The society's volcano

There's more than a childhood portrait on Hirozaki Koreeda films. The japanese director doesn't only take care about the future but specially the present. We can find an example in his new film 奇跡 (Kiseki, I wish) that arrive today at UK cinemas. The movie follow the story of two brothers living apart for their parent's divorce. Specially one of the brother's, Koichi, is obsessed to live all together again, and even wish that the volcano close to his town will erupt and he and his mother have to come back with his father and brother.

But there's more than a wish in the movie. There's more than a view of the sentiments of this kid broke inside who miss his little brother, who fell that, because of their parents fault, his life is not complete. He really wants to fight, and as in the most of Koreeda films, the kids find the way to make their dreams come true. Or almost. The hope is there, but in a sad way... or not, it depends of the spectator.

In between the director reflects the story of a father who focus his life more in his band, and follow his dream than in his own kid. A mother who fight to keep going and find a better job and a better way to life for herself and her son but who are so depressed that she never try enough. The role of some teachers who try to take care of the Koichi situation, even more than his parents. The kids, a world of partnership, solidarity and a real social group who still help each other and fights for their dreams meanwhile the adults just quit.

There's two external factor really important in the movie. One of them is the bullet train. The new sensation in Japan, the hope for this two brother to meet. The technology, the advance, the future, that can help them, or at least, they believe in that.

And specially, in the environment, a volcano. A geographical accident that awake and dirt the city full of ashes. A volcano that reminds us another one, the vesuvius volcano present in another movie,  Viaggio a Italia (Journey to Italy) from Roberto Rossellini and with the same important role. An accident, a presence that seems just un-menning but said a lot. A poetic figure, a metaphor about the dangers that our societies, not just the japanese one, are living. Ashes that are covering a city and that the kids in the school, at their houses, and everywhere around are trying to sweep, when it's not their job.

More people can think that use the childhood to explain this story is an easy one to thrill the audience. But it's not the case of Koreeda. The director never use the kids, the music or even the situation to create a feeling in the spectators. He just put the camera and follow this little actors who seems not to act and just live the plot as their real lives. We can't feel that we are watching a fiction movie, first because the actors are amazing and natural, and then because the director doesn't put in their mouths lines of text mean or even adult. And this is because is not an emotional movie, is more a introspective movie that goes deep to the heart of our societies and that, as a volcano, erupts and make us think about how the adults, kids and everybody are playing our own part of this present and future.


Trailer: