Bleak doesn’t
even begin to describe the narrative of Kumiko:
The Treasure Hunter, containing more than a few similarities to the Zellner
Brothers’ earlier film, Goliath,
about a depressed man searching for his lost cat. Add cultural differences and
an increase in mental instability and the main difference between the two films
is better production values and a stronger performance by leading actress Rinko
Kikuchi. The cinematography looks great and the premise based loosely on a true
story is compelling, though I’m afraid I don’t share the same fascination as
the Zellners with the lives of solitary depressed individuals.
Inspired by the
sad events in the life of a mentally unstable woman, Kumiko follows the title
character in a delusional search for the treasure buried in the narrative of
the Coen brothers’ film, Fargo Fargo Tokyo North Dakota
Lost in her
unsatisfying life as an office worker, Kumiko fantasizes about escaping to
become a treasure hunter in America Fargo , North Dakota
There are those
who would likely praise and defend this film for the mere fact that it refrains
from a sentimental resolution. Though I can respect the boldness of the
filmmaker’s resolution to avoid the expected narrative trappings, it is easier
to respect a character film with a protagonist so utterly hopeless than it is
to enjoy. More than marveling at the strength of the filmmaking, I found myself
wondering why it was wasted on such a fruitless subject matter. Even more
disappointing was the lengths the Zellners appeared to go through to avoid
parallels to the film which inspired the actions of this movie. I didn’t expect
a laugh riot, but a bit of dark humor may have helped the narrative feel less
one-note and helplessly depressing. There is really only one resolution a film
like this can have, and the narrative plods sadly towards this inevitability
without a glimmer of sentimentality or hope.
I may not share
the same sensibility as brother filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner, but I do
appreciate that the quality of their filmmaking has increased since Goliath. That was an ugly film about an
unappealing subject matter. Though the themes seem often the same in Kumiko, it has the benefit of Sean
Porter’s impressive cinematography to counter the grating narrative. As well as
a polished image for the high definition presentation, the Blu-ray also
contains a handful of deleted/alternate scenes and a commentary track with the
Zellners and producer Chris Ohlson.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
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