De l'eau tiède sous un pont rouge

Imamura does here what Neil Jordan does in Crying Game; he takes two seemingly incongruous elements, fetishistic sexual obsession and contemporary socio-political malaise, and weaves them effortlessly together. Imamura's rigorously geometric framing contrasts with the feathery- light content of the tale. Having said that, there are some gritty moments here; a drowning born of insanity is rendered in stark black-and-white, and the social plight of Japan's cast-aside middle-aged salarymen is emblematically captured in Yakusho's performance. However, at heart this is a fun movie that surprises and delights. It is all about the mise-en-scene, perfectly delivered each time by Imamura and the principles. The film does flag at the end; it felt like they opted to go for melodrama purely because the allotted time was running out. The previous two acts make up for that third-act missed beat. One gripe is that the edition I bought had no Extras apart from the theatrical trailer. I would have liked a Making Of to confirm my suspicion that this film was as much fun to make as it is to watch. It must have been murder for cast and crew to keep a straight face during those venting scenes...

Yosuke Sasano is a salaryman in Tokyo who is let go from his job at an architectural firm. Struggling in his marriage and low on capital, he spends his days at the riverside, chatting with the homeless. He makes friends with an old man, who tells him about a treasure he left many years ago in the small fishing town of Himi, in Toyama Prefecture. Following the old man's death, Yosuke travels to Himi to try and find the treasure, though after meeting a local lady named Saeko, he finds something worth much more to him than any material object could ever be.

Directed by Shohei Imamura and based on Yo Henmi's novel of the same name, 'Warm Water Under a Red Bridge' is a charming romantic-comedy as original as it is strange. The screenplay- written by Imamura, Daisuke Tengan and Motofumi Tomikawa- examines several themes, not least of which is the search for happiness and meaning in life, as well as the connection between nature and human sexuality. Although realistic, the film has fantasy elements, and suggests that there is a mystical, spiritual force that binds all living things together, and that humans can tap into this force through love and pleasure.

Yosuke is dissatisfied with his urban existence and feels alienated from society. Through his search for the hidden loot, he discovers that real treasure is not material, but spiritual. He finds a new sense of purpose in the simple life of the fishing village, and in his passionate relationship with Saeko, who possesses a most extraordinary sexual gift. This gift has a miraculous effect on the environment, bringing life and fertility to the land and sea, linking everything that lives, grows and breathes together in a rapturous harmony.

There are also a myriad of sub-plots and minor characters who undergo their own arcs, such as a Korean fisherman who was discriminated against by the Japanese, an African runner, a transgender bar-owner and an old woman who survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Through their stories of hardship and triumph, the film celebrates the diversity and resilience of human beings, emphasising the importance of individuality and determination.

'Warm Water Under a Red Bridge' is shot by frequent Imamura collaborator Shigeru Komatsubara, whose striking work captures the contrast and harmony between the urban and rural settings, the natural and artificial elements, as well as the realistic and fantastical aspects of the story. Through his use of long shots, close-ups, tracking shots and handheld cameras, he creates a dynamic and immersive visual experience for the viewer. His work enhances the film's themes of transition and connection, showing how Yosuke and Saeko cross over to a different world and discover a new way of living and loving.

It is a film full of symbolism, with the titular red bridge being most notable symbolically, representing the transition between different worlds and states of being. The bridge can be seen as connecting many things: the urban and rural, the modern and traditional, the mundane and magical and the repressed and the liberated. It could also be seen as a visual metaphor for the sexual union between Yosuke and Saeko, as they cross over to a new realm of pleasure and intimacy. It is also worth remembering that the colour red has a variety of meanings in Japanese culture, including happiness, life and passion. Komatsubara juxtaposes the red bridge with the blue water beneath it, creating a striking visual effect, again reflecting the film's themes of contrast and harmony.

Furthermore, Shinichiro Ikebe's score is both playful and poignant, capturing the humour and emotion of the story, whilst also reflecting and enhancing its themes. He utilises various instruments- such as the piano, strings, woodwinds, percussion and synthesizers- to create a rich and diverse musical landscape, while also incorporating some motifs from the film, such as the sound of running water. In addition, Hajime Okayasu's tight editing keeps proceedings moving at a swift pace, and Hisao Inagaki's muted production design is striking and commendable.

'Warm Water Under a Red Bridge' finds the always reliable Koji Yakusho starring as Yosuke, opposite Misa Shimizu as Saeko. Yakusho- arguably one of the best actors working today, in and outside of Japan- delivers a nuanced and empathetic performance, endearing himself to the audience from the get-go, and inducing laughs and tears along the way. Shimizu does similarly fine work as the quirky Saeko, handling both the dramatic and comedic aspects of her character with equal aplomb. They share a wonderful chemistry, and co-stars Mitsuko Baisho, Mansaku Fuwa and Isao Natsuyagi support them masterfully.

A riveting watch from start to finish, Shohei Imamura's 'Warm Water Under a Red Bridge' is a captivating romantic-comedy both weird and wonderful. Boasting striking cinematography from Shigeru Komatsubara laden with symbolism, a delicate and amusing score from Shinichiro Ikebe and subtle production design from Hisao Inagaki, it is both a visual and aural spectacle. Stars Koji Yakusho and Misa Shimizu deliver power-house performances, which are matched by their supporting players. A delightful, original gem, 'Warm Water Under a Red Bridge' has plenty to gush about.

A movie from 75 year old director Shohei Imamura. First observation - it's definitely not the steamy sex-romp that the Hong Kong DVD case might have you believe. Far from it in fact. It's quite a gentle, very quirky somewhat philosophical character driven romance.

A man in his fourties loses his job when the company he works for goes bankrupt. In Japan, with the tradition of 'employment for life', this is not a hard situation to be in - especially with an estranged wife and child nagging for money. On something like a whim he travels to a small village to follow the directions of a friend that just passed away, who told him of a treasure that he left behind 40 years ago, in a house by a red bridge. When he arrives, he meets the woman that now lives in the house and through rather unusual circumstances ends up in bed with her. The woman has a strange secret, a source of shame - and the source of the 'Warm Water' under the Red Bridge. The two embark on a peculiar relationship, and when the man gets a temporary job on a fishing boat he begins to blend in and adapt to the small village way of life.

The movie is a slightly surreal meditation on life and love, and what is really of value in each of them. The message is an encouragement of individuality and independence of thought, an affirmation that 'strange' and 'different' are words closer to 'good' than 'bad'. The characters are all a little bit tragic, beaten down by life, but in their own community they find that life can be beaten back.

It's a slow paced movie, quite touching and gently funny. It's mostly character & dialogue driven, and both are well developed. I believe it's based on a novel, which usually does imply good character and dialogue if the director has enough skill to adapt a written work to a visual one. After nearly 50 years in the business, Imamura clearly has that skill.

This movie definitely had some flaws, not-so slight repetitiveness being the most glaring. However, I give it an 8, because the more I think about it, the more I like it.

If there has ever been a more effulgent, effluvient celebration of feminine sexuality on screen, I haven't seen it.

Seemingly infantile at first, the film continues to mature in my estimation. For instance, when the granddaughter confronts the salary man with her belief that he's only with her because she satisfies his kink, it comes across quite clearly as the primal scream erupting from that nagging "You only want me because fill-in-your-own-neuroses" doubt that most woman have felt in many relationships, at least fleetingly.

There are several such moments in the movie, but it is more of a fantasy romp than a psychological study or feminist manifesto, so I'll leave it there.

Good fun, attractive leads, check it out.

Warm Water Under a Red Bridge directed by the prolific Shohei Imamura follows the life of Yosuke Sasano played by Koji Yakusho. The film has many rich layers and mythic qualities. After losing his job, Yosuke seeks advice from a vagrant wise man name Taro, played by Kazuo Kitamura. Taro ultimately sends Yosuke on a quest to find a hidden golden budda statue. Itfs not so much the statue thatfs important we learn when Yosuke travels to a small fishing village to a house beside the red bridge where we meet Saeko Aizawa who befriends Yosuke to releases her body of water from her very strange condition.

The filling water in Saeko body symbolizes her loneliness and her heaviness of heart to find someone in her life. The gag where Yosuke relieves Seikofs water is fun the first time but soon becomes repetitive. The characters in the story are disjointed from each other but this is not nessearly a bad thing since Imamura has so much to show us. For instance there is a subplot involving an African marathon runner which is used clearly for comic relief but and has nothing to do with the rest of the story. But its characters like this that adds multiple dimensions to the story that really make it memorable.

One thing that confused me was that there was a scene of Saeko almost drowned in the river when she was small and it makes audience imagine that it was probably the cause of flood in her body. However, in the end of the movie we will know that her grandma also had the same sexual predisposition contradicting the river scene.

Overall the film is worth watching for the quirkiness of the characters. A man who just lost his job, homeless people, fishermen, a senile old lady, an African marathon runner, there are a lot of unique characters in this movie. They are people at the bottom of the Japanese social pyramid and something we usually do not see in the movie. The story is a kind of silly, erotic, and funny. Although not a perfect film the fountain spewing sex scenes will be remembered for a long time.