Megane, known as Glasses in North America, is a shomin-geki film directed by Ogigami Naoko. This 2007 release showcases the talents of actors such as Kobayashi Satomi, Mitsuishi Ken, and Motai Masako. It tells the story of a woman named Taeko (Kobayashi Satomi) who, in an attempt to escape from the everyday grind of big-city life, plans a trip to a quiet and peaceful island in the southern part of Japan.
The opening sequence features the arrival of the mysterious and cheerful Mrs. Sakura (Motai Masako), who is an annual springtime visitor of the island. Whether it is from a subtle change in the wind direction or an intangible change in the island’s atmosphere, the permanent residents seem to possess an inherent ability to sense her arrival. The audience is then introduced to first-time visitor Taeko as she attempts to find her way from the island’s airport to Yuji’s (Mitsuishi Ken) residence. Upon arrival, Taeko does not seem to carry herself in as calm and contented a manner as Mrs. Sakura. She continually shoots down Yuji and Mrs. Sakura’s offers, and seems quite hesitant in forming a positive opinion of the island. As the days pass by she becomes aware of the quirky and humorous habits of the island community. These include the intrusive morning greetings by Mrs. Sakura as she kneels beside Taeko’s bed, the “merci” exercises led by Mrs. Sakura every morning, the idea of “twilighting” or finding oneself lost in his or her beautiful surroundings and the present moment, and the ultra-simplistic lifestyles led by everyone she comes in contact with. Eventually, Taeko becomes unsettled with her current situation and decides to spend the rest of her trip at a different resort which is misleadingly called “Marine Palace”. Once she arrives she learns that the vacationing conditions are less than ideal. Her new scenery lacks any redeemable quality and it is revealed to her by her overly energetic landlady that she will be expected to perform back-breaking labour in the fields. In other words, it is an echo of the same environment which caused Taeko to take a trip in the first place. Not surprisingly, she swiftly returns to Yuji’s house. From here on, the audience is able to see an interesting change taking place within Taeko as she starts to open her mind to a much more carefree lifestyle, and begins to meditate on what it means to appreciate the small things in life.
Ogigami continually utilizes repetitive imagery throughout Megane. The movie’s Buddhist-like theme regarding living in the moment, and being ever conscious of what is happening in the present time is effectively conveyed to the viewer through the many scenes involving the preparation and consumption of food. Yuji and Mrs. Sakura prepare their meals with a sense of purpose, and eat with a sense of awareness; ever conscious of what he or she is doing. This is evident in the first meal shared together. A subtle polarity between the enlightened Mrs. Sakura and Taeko is apparent from the beginning of the meal. Before starting to eat, Yuji and Mrs. Sakura say “itadakimasu” without any hesitation. This roughly translates into English as “I humbly receive this meal”. However, Taeko appears to say it with some apprehension, possibly illustrating reluctance on her behalf to be conscious of her current actions. Contrastingly, various shots during the meal show Mrs. Sakura gazing into the distance as she meditates on each bite of food she swallows. As more and more meals are prepared and consumed, Taeko’s transformation begins to take place. This is most obvious when she decides to try some of Mrs. Sakura’s shaved ice. Ogigami chooses a close-up frontal shot to capture Taeko’s contemplative face as she thinks about the treat being eaten.
One of the most striking characteristics of Megane is its overall simplicity. Ogigami in terms of her camera work is quite minimalistic. She uses long continuous shots with very few reverse angles, and often chooses to shoot her scenes from a distant front angle. The plainness in her camera work emphasizes the slow and uncomplicated lifestyle that the characters in her movie choose to lead. Another noticeably simple element is a lack of meaningful dialogue between the actors. This is not to say that the characters fail to say anything of great significance; however, Ogigami chooses to place greater importance on each character’s actions, and the way they interact with their environment in order to relay the movie’s messages. Finally, the musical composition scattered in the film tends to reinforce the movies theme of simplicity. Very seldom does the soundtrack feature more than two instruments at a time. The ability of the uncomplicated notes to elicit such strong emotion in the viewer illustrates Ogigami’s belief in the effectiveness of minimalism.
Megane is a reminder to members of modern day society to not get caught up in the stresses and hardships of everyday life. It is an invitation to revel in the moment, not worry about tomorrow, and to be ever conscious of the often overlooked riches of life. I admit that the slowness of the movie and its lack of plot initially left me antsy and fidgety. Nevertheless, by the movie’s end, I was calm and at peace. Just like Taeko, I too was embarking on my journey to enlightenment.