De l'eau tiède sous un pont rouge

It's sad to know there will be no more new Imamura films. I think the previous reviewer is probably lacking a sense of fun. This isn't drivel; it's wicked fun. In the same way he dissects small-town vs. big-city attitudes in "The Eel," Imamura shows us how disconnected from real life the corporate world of Tokyo can make a man by thrusting him into the chaos of joblessness where everything he knows is useless. This is an opportunity to see the ever-hot Koji Yakusho at his James Stewart/Buster Keatonesque best in a story that's worthy of García-Márquez, for its utterly plausible mix of the other-worldly with the down-to-earth. I gave it a 9 out of 10 because Imamura seems to be mystified enough by women that he doesn't flesh out their characters as much as they might deserve, but the mystification is part of the story in this case. Great score, too!

In many ways this is a distinctively Imamura's film. It contains many of the themes characteristic of his oeuvre: His obsession with sex, women and Japanese mythology. WWURB's story somehow mirrors Unagi. The main character of both films, a salariman, for different reasons end up leaving the city for the countryside and establish a relationship with strange women and with the peculiar villagers. But these similarities can also be applied to any of his other films. With a persistent disregard for a clear and logical narrative, many of his films amount to anecdotes and observations made by the characters, some of them appearing and disappearing inexplicably. Take as example the Insect Woman or The Pornographers in the 60s or the historical films Zegen and Eijanaika that he made in the 80s. Imamura has portrayed sex, in most of his films, as something positive even beneficial and in several ones he has acknowledged incest (Insect Woman, The Pornographers and The Profound Desired of the Gods) as part of traditional rural Japan without criticising it. In WWURB Taro (Kitamura Kazuo), the homeless who Yosuke (Yakusho Koji), recently unemployed, befriends seems to be Imamura's alter ego. He advises Yosuke to have sex as much as he can as long as he can keep his instrument up and explains of the beneficial (physically and mentally) qualities of sex and its importance throughout the history of humanity. Sex is closely linked with nature and being suggested as the main essence of life. The film also points to the power of women, so the enormous amount of water produced by Saeko (Shimizu Misa), when having sex with Yosuke, that falls in the river seems to be so rich that attracts fish and seagulls. Saeko's body fluids can also the solution for the purification of the contaminated river. An attempt to cure the river was made by her mother, the village's shaman but was ostracised by the villagers for her use of unscientific methods. Eventually she drowned in the river when trying to perform a ritual. Saeko's grandmother Mitsu (Mitsuko Baisho) seems to possess some sort of clairvoyant power. The conflict between, and eventual loss of, ancestral beliefs (pre-Shinto and pre-Buddhist culture) and modern Japan is also another important characteristic of Imamura's work. In early Japan women, as some were actually shamans, took an active role in religious, social and political matters. Things changed with the advent of Buddhism (religion) and Confucianism (politics and social ethics).

Yosuke is warned by some villagers that he will dry up and lose his vital essence if he keeps on having his sexual encounters with Saeko. He is an outsider from modern Japan, Tokyo, who gets involved with women that represent primitive Japan, a Japan of sexual freedom, finally accepting their customs and beliefs. As Taro tells Yosuke "Drown yourself in a woman's arms, be faithful to your desires without worrying about daily cares." In this sense he is like Kariya, an engineer from Tokyo, who goes to Kurage, a Southern island of Japan, in "The Profound 'Desire' of the Gods". He is believed to be a "god from overseas" by the island's community. After showing little concern for local customs and traditions he marries Toriko, a retarded young woman who epitomised primitive Japan, all sexual freedom, and sister of the island's shaman. So WWURB is certainly a charming, sometimes funny, sometimes kinky film but that lacks the power, challenge and innovation of Imamura's previous films. Certainly the ones made before Black Rain (Kuroi Ame). Still it is worth pointing out that the issue of sex doesn't seem to be a major concern for younger Japanese filmmakers with the exception of Miike Takashi (with his special way of dealing with the subject) and I cannot remember of any sex scene in any of the films I have seen by these directors.

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.

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.