At the surface level, Scandal (1950) is just another courtroom drama. But as one digs deeper, one stumbles upon an assortment of themes, some of which are: the distortion of facts for one?s convenience, sin, redemption and the highest respect one has for one?s conscience.
The very handsome Toshiro Mifune (he could be called a Greek God, but he?s Japanese. ?Japanese God? doesn?t convey the message, does it?) plays Ichirô Aoye, an artist more famous for his motorbike than for his paintings. He once goes to the mountains to paint. Three bums watch him paint a mountain that is red in color and seems very restless. When asked why, he replies that he sees red mountains inside him. They hear a very beautiful voice singing. The voice belongs to an equally beautiful woman. She asks one of the bums for directions to Kaminoyu and he gives them, telling her that the next bus is due in three hours. She looks impatient. He tells her that he too is going to Kaminoyu and that if she waited a while, he would drop her.
So it happens. When they both ride on his motorbike, they are seen by two magazine reporters who identify her as Miyako Saijo, a famous singer. Smelling a scoop, they follow the duo on the motorbike to an inn in Kaminoyu.
At the inn, Aoye and Saijo take separate rooms. Aoye visits Saijo?s room to introduce himself. They both sit in a balcony talking and as he points out to a marsh as green as jade, she comes closer to him to have a better look. They both hear the click of a camera. They think that photographs are being taken at a wedding celebration taking place nearby and dismiss it. They don?t know but their picture has just been taken.
The reporters belong to a small-time gossip magazine Amour, owned by a very ambitious editor, Hori. Hori sees the photograph as a ?once in a lifetime? opportunity to make it big. He asks his writer to conjure up a very passionate story about Aoye and Saijo.
Aoye comes back to the city. As he waits at a traffic signal, he is shocked to see the city full of posters of him and Saijo together, with obscene captions. He is unable to get a copy of Amour because it?s sold out everywhere. He goes to the Amour office, grabs a copy of the magazine and reads the story. Enraged by what is written, Aoye slaps Hori and vows to sue.
He goes to Saijo?s residence and asks her if she would take legal action. Saijo remains passive and declines.
One evening, when Aoye and his friend Sumie are wondering how to proceed with the case, Hiruta (Takashi Shimura), a low-class attorney visits him and offers to fight for him. Aoye is hesitant at first because of Hiruta?s unorthodox manners. He goes to Hiruta?s residence, which is in a slum, to see how his family is. Hiruta is not home. The only person at home is Hiruta?s angel-like daughter Masako who suffers from tuberculosis and has been bed-ridden for five years. Aoye is moved by the sight of this very beautiful child who is suffering yet is very happy.
He goes to Hiruta?s office, a tin shack on the roof of a building, but Hiruta is not there too. As he is about to leave, he sees a photo of Masako near the door. He decides to hire Hiruta as his attorney.
Hiruta not only becomes Aoye?s attorney, but also sells information to Hori, the Amour editor whom Aoye is suing.
Hiruta comes home drunk every evening, laden with gifts from Hori. On one such evening, he gets Masako a teddy bear. When he gives it to her, she tells him that Aoye had visited a few hours back, given her apples, spent time with her and talked to her about how much confidence he had in Hiruta. She tells him that Aoye?s eyes told her that he was afraid that Hiruta might do something bad to him. Hiruta starts crying, very guilty of what he has done. Hiruta confesses to Masako that he has wronged and would definitely not let Aoye down. But Hiruta cannot get out of this liaison with Hori because Hori has, by then, spent large amounts of money on him, sums of money Hiruta cannot even dream of repaying. The payments continue and Hiruta is unable to resist the money offered by Hori.
Saijo joins Aoye to sue Hori.
Aoye is now a frequent visitor at the Hiruta residence because he adores Masako very much. While Aoye showers Masako with affection and love, Hori showers Hiruta with money.
For Christmas, Aoye gets Masako a Christmas tree and brings Saijo along. Hiruta comes home drunk that evening after an evening with Hori, to find Saijo singing for Masako. He is suddenly filled with disgust for himself and walks out, breaking a glass window, hurling abuses at himself loudly. Aoye, to make Hiruta feel better, takes him to a pub and both of them get sloshed. Hiruta starts singing ?This year, I?ve been a dog. Next year, I?ll be a man.? Everyone in the bar initially laugh at him but as they recollect their past, they are filled with remorse and join him in song.
When they both are walking back home, Aoye stops at a gutter, sees the reflection of stars in the gutter and tells Hiruta:
--
Aoye: Look! A miracle! The stars have fallen into the gutter! An old man like you with such a charming daughter!!
Hiruta: Thank you. She?s a lovely star and I?m the gutter.
Aoye: Quiet! You too may become a star one day. You may shine too.
--
The legal proceedings start. This case is now a sensation. The press just can?t have enough of it.
On the first day, Hiruta enters, wearing a traditional Japanese lawyer outfit to court. He is ridiculed by everyone at court. He is branded a loser by the media. During the proceedings, he is seen sitting very quietly. He has been paid by Hori to keep silent. Things go on like this for a few days - Hiruta, sitting slumped in his chair, having a very guilty look on his face and keeping silent.
One evening, Saijo, Sumie and Aoye are at Aoye?s studio. All is quiet, except for the wind. They are on the verge of defeat. Hiruta walks in, his shoulders slumped, his eyes misty. Masako is dead. Her last words: ?Mr. Aoye will win this case.?
In the end, Aoye and Saijo DO win the case. How they win, is for you to see.
Throughout the movie, one can?t help but hate Hiruta. But the last 5 minutes completely change one?s opinion about him. One is left with a feeling of awe and respect for him at the end of the movie. The first impression isn?t always the best impression.
The performances are stunning. Toshiro Mifune?s portrayal of Aoye, the angry young artist is impeccable. His otherwise-angry eyes soften whenever he is with Masako.
Shirley Yamaguchi, with her big eyes and dazzling smile is gorgeous as Saijo. She doesn?t have much of a role to play in the movie but she plays her role well.
Takashi Shimura as Hiruta gives us another dynamite performance. He acts with his eyes. His body language is perfect. He changes expressions of contrasting nature before you can even blink.
The direction and screenplay are crisp. The love between Aoye and Saijo is handled with much subtlety. The relationship between Aoye and Masako has also been dealt with very beautifully.
This movie, which dealt a little with distortion of facts, probably gave us a hint of what was to come next. The very next year, Kurosawa gave us Rashomon, a movie that shook the world and brought international acclaim to Akira Kurosawa.
Credits:
This review wouldn?t have been possible without:
Symphonies 5 and 9 by Beethoven
The ?One More Car, One More Rider? album by Eric Clapton
