Last Mile

Good evening.
Thank you for watching again today.

This movie was released on August 25th of this year.

I wrote about my thoughts after watching it for the first time
in a previous post. ↓

And, since a special audio commentary version by the main production staff
has been available for a limited time starting October 4th,
I went to see it again
on the very first day of the audio commentary screenings.

It was my first time experiencing watching a film in a theater while listening to an audio commentary,
but it was a luxurious time
to be able to hear such valuable stories
on such a grand scale.

Also,
"This part was improvised, right?"
or
"This scene was filmed like this."
I was able to hear behind-the-scenes stories like these. They praised the actors' performances throughout, and I felt that the relationship where the staff respects the actors involved more than anything else is wonderful. I realized that it is precisely because of this relationship that they are able to come together as one to create such a wonderful work.

*Please be aware that the following contains spoilers.

What I found surprising was,
as was mentioned on social media and in the audio commentary,
regarding the protagonist Elena Funado, played by Hikari Mitsushima,
that there were people who thought she was a protagonist they couldn't like
based on her behavior in the beginning.

Perhaps it's simply because I like the actress Hikari Mitsushima,
but Mitsushima's character and the role matched perfectly, and I didn't feel even a millimeter of dislike for Elena as she struggled to solve problems while brightening up the room, so I was surprised to learn that there is such a way of looking at it.

And,
what is engraved most deeply in my heart from this movie
is, after all, the meaning of those words written on the locker door.

(I apologize, as this will only make sense to those who have seen it...)
Personally, I interpret the "→0" part
as meaning that by taking action herself,
she wants to stop this negative chain, to make everything zero.

However,
in vain, the conveyor belt starts moving again
as if nothing had happened.

Even if one person had such strong,
earnest feelings,
I felt like I was made to realize that it is of no use in the face of a great power, and I was frustrated and sad, and tears overflowed.

The first time I watched it,
I had the feeling of being made to realize that no matter how hard one person tries, it is powerless
and meaningless. However, on my second viewing, there were parts where I was able to

perceive things a little differently than the first time. In the audio commentary,
they compared the logistics system, which has become an indispensable part of modern life, to "blood and arteries."

And they also said, "Every single person who works is precious."

In this movie,
the incident is triggered by
the actions of one person who wrote a desperate cry on their locker.

And ultimately,
measures such as wage increases were taken for the subcontracted drivers,
which led to moving the company.

Just as the individual tissues that make up blood are small,
yet the blood flow plays an important role in maintaining life,
even if the actions of each individual might seem meaningless,

I was able to think that by accumulating them, it might be possible to move a great force.
(Although in the movie, it led to a casualty incident...)

Reality isn't that sweet,
so it might be wishful thinking,
but even so, it let me see hope.

And, as I mentioned before,
the theme song "Garakuta" (Junk) sung by Kenshi Yonezu.

In other media, Yonezu-san mentioned that he got the inspiration for this song
from the phrase
"It doesn't matter if it's broken,"
which you hear during waste collection.

Everyone has
parts that are lacking
or parts that are inferior,
but I think there are times
when we desperately try to cover them up
and fake ourselves to try to do things well.

It's often painful, agonizing, and difficult to live
without being able to accept those parts,
but when I listen to this song,

it feels like it's saying, "It's okay if you're broken,
you don't have to fix it, just being yourself is fine,"

and I can't stop the tears.

Until now,
I have never purchased a song from a company other than the one my favorite group belongs to.

However, I love this song so much that
I wanted to keep it on hand and listen to it over and over,
so I ended up buying it.

I would love for everyone to listen to it at least once.

It is included in an album, and all of them are wonderful, great songs.

Scenes that left me with questions the first time
I was able to process more deeply,
and because of that, I cried even more this time.

I went to see it again
to listen to the audio commentary,
but as expected, I want to
fully absorb the content of the work once more.

Is there no choice but to go see it again...?

I almost never watch the same work multiple times,
but I felt like I wanted to watch this over and over,
and I was able to encounter a wonderful work that touched my heart
to the point where I even bought the pamphlet.