The movie “HANA-BI” or “Fireworks” tells a story of a retired police officer who has left his work for emotional reasons, due to the accident with his friend. As such, his life has turned into a completely different experience, and he has to adjust to different values and morals.
One of the key scenes in the movie is where Nishi is sitting by the fire with his wife Miyuki. She has leukemia and Nishi is taking care of her. The inevitability of the decease is written on his face in several instances during the movie. The scene where they sit and laugh by the fire is significant for several things.
The formal elements of the clip include a married couple spending time together. From a side, it would be impossible to suppose that one has a deadly disease while the other is eternally saddened by the fact that nothing can be done. It seems like a separate moment in time where all the worries are taken away, and only the fire and the company of a close person are being paid attention to (HANA-BI).
The thematic elements of the clip are tied into the main theme that even though there are happy moments, they must be mixed with pain and suffering. It is thus representative of life and all the perturbations that make people so vulnerable to the circumstances and conditions of being alive. The scene is thus connected to the whole film, as one story flows into another and the setting is changed completely (Phillips 2007).
The continuous nature of life is represented by the situations that Nishi finds himself in, and the course of action he chooses. The scene is filled with feeling because Kitano has had a life full of emotional situations, and has experienced pain first hand. He knows how important it is to value each moment that is given to people, as even those miniscule pieces in time can be taken away in a blink of an eye (Norden 1994).
In a greater historical context, it is possible to recognize the hardships that accompany the battle for happiness and survival. A particular emphasis is made on the struggles of a person who is fighting an illness, their personal lives and those of people around. It is meant to show the pain that relatives and close people go through.
Previously, such deadly conditions were even less managed than today, so it is meant to signify the progress that has been made, even though it is not enough to save people’s lives.
In reality, it is difficult for Nishi to be beside his wife, look at her and realize that some day he will not be able to talk to her or spend time simply sitting by the fire and laughing. This shows a true emotional connection that he has with another person, and this scene is meant to teach others how fragile life is (Belton 1996).
The movie is filled with moments that are emotional, sentimental and heartfelt. It has been acclaimed as a work of art because it touches the inner corners of the person’s heart, and makes one wonder about the true values of life. The scene very directly and vividly describes the relationship between two people, and the connection to the outside influences which are rarely anticipated by people and their seeming strength.
Works Cited
Belton, John. Movies and Mass Culture. London, UK: Continuum, 1996. Print.
HANA-BI. Ex. Prdod. Kitano Takeshi. Chiyoda-ku, Tokya: Nipppon Herald Films. 1997. Film.
Norden, Martin. The Cinema of Isolation: A History of Physical Disability in the Movies. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1994. Print.
Phillips, Alastair. Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis, 2007. Print.