Manji (1964)

Manji is based on a Japanese short story. So far, there have been four different film adaptions. Three Japanese films and a one European one. And I can see why. The bones of this story make for a great drama. Manji is steeped in intense, complex interpersonal relationships. However, this first crack at adapting the story for screen fell a little short of my expectations.

Manji is told in flashback. The lead character, Sonoko is telling a therapist about the events that lead her to seeking therapy. It starts with Sonoko taking an art class. At this class she meets the beautiful socialite Mitsuko and becomes instantly fascinated by her. Rumours that the two women are lesbians begin as a way to discredit Mitsuko. As a fuck you to the rumour mongers, Mitsuko and Sonoko become friends and start spending time together. Sonoko’s obsession grows and Mitsuko encourages it. Their relationship has an implied sexual element which displeases Sonoko’s husband, Kôtarô.

Things get complicated when Sonko learns that Mitsuko has a fiance. Like Sonoko, Mitsuko’s fiance Eijirô is obsessed with the manipulative Mitsuko. He accepts the relationship between the two women provided that Sonoko sign a contract saying that if Mitsuko leaves one of them, the other must also break up with her or kill themselves. When Mitsuko hears about this, she claims Eijirô is manipulating them and the two women decide the way out of this is to fake their own death. At this point, Sonoko’s now estranged husband becomes involved. He too is drawn in by Mitsuko and falls in love with her.

My big problem with Manji is that it felt so rushed. If ever there was a movie to really linger on emotional moments or even just the atmosphere of a scene, it’s this movie. Instead, this adaption of Manji progresses at a breakneck pace that doesn’t allow its audience to process the rapid changes in relationship dynamics that happen during the film. The movie is 91 minutes long so if you like a quick sit, this might appeal to you. However, I think this is one case where a movie would be justified in stretching itself to over 2 hours and allowing the story to unfold slower and with more elegance.

As it stands, the rapidly changing relationships between the four leads, especially Sonoko and later Eijirô’s obsession with Mitsuko seem to come out of nowhere. For this movie to fully work, we need to understand these characters better. Mitsuko needed to be more fleshed out and given more scenes showing how universally seductive yet manipulative she is. She’s such a fascinating character. Even as one of the leads, she feels underutilized in Manji because the movie is so short. A character like Mitsuko plus the characters who gravitate to her are absolutely interesting enough to warrant or perhaps require a longer movie.

Manji is a beautiful film, though. This is another reason I wish the film was longer. Aspects like set design and costumes in Manji are gorgeous. There’s a strong and beautiful aesthetic to the film. I would have been happy to stay in this beautiful world with these beautiful and flawed people for far longer than I was given the chance to.

Ultimately, the story it’s based on is strong enough to make Manji an interesting sit. However, I’ll be really bummed out if this turns out to be the best adaption. Manji is a story so ripe for an arsty, Cannes film festival-premiering film that any version that isn’t that is going to disappoint me. These characters are so fascinating and there’s such an opportunity for beautiful aesthetic that this rushed, 90 minute movie didn’t do the story justice. However, Manji is still worth checking out. It’s always fascinating to not only see vintage WLW films but foreign ones as well. And the story the film is based on is strong enough to create a compelling movie. Imperfect as it is, Manji is ultimately engaging to watch. So much so that it’s one of very few films I wish were longer.

Overall rating: 6.5/10

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