For all the movies that one gets to see, there always seem to be even more that elude you. "Double Suicide" is one of those films. It has been at the top of my "must see" list for a long time. Already drawn in by the name and cover art, you put a Criterion stamp of approval on there, and I'm pretty much along for the ride. After having finally seen the film, I can safely say it was worth the wait and excitement.
Before I get into what the movie is about, I feel it needs some setup. The movie itself, directed by Masahiro Shinoda in 1969, is based off "The Love Suicides at Amijima", a 1721 play performed often with marionette-style puppets; a style known as bunraku. When adapting this play into movie form, Shinoda kept this idea of puppetry to wondrous effect. When the film opens, we are showed many scenes of a group of puppeteers, going through motions, making adjustments and quick fixes, and setting up a tone and idea that no matter how in control we think we are, something is beyond us "pulling the strings" (that's for you, Bela). In theater and puppetry, especially on a grand scale, puppeteers and stagehands will often be clad in complete black, as to not be seen or distract. This is where Shinoda challenges the audience of "Double Suicide". Although it is live-action, there are many instances of people in all black from head to toe, lying in wait or interacting in scenes. They are at once merely set dressing and at the same time, I feel, a bigger part of the narrative, of the lack of free will we so desperately cling to as humans. They are reminders of more things at work, and sometimes they are just downright creepy. Going into the movie without knowing this could possibly make the movie confusing or possibly off-putting, so I felt it should be addressed from the get-go, in case anyone, as you certainly should, wish to see this fine film.
The movie itself, after the sly introduction, moves us right along to our leads, Jihei, a paper merchant and Koharu, a courtesan, aka a prostitute. They have been seeing each other for over three years. Here is where we first see that they are in love, yet find themselves in the midst of an impossible situation. Since Koharu is a courtesan, she must be redeemed, or bought, from her master, which I can only imagine is a lot, although we are never given any sort of figure. Jihei, although madly in love with Koharu and wanting nothing more to redeem her, is very poor and continuously makes promises of redeeming Koharu as soon as he can. It here, all the way at the beginning of our tale, that the only answer for the pair is a suicide pact so that they can be together forever. Always a solid plan.
It becomes apparent that Koharu is the most sought-after courtesan in the area, often receiving, but not enjoying, the attention of rich, filthy men. She has to often be excused for her unsavory attitude towards possible clients, explaining that she is in love, even though such things are forbidden for a "lady of the night", as it were. A new customer, a samurai, takes notice of the emotional state she is in and offers to help her out if she will be honest with him. She confesses her plan to die with Jihei so that they can finally be together. After admitting this, Koharu has a sudden change of heart, saying that she does not wish to die and that she will be the samurai's. Jihei, eavesdropping from outside, hears her treachery and unsuccessfully lashes out at the samurai. It is revealed that the samurai is actually Jihei's brother in disguise. This is also where we discover that Jihei has a wife and two kids. This definitely doesn't speak well to the character of Jihei. He's already not doing well financially, yet even with a wife and two kids he spends his nights and his money with a courtesan. Pretty harsh, for sure. Jihei's brother makes him promise to never visit Koharu again, saving his family from shame and seperation. Jihei, having heard Koharu's plea's and thinking her playing him for a fool this whole time, accepts the offer and leaves for his home, leaving Koharu an emotional wreck.
We then move to ten days later, where instead of working Jihei is sleeping through the day, his wife, Osan, sorting through deliveries, and their children being watched, sort of, by some hired help. This makes me wonder how bad off they really are if they can afford to have two people waiting on beckon call for them, but hey,who knows? Anyways, they are paid a visit by Jihei's brother and Osan's mother. There is talk amongst the town that a merchant is redeeming Koharu, and they are certain that it is Jihei. After much pleading and convincing, Jihei makes a written promise that the merchant in question is not him, and they leave believing him. We soon discover, after speculation as to which merchant bought Koharu, that Osan had actually been in contact with Koharu without Jihei knowing about it. The two women have made their own pact, this one with Jihei's wife pleading with Koharu not to let him die. This reveals to Jihei the reason that Koharu changed her mind about their own pact, and reignites his longing for her. Jihei reveals to his wife that he knows Koharu will kill herself rather than be redeemed by this other merchant, and Osan can't bear to have her death on her conscience. She hurries Jihei along to stop Koharu before it's too late. Just as he is about to leave, carrying with him everything the family has in order to pawn it and buy Koharu's freedom, Osan's father shows up and makes his own assumptions. He begins demanding that Jihei divorce his daughter, pointing out every shame that Jihei has brought upon his family. Jihei refuses a divorce, saying that he wants to be with Osan, but her father has made up his mind and drags Osan with him. Although he's been pleading with her father to leave her be, Jihei does nothing to stop him from taking her. Jihei has other plans.
The night passes and before Koharu can be retrieved by the rich merchant, Jihei shows up and sneaks her out. They run and run as far as they can, both overtly emotional over every little thing they can think of or remember, but both are more concerned with fulfilling their longtime vow of dying together. They question their own honor, their families they will leave behind, the stories that will be told, and in the end, they feel as if they are making the right choice. They make their way to a cemetery, where I was sure the titular scene would take place, but instead, they make love one last time. Both scenes in the movie that involve lovemaking(there's one at the very beginning between Jihei and Koharu as well) strike a chord with me for two reasons. First, both scenes depict Jihei going down on Koharu, which by 1969 standards was assuredly very risque and provocative. It's far from graphic and I would say it's even tastefully done. The other thing that comes to mind is how this woman, a prostitute by trade, is basically trained to please whomever may come calling, yet, even when Jihei was paying for her company, he's the one pleasing her. I think it speaks to a grander idea, of want over need. Jihei so desperately wants this woman that he's willing to die for her. For her part, Koharu is willing to die too, but we never see any form of her investment in this relationship.
Waking the next morning in the cemetery, the pair rush off to a open, grassy area and the movie's title comes to fruition. It's far from glamorous, in fact its downright brutal, but it is filmed in such a way as to be visually and stylistically compelling. Although their deaths happen a good bit from each other, we see that by the movie end that their bodies have been found and laid together, side by side. This touches on the poetic, and with being such a visually compelling movie, its easy to get caught up in the "lets die and be together forever" idea, but the one place where I feel the movie falters is letting us really know why. At the beginning of the movie, Koharu asks Jihei why he loves her. his response? "Because I am a man. And you are a woman. Thank god you are a woman." And that's it. We see this guy lose his family and livelihood over that. I am sure that there's something more to it, but we are never made privy to this information. I feel like there should have been more, well, anything to their relationship just to make the extremes they go to a bit more plausible. All in all, though, the movie still succeeds in being a compelling piece of cinema and one that I glad I finally got to see. Visually stunning,skillfully executed and highly recommended.
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