A trip down memory lane. Review on Rhapsody in August Movie

Akira Korosawa's Rhapsody in August is a trip down memory lane, as it reminds us of numerous summers spent with grandparents who filled our lives with stories and memories. This film begins with four children spending their summer holidays with their grandmother, who is also a survivor of the Nagasaki bombing. 84-year-old Sachiko Murase, who plays Kane, the grandmother, is brilliant in her portrayal. As the matriarch who entertains her grandchildren with stories from the past, Kane's life takes a drastic turn with the discovery of her japanese-american brother in Hawaii. Her children who see their newly discovered, rich relative as a ticket to a better life, travel to America, and then try persuading Kane to visit her dying brother.

But Kane isn't very keen as she doesn't remember the man claiming to be her older brother. Her grandchildren are more sympathetic to her predicament. They think that perhaps, Kane hasn't forgiven America for the bomb that killed her husband. However, Kane who has perhaps forgotten and forgiven America for the bombing, agrees to visit her brother after her husband's anniversary. Her children are ecstatic, and her half american nephew(played by Richard Gere visits her to pay his respects.

During the course of some fun moments, that bind the children to their newfound uncle, Kane's brother passes away in America. After that shock, Kane begins to regress gradually, reliving the horrors of the day on which the bomb was dropped. Filled with powerful metaphoric imagery, the film gives you a glimpse of modern day Nagasaki through the eyes of four children. We also understand the after effects of the bombing through their explorations, and their numerous conversations with Kane. Most importantly, we get a peek into human condition, and the determination to survive despite the odds.

This I think is quite apparent in the last scene, where Kane runs against the direction of a powerful storm. Though set in a different time, and in a different culture, the film binds us all by its common human emotions and struggles.