By the end of last year, Sang-il Lee’s Kokuho had grossed ¥18.47 billion (A$177 million) at the Japanese box office - an all-time record for a local drama. To put this into perspective, our highest grossing local feature is Crocodile Dundee, at A$47.7 million. OK, the population of Japan may be more than four times that of Australia, but it’s clear we’ve never made anything so wildly popular.
It’s no coincidence that this incredibly popular film deals with Kabuki - a traditional artform unique to Japan. Aussie audiences turning up to see what all the fuss is about are leaving with mixed reactions. For every viewer enraptured by this movie, there are plenty who feel it spends too long showing the actors going through their elaborate routines on stage.
What may have felt boring or confusing to those new to Kabuki, was the main attraction for Japanese audiences, who feel a deep bond with this form of theatre - although one shouldn’t undervalue the quality of the directing, acting and cinematography.