Picnic

In Picnic, director Shunji Iwai has crafted a short film of visual beauty and lyric poetry. Three young inmates at a mental institution walk along a wall connecting the hospital to the outside world and simply keep going, perhaps a metaphor for the Jungian idea of the long journey back to the genuine self. As they travel on a ledge between the ground and the sky, each in their own way attempts to liberate themselves from their inauthenticity and recapture the experience of wholeness. The inmates are Coco, played by Chara, a Japanese pop singer who would later star in Iwai's Swallowtail Butterfly, Tsumuji, performed by Tadanobu Asano, now the husband of Chara, and Satoru (Koichi Hashizumi).

The first twenty minutes are set inside the institution. A reluctant Chara is delivered to the hospital by her parents and is subject to abuse and mistreatment by a female attendant. Tsumuji has murdered one of his teachers who was abusing him and sees the dead man's ghost before him in a very disturbing sequence. It is not clear why Satoru is there but we see scenes of him masturbating excessively. As the three find a common bond, they set out on their journey, first encountering a young choir at a Christian church singing an otherworldly hymn. They are befriended by the priest who gives them a bible even though Tsumuji says he is a non-believer.

When the boy reads the publication date, however, he concludes that will be the day the world will end and the three decide to have a picnic at the nearby lighthouse to wait for the fateful moment. As they prepare to witness the world's end, they open up to each other with a childlike innocence and acknowledge their wrongdoing. Elizabeth Lesser says, "The price for staying heart blind is a life unlived". The Dalai Lama has gone as far as saying that "the tendency to avoid problems and the emotional suffering inherent in them is the primary basis of all mental illness". As they talk to each other and begin to make connection, they become real people not "mental patients".

While the film's meaning may be different to each viewer, to me it is saying that we should live our life as if the world will end tomorrow, be in touch with the beauty of each moment, and acknowledge the actions in our life that may have harmed others. Whatever the message, Picnic is a stunning achievement, each scene capable of standing alone as a unique work of art. In spite of a sadness that reminded me of my own dark moods of adolescence, it left me with a feeling of transcendence.

Since the composition is so delicate, the harsh texture of the editing should be made deliberately. The gloomy and horrific interior space and imaginative outdoor wanderings seem to tear the movie into two parts, but when the fences, rainstorms, feathers and other details are fully expressed, the metaphorical irony is gradually replaced by a purely romantic atmosphere. Although some part of the film it's going too far, the integral effect is quite remarkable.

Picnic (1996) - Movie

Picnic, directed by Shunji Iwai, is a surreal and poetic Japanese film that explores themes of mental illness, existential searching, and human connection through a dreamlike lens. Set mostly within the walls of a bleak mental asylum and its desolate outskirts, the story follows three young patients-Coco, Tsumuji, and Satoru-who each carry emotional wounds and delusions that shape their reality.

Coco, a fragile girl with a troubled past, forms a strange bond with Tsumuji, who believes the end of the world is imminent. After discovering a Bible, Tsumuji becomes convinced the world will end on a date he misinterprets, and the trio begins preparing for doomsday. They break out of the asylum and embark on a whimsical, sometimes dark, journey across the city's rooftops, believing they must find the perfect spot to witness the apocalypse-a "picnic" with the end of everything.

Shot in a grainy, washed-out style that heightens its haunting beauty, Picnic blends fantasy and despair. The characters' distorted perceptions and naive attempts to understand the world offer a stark commentary on the alienation and confusion felt by the mentally ill, and perhaps by youth in general. The film shifts between eerie silence, philosophical musings, and bursts of childlike joy, often blurring the line between imagination and reality.

As their journey nears its end, Coco comes to her own interpretation of freedom and existence, which leads to a quiet, ambiguous conclusion that invites reflection rather than resolution. The ending suggests both an escape and a transcendence, depending on the viewer's perspective.

Minimalist in plot but rich in emotional depth and atmosphere, Picnic is a contemplative work that uses its 68-minute runtime to leave a lasting impression. It remains one of Iwai's most enigmatic and visually poetic creations.

Review written by artist jayakumar jrain.

How do one feels the rules, the World, the Bible, and love when s-he's mentally disturbed? Reaaly cool! Chara and Asano Tadanobu are awesome and it has incredible cinematography as i think it can be expected from Shunji Iwai. The cinematography enhances the whole stuff, with a crescendo till the very end of the movie. It tells a lot while keeping it low on the words, as it let one feels from the inside point of view thanks to the humor and the great sensibility that are put into it. Overall a charming movie, on a barely easy field :)

This is the second Shunji Iwai movie for me. His films aren't officially available in France, which is a real pain in the *ss.

I've seen Love Letter, Swallowtail Butterfl, April Story from Iwai Shunji before this shortfilm.And I finally got to see it several days ago.

It's really great,another gem from Iwai.It's the best shortfilm I've ever seen,I think.

It feels like an allegory ,about our society and something we lost while struggling in it.I can't say out the signification clearly,but it DOES make me ponder about many things.

And the cinematography,is very beautiful.I got deeply absorbed in the dreamlike picture,especially the slowly_fluttering black feathers in the last scene.I felt overwhelmingly sad at the time.

All the performances are perfect,embodying the significance Iwai intended for.

According to the four films I've seen, Iwai Shunji is the hope of Japan film industry.Expect more stunning from him.