Minamata

I first heard about Minamata disease in a book called Japan - Behind the Lines by Ben Hills. It was a bit of an eye-opener (the whole book was, actually) as I'd just returned from 2 years living in Japan and was planning on a return. Most chapters in this book shone a grubby light on the politics of looking the other way and 'keeping face' in Japanese society - things the average language student doesn't really want to talk about. The cover up and complete misanthropy of the Chisso company is explored in this new film by multi-faceted artist Andrew Levitas. Long story short, this corporate dreck dumped toxic chemicals, including mercury, into a bay in Kyushu for years, causing birth defects, illness and death. When it came to light this was happening, the bigwigs hid the facts and denied responsibility. Sadly familiar. 

This film retelling is pretty powerful stuff. The angle the filmmakers take is that of an outsider's awakening, Johnny Depp being that guy. He plays Life magazine photographer, Eugene Smith, who is convinced to go to Japan to see what's occurring. There's a bit of the old cliché of reluctance, followed by a shock that makes him agree to go. Later, there's more of the same kind of emotional 'Pushmi-pullyu', in that Smith decides to give up, only to eventually, nobly soldier on. There is a whiff of the 'white saviour' narrative here - Smith's involvement was just one aspect of the whole sorry mess. Admittedly, it was nice to see actual Japanese people, dialogue and locations in this film. There are plenty of Japan-set films that eschew this for one reason or 'tother. Hiroyuki Sanada and Minami shoulder a lot of the weight, Tadanobu Asano slides in and out ruggedly, and Bill Nighy does American, and fairly well too.

There are some nice lines for Depp, delivered in a mostly constant fugue, and Benoît Delhomme's cinematography is striking, as is Ryuichi Sakamoto's score (legend, still firing). Ultimately though, it feels a bit manipulative, a little too worthy for it's own good, despite the vital need for the story to be told. A valiant attempt, nonetheless.

See also: Another case of corporate malfeasance in Dark Waters (2019), directed by Todd Haynes, and Mike Nichols' Silkwood (1983) for more of the same fury.