Kokuho (15)

A vivid portrait of a legendary actor over the course of his career, Kokuho joins a rich tradition of films that depict the personal cost of making art.

The protagonist here is kabuki actor Kikuo Tachibana (Ryo Yoshizawa as an adult and Soya Kurokawa as a child), who is picked up by esteemed actor Hanai Hanjiro II (Ken Watanabe) after Kikuo’s father is killed by members of a yakuza group. Under Hanai’s responsibility, Kikuo’s relationship with theatre is furthered, and we see many of the people he connects with along the way.

The film spans decades of Kikuo’s life, from when he is a child in 1964 all the way to 2014. Kokuho boasts many intricate plot details throughout this story, and the many people who come and go through his story turn this play into a grander vision of a labyrinthine life.

In many ways, Kikuo acts as an embodiment of his art’s place in post-war Japan; it subtly forms a portrait of the changing times, signalled primarily by costume and production design. At three hours, it is a commitment, but a rewarding one.