Renowned German filmmaker Wim Wenders has enjoyed an illustrious career with masterpieces such as Alice in the Cities, Wings of Desire, and The American Friend. His latest film, Perfect Days, was up for Best Foreign Language Film at last week's Oscars.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, he was invited to Tokyo to craft a short documentary to showcase a novel initiative to bring art to the city’s public toilets.
In making it, Wenders found inspiration well beyond his initial brief. He went on to make a full-length feature film, incorporating these aesthetically pleasing public conveniences into the narrative framework of a critically acclaimed film that many believe to be his best yet.
It is a comprehensive cinematic exploration of solitude, poignantly told through Hirayama—an elderly attendant of the public conveniences—brought to life with remarkable finesse by the esteemed Japanese actor Koji Yakusho.
The theme is in line with the zeitgeist of the pandemic, which may have formed part of the inspiration for the film. But regardless of how it came about, the film is clearly a high point in Wenders' career.
It is a testament to the successful collaborative synergy between Japan and Germany, marking one of the most fruitful joint production endeavours in recent years.
Yakusho’s performance won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.
He portrayed Hirayama's life as a tapestry of solitary routines, weaving through his meticulous devotion to the cleanliness of public restrooms, the simplicity of his dwelling, the solace found in music and literature, and the ephemeral interactions with characters that flit through the reflective entries he makes in the journal he keeps.
Homage to Ozu
As the two-hour film unfolds it is impossible overlook the aesthetic influence of Yasujiro Ozu, the unparalleled luminary of cinematic minimalism both in Japan and globally.
Known for his magnum opus Tokyo Story, which is less typical of that approach, this director also made The End of Summer, and Late Autumn which feature the same feeling of understated grace, as do An Autumn Afternoon and Good Morning.
In these works, life’s pivotal moments are met with a serene acceptance, echoing the unspoken anticipation of fate. All this is encapsulated within minimal dialogue and a subdued emotional landscape to portray the profound beauty of life's quiet moments.
This method of portraying day-to-day life on screen is also seen in the works of Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, particularly in his latest offering, Falling Leaves, which subtly pays homage to Ozu. It was also celebrated at the recent Cannes Film Festival.
Wenders’ journey into Japanese cinema, which he made well into his seventies, almost inevitably involved paying homage to Ozu and other filmmaking giants from the country.
These include Akira Kurosawa and his masterpiece Ikiru or To Live, which was also reimagined for a post-COVID audience in 2022, by Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, alongside director Oliver Hermanus.
Perfect Days tells the story of Hirayama’s life. He was born into affluence but turned away from privilege for a life of simplicity and solitude as a public toilet cleaner, a profession far removed from his family's wealth and his father's violent legacy.
His existence is pared down to the essentials, with a modest income barely covering his basic needs. Hirayama's detachment from contemporary life is evident.
