Hirokazu Kore-eda brings another intense drama with the Cannes Screenplay Award winner ‘Monster’ (Kaibutsu, 2023), where the acclaimed director questions preconceived notions about childhood and education with a coming-of-age story while also tackling identity and societal roles. ‘Monster’ is also the last soundtrack composed by the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto.
2018’s ‘Shoplifters’ by Kore-eda can be perceived as a companion piece to South Korea’s Bong Joon Ho directed ‘Parasite’ (2019) as both tackle social class, economic oppression, and families struggling in the middle of it all; on the other hand, ‘Shoplifters’ and ‘Monster’ are portrayals of how it can be challenging to be a child in current days Japan which is different from how childhood is portrayed in British and American media and also displays Kore-eda’s proficiency to direct child actors straying them away from the acting more seen in TV ads and children’s TV shows.
‘Monster’ revolves around a mother demanding answers from a school and a teacher when her son shows erratic behaviour. Minato is a youngster facing hard times and is played with conviction by Soya Kurokawa, who can express anger, frustration, and enchantment like a veteran. As part of his narrative comes classmate Yori, an odd and introspective child interpreted by Hinata Hiiragi, who brings the sort of vulnerability that sets the pre-teen aside from his classmates and makes him a target to bullies.
Bullying is a disturbing reality in Japanese schools, which have a stricter educational culture than their Western counterparts due to societal demands and expectations. Still, Kore-eda doesn’t paint an easy picture, segregating characters into “good and bad” archetypes. Although presenting teachers and staff as fallible and sometimes even incompetent and immature, the director is empathic to the struggles of those responsible for preparing the future generations of their country and how they are sometimes suffocated by parents and even the media who also don’t respect their private lives and those who they choose to be their partners.
The movie also touches on the subject of neglect and parental abuse, which is still a taboo in mainstream media. Although more prominent with the debate of mental health and music movements like new wave and grunge, the hardships of parenting and how toxic parental figures can scar the young ones is hard to approach because it is not a viewer-friendly matter, and the result can be something corny, however, it is touched with a peculiar and masterful eye.
Kore-eda knows how to land on such complex grounds and deal with stomach-turning subjects without resorting to easy emotions and answers. Kore-eda leaves it to the viewer to interpret, and they won’t be able to grasp it at the exact moment they watch; hence, they carry the narratives to their homes.
The experience is furthered by the well-crafted and evolving soundtrack by Japanese legend Ryuichi Sakamoto in his last and posthumous film collaboration. The soundtrack acts much like another character, an observer that beholds the moments of drama and the joys of being a child or an adult enjoying a healthy relationship.
It is not only a great screenplay, but it also packs great images like showing the roles that fire and water play in telling this beautiful story and showing a side of Japan not much seen in samurai and yakuza films that for long have been the most contact Westerners have had with this country outside anime and gaming.
‘Monster’ is another solid entry in Kore-eda’s oeuvre and world cinema, and it can also be considered one of the best films of 2023. Kore-eda is a master of his art, and each film delivers a different experience of how complex human relationships can be.
