PICTURE BRIDE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.6
U.S. Availability: limited release beginning 4/28/95 Running Length: 1:30 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Mature themes, brief nudity)
Starring: Youki Kudoh, Akira Takayama, Tamlyn Tomita, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Toshiro Mifune Director: Kayo Hatta Producers: Lisa Onodera Screenplay: Kayo Hatta and Mari Hatta based on a story by Kayo Hatta, Mari Hatta, and Diana Mei Lin Mark Cinematography: Claudio Rocha Music: Mark Adler Released by Miramax Films In English and Japanese with subtitles
At the beginning of the 20th century, Hawaii's economy was dominated by the output of its sugar cane plantations. To boost production, plantation owners imported workers from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and other countries. Men arrived in droves, with illusions of getting rich. Reality, of course, was far from the dream, and the immigrant workers had little choice but to accept their lot and limit their expectations to what was realistic. So, instead of wealth, they sought the comfort and stability of a family. Attaining even this modest goal proved difficult, however, as Hawaii lacked an abundance of available women. The eventual solution was the concept of the "photo marriage"--arranged matches established through photographs and letters sent between the plantation workers and their prospective partners across the sea.
More than 20,000 picture brides came to Hawaii between 1907 and 1924, primarily from Japan and Korea. Most were young and, armed only with a photograph of their intended groom, they arrived to find hardship and disillusionment. In person, the men often bore little resemblance to their black-and-white representations, and the day-to-day work that awaited the new wives was grueling. City girls especially had a hard time coping.
Writer/director Kayo Hatta spent five years researching stories of the picture brides, and at one point considered producing a documentary rather than a feature. In the end, however, she blended real-life anecdotes with historical facts to form what is, in essence, a simple love story. Hatta tells her tale with a heartfelt sincerity that comes across on the screen, and the Hawaii of the early 1900s is realistically portrayed. PICTURE BRIDE has its faults, but artifice and melodrama are not among them.
The title character is Riyo (Youki Kudoh), a 16-year old girl from Yokohama who has come to Hawaii to escape her past and begin a new future with Matsuji (Akira Takayama). When she first meets her husband- to-be, she is shocked: the aging plantation worker barely resembles the young man in her photograph. Somewhat shamefacedly, Matsuji admits that he didn't have a good recent likeness, so he sent one taken a long time ago.
The marriage starts on shaky ground. Riyo will not sleep with Matsuji, and thinks of nothing but earning the money to return to Japan. With wages of about $11 a month, however, raising the necessary $300 seems an impossible task. And, as Matsuji informs her, "After a while you think of the homeland less and less. Going back to Japan becomes an old dream." Kana (Tamlyn Tomita), a veteran worker of the cane fields who also came to Hawaii as a picture bride, befriends Riyo and attempts to bring a little harmony to her unsettled marriage.
With a congenial tone and fresh historical backdrop, PICTURE BRIDE maintains a pleasing balance between sweetness and poignancy. Hatta has used a group of talented actors who grace this film with strong, restrained performances. There is even a cameo by the legendary Toshiro Mifune. The photography, by LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE cinematographer Claudio Rocha, shows off Hawaii, both the cane fields and the "real paradise", to its best advantage.
Character development is uneven. Through much of PICTURE BRIDE, we feel like we're viewing the story rather than experiencing it. We understand the motives of Riyo, Matsuji, and Kana, but moments of intimate identification are rare. Hatta's tale is designed primarily as a series of narrative scenes; there aren't many sequences that reduce the distance between the inhabitants of the film and those watching it. There are times when the story moves almost too quickly.
Like THE JOY LUCK CLUB, PICTURE BRIDE depicts the struggle of a strong-willed, female Asian-American protagonist. As an attempt to re- create a segment of Hawaii's colorful history, this film is extremely effective. As a love story, it is only marginally less so. You don't have to be of Asian descent to appreciate the difficulties of bridging the gap between Riyo and Matsuji. For Kayo Hatta, PICTURE BRIDE represents a satisfying culmination to a labor of love.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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