Blue (2002)

An introverted schoolgirl falls in love and starts a relationship with one of her classmates. Set in a small seaside town in Japan, the love of her life eventually leaves her for her boyfriend in Tokyo.

Director:

Hiroshi Ando

Writers:

Kiriko Nananan (comic), Yuka Honcho (screenplay)

Stars:

Mikako Ichikawa, Manami Konishi, Asami Imajuku

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Mikako Ichikawa	...	Kayako Kirishima
Manami Konishi	...	Masami Endo
Asami Imajuku	...	Mieko Nakano
Jun Murakami	...	Older guy
Sôsuke Takaoka	...	Manabu Mizuuchi
Kenzô Kawarasaki	...	Teacher of world history
Asahi Yoshida	...	Teacher of art
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ayano Nakamura	...	Chika Watanabe

Storyline

Quiet and introspective Kayako routinely has lunch on a rooftop with three of her friends that attend an all girls high school with her in a seaside town. One day she invites Masami Endo to join the group. As her friendship with Masami grows, she loses contact more and more with the others. She is impressed with Endo's greater knowledge of music and art, and although Endo proclaims that she is insignificant with no aim in life, Kayako says that she wishes that she could be like her new friend. Their feelings deepen beyond friendship and she proclaims her love for Endo on a lonely beach. The two become physically intimate but when summer comes Masami disappears and Kayako learns that she has gone to Tokyo to meet a married man with whom she had an affair the year before. An abortion had led to her being suspended from school. Feeling betrayed when Masami returns and lies about where she has been, Kayako keeps to herself and starts painting a still life, emulating Cezanne paintings in ...

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Plot Keywords:

bisexual | color in title | one word title | based on comic | teenage love | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

29 March 2003 (Japan)

Filming Locations:

Niigata, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blue Production Partnership, Eisei Gekijo, Kobi Co.

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

User Reviews

No English subs on DVD...

When Blue had its too-short art house theatrical run, it was subtitled in English. Naturally I missed it, and recently picked up the DVD having heard raves. The DVD has no subtitles at all, which is somewhat baffling given that the translation work had already been done. Does anyone know of a source for a script, or an otherwise easily translatable source for the dialog? Several small theaters I've attended actually distributed typed scripts in English for films with spotty subtitles. If anyone had the dialog for Blue, I'd sure like to read it.

The movie's deliberate pace, calm tone and long uninterrupted takes (5-10 minutes in some cases) really set it apart from more conventional Japanese (and American) fare. Mikako Ichikawa, who may be known to some from her supporting roles in Cutie Honey and Jam Films 2's "Armchair Theory", is impressive. Her character's restraint and painful shyness comes across almost completely through her eyes. She seems almost impenetrable, yet fragile.

This story would have genuine appeal to the U.S. art cinema crowd. Anyone who enjoyed Ghost World could do a lot worse: Blue captures the outsider feel of Clowes' characters without the forced quirkiness.