Set in a quaint Japanese village, the story revolves around an inn in a previously popular area where it is now abandoned due to a decline of tourism. The inn is run by Shige and Saki, his daughter-in-law whose husband migrated away from their 12 year old daughter, Ihika and her. The story discusses the difficulties penetrating the family as Ihika struggles with her grandfather’s growing senility. One day, Shige goes missing, which leaves the family and Saki to make decisions about the inn.
With the help of a kind approach, Daichi Murase demonstrates what the life of human beings is in remote places and how it is gradually eroding due to rampant urban settlement. He complements the plot in Ihikas growing up by adding two more and rather fascinating elements, with Saki’s existence as well as destiny serving as the other two important aspects here. The first one is rather interesting to observe even though it is placed into the background, Saki for instance shows how she chose a life and decisions which she should not have wanted and has to shoulder the obligations of almost an entire family. Not surprisingly, this is how idols get treated and Ihika is of course in some way dealing with the consequences as well though on completely different levels as hers is more about trying to comprehend the adults’ actions instead of assuming them her own.
In that sense, the rest of the elements are very well introduced and, more importantly, powerfully accentuated in the context of the other two events which act as the two bookends to the story, the aftermath of a party in the inn and the question that Ihika asks her mother approximately at the end do.
The book does not have multiple plots, and the grandfather’s absence is perhaps one of them, but as noted before, it is more of an archetypal device than an attempt to solve a riddle. The focus, however, seems to lie as much on the promotion of the special setting, in a manner that would, to so many, be evocative of Kawase’s oeuvre. Dodo Takeshi had about 3 hours to cover a lot of what were otherwise tiny angles, To say the least so he delivered one of the most professional jobs the Japanese film industry has ever seen. Indeed cinematography was one of the best features of the movie, with particular mention going to the long shots, fog images, and the numerous scenarios where the protagonists are filmed from the back. This editing by Kohei Tadano makes for somewhat lazy editing but the pace remains coherent throughout the film, and such consistency is by no means easy or easy to maintain.
Both protagonists are rather passive during the acting by displaying minimal emotions and letting Shuri Miyake as Ihika assume the role of a rebellious figure. The princess’s caretaker is arguably one of the cuter scenes in the movie as Miyake defies the traditional relationship by treating her grandfather like a friend. They portray their characters silently which further enhances the performance as they make hand movements and facial expressions to effectively communicate the story. I have to admit Saki’s character, played by Asami Mizukawa, was also able to express the immense pressure she was feeling without using too many words.
“Beyond the Fog” is sure to attract the attention of a rather specific audience, more specifically ‘art house’ fans, as it portrays village life but manages to remain visually appealing from the start to the end while making some comments as well.
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