Quietly a remarkable film. Throughout the picture I kept thinking what qualities elevate this over other pictures of 1980 that critics would be so high on it at the time.
It is always great to see Takakura shed the outright tough guy quality while still smoldering on screen. Hokkaido location photography seems to be a sweet spot for Yamada. He gets the best vistas and loves working through each season.
On a base level the simple rhythms of farm life…