I feel like when it comes to Makoto Shinkai movies, you either love them or hate them. His last three movies have circled around a looming threat of mother nature and whether love can prevail in the midst. In âYour Nameâ, it was a disaster that had already happened and going across time to save those who were in danger. With Weathering For You, it was letting disaster come so you can be with the one you love. In Suzume, itâs looking at the truama for those affected by the devastation of a disaster.
My first foray into Shinkai was âThree Centimeters a Secondâ. The film came as a recommendation from a friend who I regard dearly when it comes to great films. I remember being teased by the romance in that movie, like a tease of will they wonât they. In âYour Nameâ, I remember the callbacks to those themes in the ending scenes where the characters kept near misses of each other. And maybe that makes me a sucker for a almost missed connection where I know itâs a trigger for me to start crying.
I swore that I would try to bear my tears and not let expectations get too high with Suzume. I thought maybe âYour Nameâ was Shinkaiâs height when it came to playing with our emotions. I couldnât relate to the characters from âWeathering With Youâ, but that doesnât make that movie a bad film. In face, I would say it was a powerful message with gorgeous animation and scenery. If anything, I went into Suzume knowing at least it will be a good looking film. And it hit that expectation spot on. It reminded me of going to see Sprited Away in theaters for the first time, and having a transcendental experience of the animation put before me, as well as getting lost into a world I didnât know your imagination could take you. But what I didnât expect was how much the emotion starts to flooded through me when the reveal happens towards the end, and just like in âYour Nameâ when the two characters find themselves in a parallel plane, Suzume finds herself understanding the world through the door and how sheâs been there in the past. Iâm of course being slightly vague about it in case you want to enjoy this movie.
Suzume is a 17-year-old girl who finds a mysterious young man whose job it is to close doors to prevent disasters from enveloping towns and cities in Japan. She gets taken to a heroâs journey when this mysterious man is taken out of commission. Shinkaiâs plots feel straight forward like this, but they rarely are. Suzume reminds me more of a road movie, like Wim Wenderâs Paris, Texas or any of his road trilogy. Itâs not about the road itself nor the journey, but a look within. When you take away the supernatural aspects, itâs a teenager trying to make sense of her life and the people around it. And while the runtime can feel a bit like a drag in the middle, itâs all trying to point to something incredible if you let it take you on that inner journey.
Needless to say, I recommend Suzume, and I wish I got to see it in theaters. I hate limited screenings, and I tend to miss those more often than not. Go watch it if you havenât, and if you have, then let me know your thoughts, or letterboxd review. And Makoto Shinkaiâs early works are on the Criterion Channel, so check those out too.
