A Scene at the Sea [dir. Takeshi Kitano]

When I watched other Takeshi Kitano movies like Sonatine and Hana-bi, I would be enchanted by the serene Ozu-like moments and disturbed by the violence that interrupted them. I used to wonder how it would be if Mr. Kitano directed a wholly serene movie. A Scene at the Sea is the answer to that question.

Scene... is the story of Shigeru (Claude Maki), a deaf-mute garbage collector who one day sees a broken surfboard, and it awakens something within him. He does some DIY work to repair the board and goes to the beach to learn surfing. With him is his also-mute fiancee Takako (Hiroko Ôshima), an almost dog-like faithful support whose very existence revolves around Shigeru. She helps to carry his board, folds his clothes when he goes towards the water.

Shigeru is expectedly awkward to start with, more often than not falling off the makeshift board. But he keeps at it, devoting his spare hours (and in consequence, his fiancee's) till he gets better. But this isn't one of those underdog winner movies in which the plot trajectory is for the protagonist to beat some egotistic reigning champion and capture the attention of the world at large. It's about a person finding something he loves to do, which makes him feel alive, instead of a mindless automaton.

This lack of any major antagonist means that there's no external drama element (the people who laugh at his initial clumsiness slowly appreciate his effort and help him out, even his boss in the garbage business supports him when he needs it), and occasionally the film's dogged documenting of Shigeru's continuous following of his dream may seem a tad monotonous. But it has a quiet strength it builds upon with its matter of fact visual sense and composer Joe Hisashi's wonderful musical support. Without any flashy plot twists, Scene... makes us feel for Shigeru, his desire to be a autonomous living being. If you're interested in a relaxing serene film about a person exploring his/her own possibilities, this is a good one to sit with.