DARE MO SHIRANAI/NOBODY KNOWS (Kore-eda Hirokazu, 2004)

date watched: May 24, 2009
location: At home. Private copy.


I first watched this when I was a high school student, and although it left a deep impression on me even then, it seems even more powerful the second time around.

Upon doing a simple Wikipedia search, I found that the true story that the film is based on took place in the 1980s. None of the children's names were ever released, and it is said that the mother was in jail for four years for child abandonment.

Yagira Yûya was awarded the best actor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, and is the youngest and first Japanese to receive such an honor. According to his mini biography on imdb.com, this was his first film role, and the first film he auditioned for. Although the film is a fictionalized version of the 1980s incident, I'm sure the role must have been a trying one for the young actor. The filming spanned over a year, and I cannot imagine how much personal strength and will power Yagira needed to play the part. A few years back, he was all over the news in Japan, for his alleged suicide attempt. He admitted to taking pills, but denied the suicide claim. It really is heartbreaking to see child actors growing up as broken adolescents and adults.



Anecdotes aside, Kore-eda obviously knows his Ozu. The "empty shots" left from the lingering camera and the close-ups of body parts and objects really echo the Japanese master, and I don't think it's done in a cheap way.



Although the audience members are clearly not all Akira's age, we mature and suffer with him, and we are almost like his shut-in younger siblings, relying on him for the vicarious escapades, even though they are only short trips to the convenience stores.

Surprisingly, the outwardly evil acts come from other children, and not the adults. For example, the part-time workers at the convenience store are willing to help Akira out, even if it just means giving away some snacks and writing New Year's cards. It is clear that the true nemesis is the childlike mother, who is seen running away from the children until she is no longer a part of their lives. The most haunting scene is when Akira phones his mother, only to hear her bright voice chiming "This is the Yamamotos!" (their actual family name is Fukushima) Whatever thin cord we thought the mother attached to the children is severed at that point, and we become aware that Akira is utterly alone.

No matter how much we want to escape the responsibilities and burdens that Akira has taken on, it is impossible to dissociate ourselves from him, since we identify with him from the very beginning. I really hope no child has to endure Akira's plight.