(Spoilers) The first scene has Trudi in a doctor's office being informed that her husband Rudi, in his 60s, has a terminal illness, but he will probably be symptom free for some indeterminate amount of time. After I accepted this rather artificial setup, I found the rest of the story effective. The doctors suggest to Trudi that perhaps an adventure be taken, to which Trudi responds, "My husband hates adventures. He would prefer it if nothing changed, ever." Indeed Rudi is presented as a regimented, but not altogether unlikable, man. Trudi convinces him to visit a couple of their children in Berlin, but that visit is awkward. The kids don't know what to do with the parents and Trudi sums things up with, "I don't know them any more."
While in Berlin Trudi goes to see a Butoh dancing performance (while Rudi waits outside). That scene is wonderfully filmed and, seeing Trudi's obvious appreciation for the dance, we see that Rudi has ignored and dampened some of Trudi's most powerful passions, not out of malice, but just for lack of trying.
There is a favored son, Karl, who lives in Tokyo and Trudi has always wanted to go to Japan for a visit and to realize her dream of seeing Mount Fuji. More evidence of Rudi's repressive influence is that the trip to Japan has never materialized (if you have seen one mountain you have seen them all is his philosophy).
An unexpected plot twist has Trudi dying before Rudi. Oddly, the person most sympathetic to Rudi's plight is his daughter's lesbian lover Franzi. In a conversation with her Rudi comes to understand things about his wife, like her passion to become a Butoh dancer. During the course of this conversation Rudi sees just how remiss he has been by not making any significant attempt to understand his wife. A comment that brought Rudi up short was Franzi's saying that maybe there was another person inside Trudi that nobody ever saw. Not something a man wants to hear about his spouse.
In a trip that is part atonement, part self discovery, part adventure, and part attempt to understand and commune with his dead wife, Rudi goes to Tokyo where he stays with his son. The visit with Karl goes badly, with Karl landing some brutal verbal blows. But, in contrast to the harsh family dynamics, Rudi encounters a young street Butoh dancer and the friendship that develops between them among the cherry blossoms is pure poetry and leads to an emotionally powerful ending.
The mini travelogue of Tokyo is nicely done, as is the delicate score.
While in Berlin Trudi goes to see a Butoh dancing performance (while Rudi waits outside). That scene is wonderfully filmed and, seeing Trudi's obvious appreciation for the dance, we see that Rudi has ignored and dampened some of Trudi's most powerful passions, not out of malice, but just for lack of trying.
There is a favored son, Karl, who lives in Tokyo and Trudi has always wanted to go to Japan for a visit and to realize her dream of seeing Mount Fuji. More evidence of Rudi's repressive influence is that the trip to Japan has never materialized (if you have seen one mountain you have seen them all is his philosophy).
An unexpected plot twist has Trudi dying before Rudi. Oddly, the person most sympathetic to Rudi's plight is his daughter's lesbian lover Franzi. In a conversation with her Rudi comes to understand things about his wife, like her passion to become a Butoh dancer. During the course of this conversation Rudi sees just how remiss he has been by not making any significant attempt to understand his wife. A comment that brought Rudi up short was Franzi's saying that maybe there was another person inside Trudi that nobody ever saw. Not something a man wants to hear about his spouse.
In a trip that is part atonement, part self discovery, part adventure, and part attempt to understand and commune with his dead wife, Rudi goes to Tokyo where he stays with his son. The visit with Karl goes badly, with Karl landing some brutal verbal blows. But, in contrast to the harsh family dynamics, Rudi encounters a young street Butoh dancer and the friendship that develops between them among the cherry blossoms is pure poetry and leads to an emotionally powerful ending.
The mini travelogue of Tokyo is nicely done, as is the delicate score.