The messages in this movie are exquisitely subtle and deep. In the Shinto religion, cleanliness and purification are of paramount importance. The movie is full of purification rituals. Hirayama has constructed a daily routine of purity, compassion and gratitude. This entire movie is a meditation on mindfulness. Notice how Hirayama has no technology, TV or internet. His ancient flip phone is no accident. I thought one of his most interesting traits was his ability to be non-judgmental, especially of the youth. In my backstory, Hirayama was once a monk himself. I think this amazing film is a cry in the dark to the modern generation that is overstimulated, nihilistic and distracted from what a special gift our time on this magnificent earth is. It is a perfect and ironically serene example of why film as an art form is so powerful.
Hirayama is basically practicing zen every day of his life. Your analysis was spot on. We should all take a moment, apreciate the things we have and observe the world around us mindfully.
The movie clues show he comes from material wealth…”two different worlds” as his niece quotes his mother. We don’t get much info aside from a separation from the family’s wealth/father…so he made his own spiritual wealth and is able to provide some comfort to the drama of the lives of the characters around him, put upon him. For me, the movie ends with him re-setting to live in his contentment, but emoting for the pain others put upon him the last weeks…but never judging, always emoting love.
I’m only 6 minutes and 20 seconds in, but it’s a beautiful and solid review brother. I love how you really talk about the essence of the movie and the existentialism instead of only what you see on the screen. What I think is also important to mention is that it’s not so complex to achieve such happiness as Hirayama is displaying. It’s a matter of approaching the things in life without criticism and taking the effort to see the beauty inside everything in life.
Awesome brother, very glad you are watching the film. This movie is criminally underrated and more people should watch it. You've probably finished the film by now right? What do you think?
@@TheLouisZhao Oh I’ve already seen the movie a couple of times hahah. I was saying that I was only 6:20 in to your video when I commented that. But the movie became one of my favourites right after I finished it. I really like the facts that we never really get disconnected from Hirayama. We follow him the whole movie through. I also liked the fact that the movie itself didn’t have a soundtrack and that we listened totally the music Hirayama was listening to, because it really reflected what was going on inside of him in my opinion. All and all I just really love everything about the movie and found kt so inspiring. I can’t really describe how much I like this movie in one comment hahaha
Its easily one of the most profound movies ive seen in years. Loved every second of it! Its a very spiritual experience! The movie taught me so much and helped me on my own spiritual way. Lovely analysis! Thanks for that!
The idea of “Wanting what you have” has embedded in it the concept of “future.” He is not in a state of “wanting” what he has.“ he is not wanting he is bringing awareness and appreciation 17:21 to what he has. He has enough. And that is everything
This is such a beautiful movie and a great video. But when I see people talking about this movie on here, or in reviews or whatever I just see people talk about the character's contentment. And it was great to see and such a wonderful thing to explore and think about...in the first half of the movie. Where everybody found the joy in it, which definitely was there and something I felt too, this was actually pretty heartbreaking to me. When you say this movie is about a guy cleaning toilets, I know that's literal but I think there's actually way more going on here. I think if you boil down the theme it comes down to 'change'. It's about modern times taking over and passing someone. And if you look at it through that lens there is actually a lot happening in this film. He always looks up at the trees right? In the end the tree he always looked at waking up is gone. Demolished for a building. At a certain point he looks up outside the toilets and instead of the trees they build like this circular roof thing so now he only sees the reflection of people. The big pointy building is called 'Skytree' - clearly alluding to erecting buildings where nature/trees once was. When we see the homeless guy first he is literally hugging a tree...the last time we see him he is dazed and confused in traffic, cars honking at him. Clearly his family situation changed a lot. His coworker (who he definitely likes) quits. The guy with the cancer at the end...they specifically talk about change when they do the shadows thing. He says change is 'nonsense' but I feel it's something that he wants to believe but doesn't actually. He did like his life very much and was very content but he can't help but feel everything not being the same anymore. The last book he bought was about anxiety - and that shit definitely hits him. So when he breaks down at the end, still trying his best to smile, I broke down too. I think he starts happy but ends sad over the course of the movie. Only watched it once but I'm close to thinking it's a masterpiece and I will probably watch it again sometime soon.
This movie saved me mentally. Going through some serious medical things that threaten my life while my first child is just weeks away... My mental health declined drastically. I spent the last two months in such an anxious state of mind that I lost so much weight. This movie helped bring a sense of zen to my life like nothing else, I realized my time here is only short, whether I live to be 100 or die tomorrow I was simply missing out on being present. Being present is such a hard thing to grasp these days when it comes to our chronic social media/phone/internet use. I'm actively working towards trying to break my addiction to these things and live a more present life so that I can enjoy life's small miracles
I watched this movie twice on a round trip flight, and loved it. Your review is spot on. Happiness and joy in life is wanting what we have. Awesome review!
To get answers to your questions about this film, you only need to watch Yasugiro Ozu's films, especially Tokyo Monogatari. At that very moment you will understand.
@@TheLouisZhao Wim Wenders himself even made a documentary about Ozu, he's a big fan. In the first frames of Perfect Days I thought "Mr Wenders, I know what you're doing!
I feel like the movie is somewhat Daoist, in that I would say Hirayama practices not wanting rather then making an action to want what he has, but you can argue that may be a semantic distinction. My idea is that Hirayama sorta empty's himself of expectations and sorta takes on the chin whatever life throws at him, and doesn't try to force anything to be a certain way.
"INSATIABLE" In all the living creatures of this planet this is the only characteristic that is unique to HUMANS. Not the thumb, not the tools and definitely not intelligence. It's your insatiability on everything. And this unique characteristic that you posses will cause your extinction. And you cant do anything about it. So just smile just like the character in the movie. Its inevitable. It's NOT "wanting what you have or wanting what you dont have" IT'S WANTING EVERYTING.
I am inordinately saddened to hear you cannot shoot lasers out of your arse, and duly commiserate. But other than that, excellent review. I also couldn't believe how much that film resonated with me. I wonder whether it would have worked in any other setting, i.e. not in Japan. Personally I don't think it would.
The messages in this movie are exquisitely subtle and deep. In the Shinto religion, cleanliness and purification are of paramount importance. The movie is full of purification rituals. Hirayama has constructed a daily routine of purity, compassion and gratitude. This entire movie is a meditation on mindfulness. Notice how Hirayama has no technology, TV or internet. His ancient flip phone is no accident. I thought one of his most interesting traits was his ability to be non-judgmental, especially of the youth. In my backstory, Hirayama was once a monk himself. I think this amazing film is a cry in the dark to the modern generation that is overstimulated, nihilistic and distracted from what a special gift our time on this magnificent earth is. It is a perfect and ironically serene example of why film as an art form is so powerful.
Hirayama is basically practicing zen every day of his life. Your analysis was spot on. We should all take a moment, apreciate the things we have and observe the world around us mindfully.
The movie clues show he comes from material wealth…”two different worlds” as his niece quotes his mother. We don’t get much info aside from a separation from the family’s wealth/father…so he made his own spiritual wealth and is able to provide some comfort to the drama of the lives of the characters around him, put upon him. For me, the movie ends with him re-setting to live in his contentment, but emoting for the pain others put upon him the last weeks…but never judging, always emoting love.
I’m only 6 minutes and 20 seconds in, but it’s a beautiful and solid review brother. I love how you really talk about the essence of the movie and the existentialism instead of only what you see on the screen.
What I think is also important to mention is that it’s not so complex to achieve such happiness as Hirayama is displaying. It’s a matter of approaching the things in life without criticism and taking the effort to see the beauty inside everything in life.
Awesome brother, very glad you are watching the film.
This movie is criminally underrated and more people should watch it.
You've probably finished the film by now right? What do you think?
@@TheLouisZhao Oh I’ve already seen the movie a couple of times hahah. I was saying that I was only 6:20 in to your video when I commented that.
But the movie became one of my favourites right after I finished it. I really like the facts that we never really get disconnected from Hirayama. We follow him the whole movie through. I also liked the fact that the movie itself didn’t have a soundtrack and that we listened totally the music Hirayama was listening to, because it really reflected what was going on inside of him in my opinion. All and all I just really love everything about the movie and found kt so inspiring. I can’t really describe how much I like this movie in one comment hahaha
Its easily one of the most profound movies ive seen in years. Loved every second of it!
Its a very spiritual experience!
The movie taught me so much and helped me on my own spiritual way.
Lovely analysis! Thanks for that!
The idea of “Wanting what you have” has embedded in it the concept of “future.” He is not in a state of “wanting” what he has.“ he is not wanting he is bringing awareness and appreciation 17:21 to what he has. He has enough. And that is everything
Then is then…now is now.
How content is this guy? Every moment is a joy.
Its basically a longer youtube of “a day in the life” & “GRWM to” but without 6pack abs thirst trap or sneaky product review & discount codes
This is such a beautiful movie and a great video. But when I see people talking about this movie on here, or in reviews or whatever I just see people talk about the character's contentment. And it was great to see and such a wonderful thing to explore and think about...in the first half of the movie. Where everybody found the joy in it, which definitely was there and something I felt too, this was actually pretty heartbreaking to me.
When you say this movie is about a guy cleaning toilets, I know that's literal but I think there's actually way more going on here. I think if you boil down the theme it comes down to 'change'. It's about modern times taking over and passing someone. And if you look at it through that lens there is actually a lot happening in this film.
He always looks up at the trees right? In the end the tree he always looked at waking up is gone. Demolished for a building. At a certain point he looks up outside the toilets and instead of the trees they build like this circular roof thing so now he only sees the reflection of people. The big pointy building is called 'Skytree' - clearly alluding to erecting buildings where nature/trees once was. When we see the homeless guy first he is literally hugging a tree...the last time we see him he is dazed and confused in traffic, cars honking at him. Clearly his family situation changed a lot. His coworker (who he definitely likes) quits. The guy with the cancer at the end...they specifically talk about change when they do the shadows thing. He says change is 'nonsense' but I feel it's something that he wants to believe but doesn't actually.
He did like his life very much and was very content but he can't help but feel everything not being the same anymore. The last book he bought was about anxiety - and that shit definitely hits him. So when he breaks down at the end, still trying his best to smile, I broke down too. I think he starts happy but ends sad over the course of the movie. Only watched it once but I'm close to thinking it's a masterpiece and I will probably watch it again sometime soon.
This movie saved me mentally.
Going through some serious medical things that threaten my life while my first child is just weeks away... My mental health declined drastically. I spent the last two months in such an anxious state of mind that I lost so much weight. This movie helped bring a sense of zen to my life like nothing else, I realized my time here is only short, whether I live to be 100 or die tomorrow I was simply missing out on being present. Being present is such a hard thing to grasp these days when it comes to our chronic social media/phone/internet use. I'm actively working towards trying to break my addiction to these things and live a more present life so that I can enjoy life's small miracles
I watched this movie twice on a round trip flight, and loved it. Your review is spot on. Happiness and joy in life is wanting what we have. Awesome review!
Well said, glad you enjoyed it!
He has come to appreciate feeling life as it happens and appreciate feelings whether bad or good. He’s done away with peoples expectations.
Unbelievably gorgeous film in the content as well as the filming, music, relationships, and love of nature. Excellent !
Great film, can’t wait for the Criterion
To get answers to your questions about this film, you only need to watch Yasugiro Ozu's films, especially Tokyo Monogatari. At that very moment you will understand.
Woah looks interesting, will definitely check it out
@@TheLouisZhao Wim Wenders himself even made a documentary about Ozu, he's a big fan. In the first frames of Perfect Days I thought "Mr Wenders, I know what you're doing!
I feel like the movie is somewhat Daoist, in that I would say Hirayama practices not wanting rather then making an action to want what he has, but you can argue that may be a semantic distinction. My idea is that Hirayama sorta empty's himself of expectations and sorta takes on the chin whatever life throws at him, and doesn't try to force anything to be a certain way.
"INSATIABLE" In all the living creatures of this planet this is the only characteristic that is unique to HUMANS. Not the thumb, not the tools and definitely not intelligence. It's your insatiability on everything. And this unique characteristic that you posses will cause your extinction. And you cant do anything about it. So just smile just like the character in the movie. Its inevitable. It's NOT "wanting what you have or wanting what you dont have" IT'S WANTING EVERYTING.
Simplicity....no desire
why is this video ten times as long as it has to be?
I am inordinately saddened to hear you cannot shoot lasers out of your arse, and duly commiserate. But other than that, excellent review. I also couldn't believe how much that film resonated with me. I wonder whether it would have worked in any other setting, i.e. not in Japan. Personally I don't think it would.
🤣🤣🤣
This movie is dope and sublime.
awesome
Thank you
It was a religious experience for me!
16:00 key part of this
Shooting laser out of their ...... 🤣🤣
Hes just quit the race most ppl are in at this point of time in life.. he is living in the now. Not in the past or future