Hearts, Beating in the Dark

Nagasaki Shunichi’s 長崎俊一 new film “Hearts, beating in the dark 闇打つ心臓” is not so much a remake of his 1982 cult classic of same name but a look back at it. The two original actors, Muroi Shigeru and Naito Takashi, were invited back to play the same characters 20 years older. They met again and by chance ran into a young couple that were having the same experience as they had 20 years ago—they are on the run after killing their infant daughter. Naito wanted to punch the younger man to extract so form of punishment for the act that was not punished. The three stories, the meeting of the older couple, the younger couple’s day and night, and the production, therefore intersect in the film. The true centre is Naito’s characters (both the man he plays and he as himself). Towards the end of the film, Naito twice tried to punch his younger version but could not. He wanted punishment for the crime of his youth, but after living through both the crime and its aftermath, he cannot deal out the punishment. His character eventually saved the young couple from a failed suicide. Nagasaki, 20 years after the original film attracted controversy over his film’s characters and the absence of punishment for a horrible crime, answered his critics. He was not there to judge but to understand to present the understanding. The pain, guilt and regret of the characters are what are interesting. It was as if Nagasaki was asking us “can we as humans really judge this story after we understood.” His answer appears to no. This is a wonderfully thought-provoking film I have seen so far in the VIFF.