The Incredible Memories of Matsuko

Memories of Matsuko tells the story of Matsuko, the eldest daughter of three born after World War II. Her life spans the rest of the 20th century, coming to a tragic close as her body is found near a river, outside her decrepit apartment. A young man, a slacker musician who has just lost his job and his girlfriend, is rotting his life away in his flat, when his father unexpectedly show up, carrying the cremated remains of the father's sister. It turns out Matsuko was the young man's aunt, and curious, he goes to her place to see what he can find about her. He acquaints himself with the punk rocker who lives next door, and they both find her apartment a shambles. Bags of garbage are piled high, graffiti etched into the walls -- the place is a disaster area. A pair of detectives arrive; they are investigating her death - she had been murdered. From them, and former friends, the young man is able to piece together her past and how she came to be here. Matsuko was a schoolteacher, a beautiful young woman with an angelic voice, and she taught her students singing. One day, a complaint is made against the school -- one of the students has stolen money from a local vendor. Matsuko is dismayed to learn that it is one of her students. She talks to him, but he refuses to admit his crime. A momentous decision is made. She takes money from a fellow teacher and "returns" it to the man, who accepts it, but wants the student to apologize in person. Matsuko apologizes, saying that she was the one who stole the money - she just wants to put this incident behind her. But it starts a long downward spiral for her. The student, after admitting to her that he took the money, in public accuses her of forcing him to admit blame. The teacher whom she "borrowed" the money claims that she took his cash, and finally she is fired by the school. She leaves home, which has become a stranglehold on her life, as everyone is investing their attentions to her younger sister, who is chronically ill. A series of men come in and out of her life -- a fellow teacher, a writer, the writer's rival, a barber, a gangster who turns out to be one of her ex students. Each and every time Matsuko tries to reassert her identity through the man she is with; she supports the writer; is a mistress to his rival; begins a career as a hair stylist, learning the trade from her lover; becomes a yakuza girl and whore; in the end she is left mistreated and terribly alone. Her relationship with her yakuza student was the most devestating, and after waiting for his release from prison, only to have him run away from her, she breaks down and decides not to trust any one and lives alone. No longer caring about herself, she gains weight, watches television, and only goes outside to get food and watch the sunset on the river. She forms one final attachment to a boy in a budding pop music band; it is her nephew, whom she recognizes. She develops an obsession for him, and writes her life story to him, in one final attempt to contact someone. But she never received a response, which eats away at her. Finally, she runs into an old friend, who is now a rich porn star. She remembers Matsuko from her salon days and wants to help her by offering her a job as her personal stylist. Matsuko, ashamed at her appearance, leaves, but not before the woman shoves her business card in her hand. That evening, while contemplating her future, she decides to start anew, but is killed by a bored group of kids playing baseball.

This is a stunning film. The visuals are over the top, from the rich colors to the drab corroded interiors of Matsuko's apartment, to the musical numbers of Matsuko's fantasies, everything is gorgeous visually. The story, a terrifying and sad portrait of a modern Japanese woman, seems to encapsulate how difficult it is for a woman to assert her own identity in a world where conformity is mandatory, from family to work. Her career is sabatouged because of her willingness to take a fall for the school's reputation. Her sense of worth can only be made valid by the man whom she is with, only to be constantly disappointed. While a hard and sad tale, it retains a sense of humor and sense of liveliness that transcends her hardships. From the director of Kamikzee Girls, this is a tour de force that can be considered one of the best Japanese films of this decade. While watching it I am reminded of another film dealing with the hardships of a singular woman - Sada, made in the 80's, reissued in the States on HVe. It too is a portrait of a woman - this time in the early 20th century - who after being sold, becomes a woman of pleasure and struggles to find her own happiness in a cruel man's world. The visuals in that film are remarkable as well, and I see Memories of Matsuko as a sequel to her tale. Highly recommended!