Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010 Of all Japan’s wartime colonies, Taiwan feels the least bitterness towards its former occupier (which is not to say there’s none at all). It’s fitting, then, that this film, based on a short story by literary giant Ryunosuke Akutagawa, should be transposed to Taiwan from its original setting […]
Of all Japan’s wartime colonies, Taiwan feels the least bitterness towards its former occupier (which is not to say there’s none at all). It’s fitting, then, that this film, based on a short story by literary giant Ryunosuke Akutagawa, should be transposed to Taiwan from its original setting on Izu. After losing her Taiwanese husband, young mother Yumiko (Machiko Ono) takes her two sons to their grandparents’ house in a mountain village on the island. Eight-year-old Atsushi has been lashing out in the response to the loss of his father, and younger brother Toki is withdrawn. The movie examines the family’s achingly tender relationships, artfully depicting the grandfather’s mixed feelings about Japan and Atsushi’s confusion as he takes his first steps toward maturity. This superbly rendered melodrama fuses all the elements into a satisfying whole. Note: the dialogue is 60 percent in Japanese and 40 percent Mandarin. English title: Rail Truck. (83 min)
Metropolis
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