Movie Review: Rebirth (Youkame no Semi) (2011)

At first I didn't know what to expect from Rebirth (Youkame no Semi aka "The Cicada's Eighth Day"), even knowing about the success it had been in Japan, the plot didn't interest me much... so, I was impressed by how good it was. Based on author Mitsuyo Kakuta's novel and directed by Izuru Narushima, the film was a success in Japan and won 11 awards at the 35th Japan Academy Prize including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Starring Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Script.

Comparing the scenes: (left) Kiwako (Hiromi Nagasaku) running away with the baby in her arms.
(right) Unable to adapt with her family thinking her real mother is Kiwako, Erina runs away from home.

The movie tells the story about a woman named Kiwako (Hiromi Nagasaku) that after having an abortion and being unable to have children abducts the newborn baby of the man who she was having an affair with. For four years she raises the child as her own until she is finally arrested. The then 4 year old girl named Erina goes back to her biological parents, however she is unable to adapt with her real family thinking her mother is Kiwako.

Erina (Mao Inoue) and Chigusa (Eiko Koike)
searching for the forgotten past.

As an adult, Erina (Mao Inoue) gets approached by a reporter named Chigusa Ando (Eiko Koike) who brings her past back by asking about the abduction and if she remembered anything about it. Erina says she can't remember anything. However the persistent reporter keeps coming back and they start to build a friendship. Meanwhile Erina ironically gets impregnated by a married man. This is a turning point in her life in which she decides to go search for the past she thought was forgotten…

Close-ups capturing the emotion of the actresses.

Rebirth is modestly dramatic, which fits the soothing soundtrack and the slow pace of the movie. The main theme is the love/relationship between mother and daughter, and the impact your past has in your future. The film impresses with powerful as well as natural performances by the actresses Mao Inoue (Hana Yori Dango) and especially Hiromi Nagasaku (Don't Laugh at My Romance), who starts as an antagonist to become someone you sympathize with and even forgets that she is, in fact, a fugitive. Rebirth has beautiful cinematography, capturing the emotions of the actresses with close-ups and scenes showing the beauty of the Kagawa Prefecture. The plot is captivating and slowly but surely you will immerse into the characters' journey.

The beauty of Kagawa Prefecture.

SPOILER!!!
Am I the only one who made a connection between Rebirth’s women shelter and Haruki Murakami’s books? That shelter reminded me of the mountain sanatorium in Norwegian Wood plus Sakigake and the Dowager who helped women suffering from domestic abuse from 1Q84.

I recommend Rebirth to those who: 

like drama, family drama, human drama, sad but beautiful stories, stories about love (in this case, love between mother and daughter), good acting, beautiful cinematography.

The movie has a lot of metaphors and details that the attentive spectator will enjoy it even more!

note: I think even those who don't like drama will appreciate it.

TRAILER: 

MY RATING: