Memories of Matsuko

Makayla Lovelace
Professor Juenger
Film 115
19 November 2018
                                                            Memories of Matsuko
    The film Memories of Matsuko is a Japanese film that was released in May of 2006. The film stays uniquely faithful to the culture of Japan by incorporating the colors that most often used in their lifestyle such as a very bright mixture of colors but the most commonly known colors used in Japan would be red and white. In the Japanese culture white is used to represent death, but in American culture white is a color used to symbolize pureness and righteousness.The movie is morally about the life and evolution of the main character who is Matsuko Kawajiri. Matsuko was a misunderstood person and everyone’s person to place their shame upon throughout the movie.The film is not told in a general sense but through music using specific songs that would correlate to each event that would happen in her life.

Most people would think that it’s a musical film, but it isn’t Memories of Matsuko has similarities to a musical, but there are huge differences. For example,traditionally a musical would consist of the music is an essential part of the story and spoken dialogue being used aid to tell the story. But it was the total opposite, Memories of Matsuko had much more spoken dialogue and utilized music as an aid to give watchers a sense of understanding and an emotional connection toward the film. The music is mostly used as an emotive device when something tragic happens, and the music begins to slow down, and other instruments begin to fade and one instrument is elevated to convey sadness.

One of the songs that were constantly reappearing in the movie would be a Japanese riddle that was considered Matsuko’s favorite song that would give herself a sense of confidence when she felt worthless and disowned by her family and people around her. Besides, the majority of the film is told in spoken dialogue and music added to back up what was happening in her life. Music is used as a theme in the movie when something significant or exciting happens to Matsuko were she is happy in a brief moment. For instance, in the scene where she is having an affair with a married man and starts to sing “Happy Wednesday” because he makes her happy and looks forward to him visiting her every Wednesday. The music told small portions of the story by it being used to describe her most fond memories as a little kid and as a remembrance of her in death.