Kar Wai Wong Watched This 100 Times Before "In the Mood for Love".

Despite not being Yoshimitsu Morita's most renowned work, "Sorekara" was acclaimed as the best film of 1985 by Film Kansho magazine. This love story, set in the Meiji era, was depicted in a modern style by Morita, who reinterpreted Soseki Natsume's works using film language. This approach gave the film a flavor reminiscent of the 1930s film "Spring in a Small Town."

The standout feature of the film is Shigeru Umebayashi's score. Umebayashi has been a long-time collaborator with director Kar Wai Wong, their partnership starting with "Yumeji's Theme" in "In the Mood for Love." Since 2000, Umebayashi has been closely associated with almost every one of Wong's works. Umebayashi's music, known for its artistic appeal and tragic lyricism, is particularly powerful when paired with Wong's deliberate slow-motion shots. In 2014, Umebayashi won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for his soundtrack to Wong's film "The Grandmaster."

The song "Kokuhaku" is featured three times in the film "Sorekara." It plays at the beginning when Michiyo's (Miwako Fujitani) portrait flashes, during Michiyo and Daisuke's (Yusaku Matsuda) reunion three years later as they smell flowers in the rain, and at the end when they express their feelings. The opening song establishes a mournful tone that lingers throughout the movie, adding to its overall sense of melancholy. As the film progresses, the emotional depth is enhanced by Shigeru Umebayashi's music, with the "sound of rain" scene accompanied by a thunderous sound, intensifying their subtle and silent emotional journey.

While not as renowned as "Shitsurakuen," "Sorekara" possesses a more refined quality. Yoshimitsu Morita adapted the novel by literary master Soseki Natsume with bold changes, simplifying the story to create a tasteful and restrained film that doesn't reveal too much of the plot. This approach respects the original work while effectively utilizing the advantages of cinema, such as meticulous craftsmanship and gentle melodies. Morita, a leading figure of the technical school of Japanese directors in the 1980s, showcases his stylistic characteristics in "Sorekara," including composition, photography, within-the-frame scheduling, and editing.

This work represents a departure from Morita's experimental films like "Deaths in Tokimeki" and "The Family Game." Here, he delicately portrays Michiyo and Daisuke's mutual affection and unattainable pain with a slow, almost literary style. Morita employs a large number of still shots to capture the changes in the actors' expressions and eye movements, highlighting the subtle yet intense emotional tension between the characters. He skillfully weaves in several leisurely scenes to depict the era's atmosphere. Particularly noteworthy is the sound design, with rain sounds, background noises, and everyday sounds rendered with subtle clarity. One scene, where Michiyo drinks water from a vase, may have influenced Kar Wai Wong's depiction of Maggie Cheung in "Ashes of Time." Yusaku Matsuda's performance also stands out, showcasing a different kind of silence compared to "The Family Game," even reminiscent of Tony Leung's style in his eyes and posture.

The combination of heavy rain and expansive green fields, along with the constant moments of ambiguity and the pent-up emotional current, are not only characteristic of Kar Wai Wong's style but also evident in "Sorekara," reminiscent of the sentiment and retro vibes found in "Flowers of Shanghai." While "Flowers of Shanghai" is known for its rich literary emotions conveyed through its cinematic approach, "Sorekara," although not as intricate in its pacing or character development, uses light and shadow to depict the characters' emotional states, exuding a strong classical allure with a nostalgic tone. It presents itself as poetic and beautiful, yet carries an underlying sense of sadness.

Both films explore love triangles with restrained emotions, adhering to the principle of beginning from affection but stopping at propriety. In "Spring in a Small Town," questions like "Why did you come? What made you come?" arise, while "Sorekara" expresses sentiments such as "I need you to truly live" and "I'm so lonely, please come back again." The somber mood in "Spring in a Small Town" feels like a solid, oppressive wall, unlike Japanese films that often portray passionate moments more openly and expressively. Moments like smelling lilies in the rain, pouring water from a vase, or a significant moment during a train ride are uniquely Japanese film elements, reflecting a sense of empty consciousness that deeply resonates with viewers.

"Sorekara" is not just another artistic gem in Japanese cinema but has also influenced countless filmmakers since its release. The scenes where the trees remain still but emotions surge forward echo within numerous films.