Death in Cinema #5: Cherry Blossoms

"Assuming we don't have much time left...what do you want to do?"

Release Year: 2008

Country: Germany
Genre: Social drama
Director: Doris Dorrie
Screenwriter: Doris Dorrie
Cinematography: Hanno Lentz
Music: Claus Bantzer
Editing: Frank J. Muller, Inez Regnier
Actors: Elmar Wepper, Hannelore Elsner, Aya Irizuki

Letting go is one of the toughest and most complicated emotional process we can experience. Losing someone hurts, not only because we are unable to physically interact with them anymore, but also due to a bittersweet realization that every moments and memories spent in their company are now impossible to be experienced again. Sometimes we are unable to move on, stuck in the state of denial even though we always know that nothing in this world lasts forever. And of course, death is the ultimate evocation of that feeling, as shown in Cherry Blossoms.

The film focused on a relationship between old married couple, Trudi (Elsner) and Rudi (Wepper). Trudi had just been informed by Rudi's doctor that he is suffering from an incurable cancer, and so she sets out for them to have a long last trip (Rudi himself is unaware about his condition) and visit their children. However, the family reunion ends in an uncomfortable note as the couple gradually realize that they had grown too far apart from their children. Tragedy then struck as Trudi died on her sleep, leaving Rudi completely on his own. Spurred by his wife's unfulfilled desire to visit Mt Fuji and her fascination on Butoh dance, Rudi goes to Japan. There, he eventually forms a unique bond with teenage dancer Yu (Irizuki), who teaches him on how Butoh can be a medium to stay in touch with the dead soul of our loved ones.

Technically, Cherry Blossoms is a German film, but it has remarkably strong Japanese influence. The entire second half takes place in Japan, some of Japanese cultural aspects (particularly the Butoh dance and the titular cherry blossoms) are used as plot devices, and the movie itself can be considered as a homage to Yasujiro Ozu's classic masterpiece Tokyo Story. The whole family segment is practically lifted straight from that movie, making identical point on the strained relationship between grown-up children and their aging parents. However, Cherry Blossoms is not a simple remake, as it eventually morphs into an elegant and beautiful story of its own.



The story moves through several different emotional perspectives and relationships. First, we are shown the way Trudi's and Rudi's children considered them a nuisance, and how really detached they are from their parents despite all the smiles and courteous surface. This parent-child conflict is easily the weakest part in Cherry Blossoms, perhaps because it is a relatively inferior imitation of Ozu, but more likely because it feels too crude and theatrical (Rudi accidentally overheard his son complaining about him on the phone; the children whine and bitch about how bothersome it is to tend to their parents).


However, everything between Trudi and Rudi is pure gold. Wepper, and especially Elsner, succeed in radiating the level of affection and understanding that can only be achieved by two people who have been loving each other for a very long time. Initially we see things mostly through Trudi's eyes, getting ready to let go while trying her best to push the much less adventurous Rudi into having a nice last memory together. Then, after her shocking and ironic death, we are fully placed in Rudi's shoes; a lost and lonely man finding a new friend in Yu, a whimsical kid who is also completely alone in the world after her mother's death.

The Rudi-Yu relationship also works, despite the initially strange concept of an old man bonding with a pre-teen girl. The film wisely avoid taking their relationship into an inappropriate direction, and instead presents Yu and her Butoh dance as the embodiment of Trudi's passion that Rudi had never properly acknowledge during her lifetime.


Images are rich in this film, with highlights being the Mt Fuji spectacle, the cherry blossoms observation, and numerous demonstrations of Butoh dance moves and expressions. However, the most magnificent image comes near the end; of two particular characters dancing together on the edge of a lake near Mt Fuji. The dance itself, the context, and the piece of lilting music that accompanies it combine into an extremely affecting scene that carries extraordinary emotional impact. It is a fitting and beautiful climax to the movie.


Of the five films that I reviewed for Death In Cinema, Cherry Blossoms is my favorite, barely edging out After Life. It is true that there are missteps and some scenes that don't become as effective as Dorrie perhaps intended, but some great acting, sumptuous visual and evocative mood make this film a powerfully bittersweet experience.