I Wish (Kiseki, 2011) by, Koreeda Hirokazu

Post By: Zach Gardner

            While maintaining cinematographic elements of his signature style, Koreda Hirokazu, in his coming of age film I Wish attempts to update and portray traditional Shinto and Buddhist values for a modern audience. This is achieved in a through the lens of a young boy who has experienced loss and tragedy due to the separation of his family.

Hirokazu tells the story of two brothers who were separated due to the divorce of their parents. The serious and sentimental Koichi longs for his parents to reconcile so his family can be reunited. The younger, free-spirited Ryunosuke does not share these feelings; rather, he is a realist and recognizes some things just cannot be repaired.

Koichi is amazed when his friends tell him those who witness two bullet trains pass one another are granted a wish. Koichi, Ryunosuke, and their friends develop a plan to skip school and rendezvous at the crossing point so they can have their wishes granted. The children travel to Kumamoto and, after a setback, find an ideal spot to witness the event. All the children, except Koichi, make their wish. We learn that many of the kids have changed their original childish wishes to be more mature and less selfish. Realizing his wish to have the volcano explode, which would force his family to reunite, will endanger others, Koichi refrains. Some of the children‘s wishes come true in ways they may not have expected, while some do not. While telling the story of a group of children’s transformation, traditional Japanese Shinto and Buddhist values are incorporated in an updated way, signature of humanist director, Koreeda Hirokazu.

Typical of his earlier films, Hirokazu continues to meld traditional Japanese Shinto and Buddhist values in a modern context in this coming of age film. Through narrative and cinematographic devices including pillow shots, tatami shots, and long shots, Hirokazu effectively conveys Buddhist values of emptiness and the transient and illusory nature of life. The plot of the movie revolves around the children’s desire to witness a spectacular event. This, in addition to other events in the story, help convey Shinto belief that gods reside in inspiring and powerful forces with little demarcation between the material and spiritual.  As the children mature on screen they become self-aware, and a connection to these traditional values is formed.

One of the more important and evident themes of the film is directly related to the traditional Buddhist values of emptiness and the illusory nature of life. Two different groups contrast one another as the film progresses. In Koichi’s friends’ case, each abandons their original “wish” in order to help others. For example, one wishes for his father to quit gambling. Koichi completely abandons his wish for his family to reunite after realizing his small part in a much larger world. His apparent maturation on screen is accompanied by this enlightenment. The feelings of emptiness and transience, characteristic of Buddhism, are clearly felt, as there is no grand emotional climax or resolution to the original conflict, typical of most coming of age films.

Traditional Buddhist values are also effectively expressed with various camera shots. The tatami shot, with the camera placed at a low angle, often on the same plane of the ground, conveys a feeling of lack of perspective. The audience is not involved in the film as they would normally be, creating palpable separation from the characters and their emotions. Such distance from the characters is reflective of Buddhist values of transiency and emptiness. The pillow shot is also used to help express these values. Throughout the film, the director pauses after characters have left the screen or will cut to shots of the surroundings. This jumpiness, lack of fluidity, and pausing on empty frames helps convey feelings of emptiness. Cutting to shots of the surroundings also serves to highlight the expansiveness outside the story itself – an important theme of the film. Finally, by employing long shots at key plot points, the audience is able to recognize what the characters, specifically Koichi, have come to realize. There is a shot near the end of the film of particular importance. Rather than focusing tightly on the characters’ emotions, as would be typical of a coming of age story, Hirokazu shows the characters return home from a long shot. The hustle and bustle of the train station, with its swarms of people, help the audience realize that the children are just a small part of their surrounding environment. In this important scene, the absence of focus on individuals easily allows detachment to be felt.

Traditional Shinto values play an important role in the film. The plot of the film revolves around a supposed “miracle” that occurs when two bullet trains pass one another. The title of the film in Japanese is “kiseki”, literally meaning miracle. Traditional Shinto values are based on a belief in many gods. These gods reside in inspiring and powerful natural forces. By witnessing the event, the children hope that their wishes will be granted.

 

These views are also expressed after Koichi paints and prays to a picture of a volcano, in hopes that it will explode. These shots provide a modern view of traditional Japanese Shinto values. By showing how these beliefs play an integral part in each of the character’s daily lives, Hirokazu is able to update these values for a modern day audience.

        

Not only does prayer play an important role in the lives of the children, but in a particular poignant scene of Koichi praying with his grandfather, we see that these are more than just childish inklings: they are values and traditions that span generations.

While typical coming of age tales focus on the trials of the protagonists and accompanying emotions, Koreeda Hirokazu masterfully blends traditional Japanese Buddhist and Shinto values into one that is void of any emotional climax or absolute resolution while still emphasizing the characters development. The protagonist, Koichi, undergoes a dramatic change on screen. His idealist memories before his parent’s divorce interfere with his perspective. We watch him transform on screen as he comes to a realization of his small place in the grand scheme. Director Koreda Hirokazu, through artful use of narrative and cinematographic elements, conveys his enlightenment and realization of the transitory and illusory nature of life. He also includes traditional Shinto beliefs, specifically a belief in the divine nature of powerful and inspiring forces, and provides insight into their important roles in the daily lives of Japanese people. This warm, deep, and artful depiction of a boy’s transformation and coming of age is both inspiring and meaningful.