"Monster" presents incompatible perspectives of three individuals

Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu astutely illuminates communities and culture through carefully constructed, small groups of individuals. His films “Broker,” “Shoplifters,” and “Nobody Knows” testify to his understanding of intricate, complex interactions among adults and children. Now in “Monster,” Kore-eda presents the same events from three viewpoints. In so doing, he confirms the limitations inherent in the perceptions of each.  

In his director’s statement, Kore-eda says, “The story portrays an incident involving children at a small school in a small regional city in Japan and the small sparks of fire that create a huge rift and divide among the people who live there.” In effect, everyone—a mother, a teacher, and a boy—has a case to make for their interpretations and behavior. The problem is that no one has the full picture, despite their acting as if they do. So while Sakamoto Yuji’s screenplay communicates each person’s distinct point of view, all are constrained by their own involvement and professional responsibility. Everyone has an emotional investment.

Sequential confrontations communicate distinctly different realities, all inflected with Japanese mores: expectations of respectful deference to those in superior positions, calmly expressed disagreements, and respect for authority. These practices and conventions will not prevail in this community of bullying, prejudice (especially homophobia), and the negative influence of social media, added to the conflicts within families. Called “The collapse of the classroom” in Japan, the disintegration of support and understanding reaches far beyond the school’s doors.

The principal characters are: elementary school pupil Mugino Minato; his teacher Hori Michitoshi; his loving, protective, assertive mother Mugino Saori; and Minato’s best friend and classmate Hoshikawa Yori. Also important are: the school principal, who harbors a secret and other bureaucratic representatives. Passing this last March, Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote original music for “Monster,” a score as nuanced and multifaceted as the narrative. He is a true loss for the music world, his earlier award-winning work including “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” (1983) and “The Last Emperor” (1987). Sakamoto’s compositions here at time reinforce and, alternately, contrast with the mood of the scene, signaling complex emotional undercurrents.

Though most of the actors are not well known here, their perfectly nuanced performances shift verbally and nonverbally from one version of events to another. Reminiscent of “Rashomon,” the difference here is that ‘reality’ doesn’t depend on class and gender. No one has Truth, trapped as all are in their own limited knowledge. Even at the conclusion of the film, some mystery remains, and that’s exactly as it should be. In Japanese with English subtitles, “Monster” screens at Webster University’s Winifred Moore auditorium Saturday, December 23, through Saturday, December 30, at 7:00 each of those evenings. For more information, you may visit the film series website.