HANA

An entertaining film which meanders pleasantly through its parabolic narrative, stopping occasionally for a moment of regret or sadness, frequently for a laugh, but is mostly content to sit back while a host of human desires and shortcomings are played out by a group of competent, likable performers.

The story ostensibly centres on Aoki, who hails from a line of samurai and is tasked by his family to avenge his father’s death. In most revenge flicks, it’s only after the hero slaughters his or her way through dozens of bad guys that s/he come to the realization that violence is not the path to redemption. Here the director has chosen to go another direction and pursue an entirely different premise: what if the hero doesn’t think revenge is all that great an idea from the outset?

It’s an intriguing question and the result is that most of the action is dominated not by the hero but by his large cast of supporting characters, who gleefully offer advice and hatch elaborate schemes while enduring their own amusing set of trials and tribulations. The cast is excellent, pitch perfect in that they stop shy of slapstick in scenes that could easily go that route and that they never seem to deviate from the character’s central, humanity. Even the village idiot, who celebrates wildly at the suggestion that a fellow villager’s trip to the outhouse could aid his compost business, comes across as sympathetic instead of simply buffoonish.

If the actions of these characters do start to wear thin at about the 3/4 mark, it’s because there’s very little left for them to do. Once Aoki abandons his revenge, and this happens pretty early on, the narrative itself loses momentum. There's a few scenes that tie up some loose threads and pantomimed sequences that offer a few chuckles but very little to keep audiences engaged emotionally. Beyond a somewhat truculant landlord (who really just wants to collect some back rent from the villagers) and a few child bullies who occupy approximately 15 seconds of screen time and are quickly put off by the pacifistic actions of another child, there’s little tension between any of the characters. Even the father's killer, a man initially marked for death (literally, he's got a red mark on his face), isn't all that menacing, with a wife and two small children and little indication that he's spoiling for a fight.

Though the film is set in the early 18th century, clearly we are meant to see some parallels with the present. The notion of a more respectful, measured response to our perceived enemies of the both in the world at large ("Maybe the President of Iran hugs his kids too...") and our local communities (I'm sure the guy who cut me off is just having a bad day...") is somewhat refreshing given all the usual bluster in movies and the media. The film is pretty upfront in its moralizing: if you let hate consume you, all you are left with is hate. Point taken.

But...can a story really work without at least some real adversity? Without a villain or an act of God?

In some sense, yes. In the case of HANA, the answer lies somewhere between satisfactory and subdued. It’s one of those films that I’d sum up for friend with an “I liked it, but…” or “It was good…” without sounding convincing. Recommended for some, particularly those who have just completed a long yoga session.

Btw…the film’s title….HANA… If I’m not mistaken, this is the name of the caged bird which has the misfortune of being killed by a stray cat midway through the film, but which is at least given a proper and respectful burial by a small child. Not sure what this means or why the film is thus titled but it seems somehow fitting. Perhaps others who have seen this can clarify via comments...