FILM REVIEW | "Kokuho" Lifts Kabuki Towards Its Most Tragically Beautiful Form
In Japanese culture, the term “kokuho” is used towards those who have perfected their art. How they reach the level of Living National Treasure isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be, as one must experience plenty of rough roads and speed bumps to get there. Director Lee Sang-il (Hula Girls) and scriptwriter Satoko Okudera (co-writer of Summer Wars and Wolf Children) leave no stone unturned in Kokuho, as the duo demonstrate the highs, lows, and the in-between spaces that many tread in order to reach the top. And along every step of the way, the film showcases all of this in a truly gorgeous light.
Within the kabuki world is the role of “onnagata”, as men are also expected to play the female roles. Kokuho places its focus on two actors who perform onnagata: the yakuza son, Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa), and Shunsuke (Ryusei Yokohama), whose father Hanai Hanjiro II (Ken Watanabe) is a renowned kabuki actor. When Kikuo’s family is murdered by a rival yakuza gang, Hanai takes him in as his apprentice, as he trains him and Shunsuke in the art of onnagata performance. As the two friends grow older, and their acting skills reach a point, it becomes clear who’s destined to be a star, and who will be left behind.
That is to say, it would seem clear, but Kokuho is the type of film that takes its audiences for a ride. Sang-il’s film is by no means an action blockbuster, but the way the narrative beats go makes it feel like you’re experiencing one hell of a roller coaster of a movie! Clocking in at nearly three hours, the movie covers a 50-year timeline of ups and downs for both Kikuo and Shunsuke. Just as one seems destined for the top, fate instead has other plans.
The contrasts of settings help really hit home how both Kikuo and Shunsuke rise and fall in the world of Kabuki. Their first performances together are in a tiny theater, where audiences are half paying attention and then doing their own thing. When they move onto a bigger stage, the audience has their eyes exclusively on the two of them. But when Hanai decides to pass his name down to Kikuo instead of his own flesh and blood, we think that we’re about to watch true greatness shower upon Kikuo.
Instead, Kokuho pushes Kikuo down, way further than he’s ever been before. The stage he’s allowed on after taking Hanai’s name is almost a fate worse than death. Kikuo isn’t the star; he’s background noise. A moment on a rooftop as he cracks captures that realization. His teeth are stained with cigarette smoke, his makeup is running, and his lips are as red as the blood of a Hammer Films horror movie. The Devil has not only dragged Kikuo down to Hell, but also made it a work of cinematic beauty!
There is a bit of hope thrown at Kikuo and Shunsuke, the latter of whom has found a new breath of life in the art of Kabuki. Even with all the bad decisions Kikuo has made in his life, so long as there’s breath in his lungs, there’s always a chance at redemption. And when it finally arrives, the best and worst kinds of luck dance together, like an intense tango to the death. When life gives Kikuo and Shunsuke a high, they fly to the sun; when a low moment arrives, they pull themselves to the ground and crawl stubbornly onward.
Saying anything else would do a disservice to those who’ve yet to experience Kokuho. With strong performances from Yoshizawa, Yokohama, and Watanabe, alongside Okudera’s tight script and Sang-il’s phenomenal direction, it’s no wonder why this has been one of the most talked-about non-anime Japanese films of recent memory. While Kabuki theater has a very long way to go to grab the attention of the West, Kokuho no doubt will help push it towards a bigger audience. By the film’s end, even those who’ve yet to understand the Kabuki art form will have no choice but to dub Kokuho “beautiful”.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Rae D’Agnillo of GKIDS. In theaters February 6th.
