.Likemanyofhiscontemporaries,hebeganhis
careerinthe1950satShchikuStudiosasanassistantdirector,workingundersuchgreatsasYasujirOzu
(TokyoStory,TokyoChorus,FloatingWeeds).Shchikubeganinthelate1800sasakabukiproduction
company,laterexpandingtoincludeNohandBunraku(aformoftraditionalpuppettheatre).Thecompany
beganmakingfilmsinthe1920sandstilloperatestoday,amassingareputationfortakingchanceson
producingfilmsthatweregenrebending,experimentalandnotalwaysfinanciallysuccessfulitgavemany
ofJapansgreatestdirectorsaplacetostart.ShinodaeventuallyleftShchikuin1965toformhisown
productioncompany,butthestudioshistoryandbeginningsasatheatreproductioncompanyplayeda
largeroleininfluencingShinodaandtheaestheticsofmanyofhiscontemporaries.
Shinodahimselfstudiedtheatrealongwithfilm,andtheformerhasremainedaneverpresentpartofmuch
ofhiswork.IhesitatetosayinfluencebecauseShinoda,likemanyofhiscontemporaries,Ithink,was
inspiredbytheideaofcreatingatypeoflive,immortalizedtheatreonscreen.Therearebeautifully
designedsets,paintings,props,thegratingsoundofthebiwa(atraditionalJapaneselute)accompaniedby
bitsandpiecesofnarrationorchanting.InDoubleSuicide(1969),Shinodaevenwentsofarasto
occasionallyportraythecharactersasbunrakupuppets.
InUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,wearetreatedtooneofMasahiroShinodasmostterrifyingly
beautifulworks.BasedonashortystorybyAngoSakaguchi,thefilmtellsthetaleofapoorMountainMan
whokillshissevenwives(sixtobepreciseheleavesonealivetobeaservant)topleaseanalluring
womanhehascaptured.Asthefilmprogresses,theMountainMangoestounimaginablelengthstoplease
hisNewWife,whoisneversatisfied.
AnothernotableaspectofUndertheBlossomingCherryTreesiscomposerToruTakemitsusscoreforthe
film.Theatonalityandsparsenessofthemusiccoupledwiththecolorfulimageryonscreenenhancesour
experience eeriechanting,rhythmicmotifsandquickflutetrillsaddawelcomeaccompanimenttoan

alreadyrichvisualtapestry.

Youdonthesitatetokillpeoplebutyoureafraidofflowers?
Ashecarriesheronhisbackthroughthemountains,hisnewwifeasks,Cantyouwalkanyfaster?I
thoughtyouwereaman.Thissetsafamiliartonefortherestofthefilm.MountainMansuffersendless
humiliationatthehandsofhisshrewishNewWife,andthisisoneofthethingsIloveaboutShinodas
workfromthisperiod:hauntinglybeautifulfemalesdegradeandhumiliatetheirmalecounterparts.These
mensuffer,neverseemingtobeabletoliveuptoexpectations.InUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,the
NewWifeismorereminiscentofatwistedfemmefataleherbeautyandsexappealmakeherpowerful
sheissmart,manipulativeandgetswhatshewants.But,bytheend,throughtheirownmachinations,both
maleandfemalesuffergreatlyandeachisofferedasimilarfate,whetheritbedeath,loneliness,orsuicide.
ShinodadoesntshyawayfromexploringsomeofthemorehideousaspectsofJapaneselife.Hequestions
culturalandhistoricnorms,thecontextinwhichthesebeliefsexist,aswellasthehumanproblemsthese
beliefscancreate.Hetouchesonhowentiregroupsofpeoplecanbecomemarginalizedorshamedoutof
society,forcedintoalifethatsamiserableexistence,outonthefringesofsocietyscrapingatitsleavings
tostayalive.InanininterviewwithUCBerkleyfilmcriticHarryKreisler,Shinodasaysthatthemain
charactersin[his]filmsarealwaysonthelosingside,orthevanquishedside.Hethencontinues,saying
thatthetypesofmonstershumanitycreatesaremuchworsethananywecouldimagine.
InUndertheBlossomingCherryTrees,wehavethemaincharactersthemselves,whoaremonsters,andwe
alsohaveagroupofbeggarswhoappearlaterinthefilm,andthePardonedOnes,criminalswhohave
confessedtheircrimestoescapedeathandhavebeenforcedintoalifeofservitudeasbountyhunters.I
thinkitsalsointerestingtonotethatinthisfilm,themaincharactershavenonamesthereisnotasingle
sceneintheentiremoviewheretheyaddresseachotherformally.

Welltroddenpathsformedfarfromthecherrytrees.Noonewalkedthroughthecherrytreesthen.It
wasquiet.
Thefilmopenswiththesoundsoftrafficandtheshoutsofpeoplecelebrating.Beforeweskipbacktothe
Edoperiod,wearetreatedtoaglimpseofhowpeopleliveduringthepresentdaysuitedbusinessmen
drinkingandplayingdrums,peoplehavingpicnicsastheblossomsfallaroundthem.InmanyofShinodas
films(likemanydirectorshehasatonandImakenoclaimtohaveseenthemall)thereisalwaysthis
tension,apushandpullbetweenthemodernandtheancientwehavecars,trains,cigarettes,gunsand
busesthatappearperiodicallyinplacesthatotherwisefeeltimeless.
IdontunderstandJapaneseandprobablyneverwill,sounfortunatelyitsnecessaryformetowatchthis
filmwithsubtitles,andalthoughIcanbesureitsnothowShinodaintendedittobewatched,Ifinditvery
enjoyable.Atcertainmomentsinthefilm,theframespairbeautifullywiththesubtitlesonscreen,offering
usanendlessamountofmemelikemoments.IdontthinkthatImexaggeratingwhenIsaythateach
frameonthescreenisapoeminitself,andpairedwiththewords/subtitles,itoffersusanotheravenueto
questionouridentityasviewers,awareofboththesubtextwereexpectedtocreatefromeachframedueto
thesubtitlesandtheoneweactuallycreate.AgainitwasprobablynotShinodasintentionbutits
nonethelessanaddedbonus.
ImalwayscarefulwhilewatchingafilmwithsubtitlesbecauseImconsciousofhowmeaningscanget
skewed,orhowthingscanbelostordistortedduetothelanguagebarrier.However,muchofShinodas
themesareuniversal.Hecritiquesmoralsandbeliefscommontoanyculture:shame,domesticlife,
adultery,traditions,religiousbelief,forbiddenlove,growingupdestitute,murder,thelistgoeson.

takemebacktothecapitolcityandbringmeeverythingIdesireuseyourstrengthtopleaseme.
InUndertheBlossomingCherryTreestherearevast,beautifullandscapesatthebeginningandendofthe
film,insharpcontrasttothescenesoflifeinthecapitolcity,whichissupposedtobeEdoormodernday
Tokyo.BoththeMountainManandtheNewWifetraveltothecityseekingfortuneandamorelavishlife,
buttheyquicklybecomeboredwithitandthenthefilmreallydoesevolveintoahorrormovie.
Tocureherboredom,theNewWifeorderstheMountainMantobringhertheheadsofdistinguished
membersofthecapitol.Eachday,hereturnswithasacofheadsforhiswife,whoarrangesthemandplays
withthemasiftheywerepuppets.Sheasksformorehideouslookingheadstocompletehercollection.She
wantsanaudience.Theseheadsarehercourtshecherishesthem.Shespeakstotheminheremptycourtly
rhetoricastheyrotaroundthehouse.TheMountainManbeginstothirstforspringwaterandemptyspace
eventually,bothagreetomakethetrekbacktothemountains,takingtheshortcutthroughtheblossoming
cherrytrees.Withoutgivingtoomuchaway,wecanbesurethattheyeachcometoasinisterend,andin
classicShinodafashion,weasviewersarelefttowonderwhichpartsofthestoryaretrue,orifthe
characterseverexistedtobeginwith.

Itfeelslikefreshgreenleavesaresheddingtears.
ShinodasfilmsareincrediblysadUndertheBlossomingCherryTreesisnoexception.Asitprogresses,
thefilmmakesitclearthatnoonewillbeallowedtohaveahappyending.Shinodaexerciseshistalentof
takingtheviewerthroughawiderangeofemotions.Iveoftenfoundthatafterwatchingoneofhisfilms
ImexhaustedIusuallyfeellikeIvewatchedseveralfilmsatonce.CitingOrsonWellesasaninfluence,
Shinodahassaidthatfilmsallowustoexperienceheightenedemotions,oneswemaynotusually
experienceineverydaylifehealsosaysitismuchmoreinterestingtolookatevilthantolookatgood:I
thinkIcontinuemakingfilmsbecauseitisawaythatIcaninvestigateevilevilgivesusagreatmotive
fordoingthingsunhappinessgivesusaveryfertile,richgroundforemotionsandeducationemotions.
Throughplayingwithfamiliararchetypes,Shinodaallowsustowitnesstheseevilsandexploretheir
outcomes.Thisisahorrorfilm,anditisclassifiedassuch,butthehorrorexistsinthehumanaspectsof
thisfilm,notinsomevagueapparition.
UndertheBlossomingCherryTreesisawayofinvestigatingthisevilahumanevilanevilthatoozesout
ofsuperstitionandtraditionaneviloftheideasofwhatwealthandbeautymaybringtothosewhochoose
toseekitatanycost.
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