Watched Japan's 2023 The Village (2:01:20). Yuu Katayama's father opposes the creation of a garbage dump in Kamon Village, where he lives, and kills a man in the course of his protests. He commits suicide and burns his house down. Years later, Yuu continues to be ostracized by the village for his father's crimes. The film is about Yuu's and his girlfriend Misaki Nakai's attempt to shatter the village's biases and live a happy life together.
Kamon Village is presented to us as having a 500-year-old Noh tradition--Yuu and Misaki are former students of Noh. There are some delicious scenes showcasing Noh plays and exquisite Noh masks Overall, however, the film is also really about corruption and deceit in high places. There is a brief, non-verbal epilogue showing Misaki's brother after the long, end titles. Don't miss it.
The Village is as slow-paced and as lyrical as South Korea's 2018 Burning, though its plot is straightforward and leaves no space for alternative interpretations. It will probably be abandoned after the first quarter of an hour by audiences accustomed to hysteria and colorful spectacle, but this is a serious film that reflects the realities of life not only in modern-day Japan but in other countries as well.
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