The Canaan of the Dead An elderly master of the storytelling of rakugo Kyokaku dies. Before he dies, he asks to be shown the "female bottom." When his wish is granted, he says he wanted to hear the sea breeze and was misunderstood. But even a fulfilled wish, however wrong, cannot avert his death. On the night of the remembrance of the deceased, his children and students gather. They recall the stories that the teacher got into and the skill with which he told "racugo." Then his wife dies, and the same company gathers to honor her memory. The deceased was a master of scrabble Japanese chaps, performed under the folk instrument Samisen, and many taught this art. Now her students compete in it beside her lifeless body.
The movie "The Night of Remembrance" is very vulgar. The story of a teacher telling his stories in front of an audience to get to the bathroom is even more vegetarian. Most public TV channels would be embarrassed to show such a film in prime time. However, the jokes are quite harmless. They're vulgar but peaceful. In addition, not all scenes give scaffolding. What is worth the episode when the students lifted the dead teacher Kyokaku and forced to dance the "kankan of the dead." All this at the same time indicates a serious and frivolous attitude towards death. Its seriousness lies in the fact that death turns out to be organically included in the world of the living and it is not afraid, and frivolity is in the comic presentation.
At the same time, in the film you can see a vivid example of respect for old age, which is generally characteristic of the Japanese attitude. Students praise teachers. And although there were many situations when the teacher behaved cruelly towards students, his memory remained kind. The teacher, although he had a little chance to speak in the first person, is shown as a real guru of the rare and already fading art of “racugo”. It's not as popular as theater, much less cinema. You can see that there are no more people present at the teacher's performances than in a rural cinema. Nevertheless, the art of “racugo” requires a special talent, which must include the ability to articulate speech and skillfully master facial expressions. Bright and artistic students of Kyokaku are also not the last masters of the “racugo”, but, according to the creators of the film, should look faded against the background of the teacher.
“Night of Remembrance” is a pleasant film, which at first causes a slight rejection of its vulgarity, and then a smile. Unwittingly, he teaches a humble attitude towards death, which is a significant achievement for comedy.
8 out of 10