[15. Wednesday Movie Review] "Minari" ~Adding a little something to the 'Universal Couple' image~
|"Minari" is a film that has been released in Japan since last week.
It is a buzzworthy film that has been nominated for six categories at this year's Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Synopsis
Jacob Yi, a Korean immigrant, moves his wife (Monica) and children (David and Anne) to a rural town in Arkansas in hopes of striking it rich. Jacob tries to build a large farm from scratch to become a successful landowner, but Monica looks at her husband with cold eyes. Before long, Monica's mother (Soon-ja) comes to live with the family. Although Soon-ja has a remarkably sharp tongue, she also has a somewhat lovable side, and she brings stimulation to the family's life (especially David's). Meanwhile, the farm business never gets on track, and the family's finances are in dire straits. Faced with various difficulties, Jacob does not give up; instead, he burns with a desire for success. He becomes so immersed in running the farm that he is willing to sacrifice everything, but this leads to an unexpected situation.
The Dream of the First Generation of Immigrants
Although it is not mentioned much in the film, the setting is 1980s America under the Reagan administration. This coincides with the period when immigration to the United States from many countries, including those in Asia, began to increase. Such immigrants were able to move to the United States, find jobs, and live relatively stable lives. However, even if they achieved such a life, the thoughts of 'Is this really the job I want to do?' and 'Is it okay to end my life like this?' would always follow them.
And so, they end up wanting to chase their dreams. That is the 'American Dream' held by the first generation of immigrants who came to the land of freedom, America, from foreign countries.
The protagonist of this film, Jacob, was one of them.
The film's director and screenwriter, Lee Isaac Chung, wrote the script by superimposing the image of his own father, a first-generation immigrant, onto Jacob, and set the story in his hometown of Arkansas. Jacob's son, David, is likely a reflection of his own childhood.
Universal Couple Image
His wife, Monica, is critical of Jacob, the dreamer. Her dissatisfaction with her husband, who has abandoned a stable life while neglecting their children, grows, and they fight constantly.
A husband who chases dreams and a wife who puts her family first
This kind of difference in values between a husband and wife has been depicted in many works, not just this one.
For example, the 2016 film "Fences" depicts a selfish husband who forces his own ideals onto his son. Meanwhile, the wife, while oppressed by her husband, cares for her son. As they continue to live like this, the rift between the couple grows.
The 2019 film "Marriage Story". In this film, a wife who was supposed to have been devotedly supporting her husband, who has continued to chase his dream as a stage director, clashes spectacularly with him following their divorce.
Personally, the couple in "Minari" most closely resembles those in "The Tree of Life" (2011). I feel there is a great deal in common in the relationship between the 'strict father' and the 'loving mother'.
As described above, many films have depicted a 'universal couple image'. It is also common to all these works that the 'children' are the ones caught in the middle of the couple.
The +α and the meaning of the title
While this film depicts such a 'universal couple image,' what makes it different from other works is that a grandmother appears as a +α to the couple and family.
Soon-ja, who moved from Korea to the United States for her daughter Monica.Soon-ja. What kind of message does this +α bring to the work "Minari"...?
And the title of the work, "Minari." It seems to be a word that means water dropwort in Korean. I think you will enjoy it more if you watch it while thinking about the meaning of this title.
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In the next article, I will talk about | "Nomadland", the strongest candidate for this year's Academy Awards.