Criterion Challenge 2023 | 40/52 | Rated 3.0 or Lower
Figures in black hoods run an experiment that sets a F.R.I.E.N.D. loose. They say it needs more negative energy. A scientist shows up, horrified that they are running experiments behind his back.
A van leaves the evacuation center. A man drives a mother and child. Presumably, they evacuated because of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
The child sees a strange creature disappearing and reappearing as they drive along.
They move their things into a new apartment covered in dust. They imply the father has died.
The child dreams about water. Throwing food in the water summons jellyfish to the surface. The dream evolves throughout the movie as his father appears. A giant wave threatens to take him.
While the mother takes the kid to school, something goes through their food, eating everything.
The kid finds a creature in a box and carries it to the woods. The child believes it resembles a jellyfish.
He takes it to his class, keeping it in his backpack. But when he gets there, he sees several F.R.I.E.N.Ds running behind the teacher’s back, all controlled by electronic devices. Some are aggressive, and the kids encourage them to fight. They disrupt the class, making it impossible for the kids to learn.
We learn the scientist is the child’s uncle, and he warns the mother that the town is dangerous and that they must leave.
The cloaked men explain how they can harness children’s negative energy to prevent natural disasters from occurring.
They collect that energy using F.R.I.E.N.Ds.
Murakami’s art observes trans-cultural artifacts and highlights what gets lost in translation.
Westernization of Japanese culture and the assimilation of Western concepts from a Japanese viewpoint contribute to this phenomenon.
In this way, Murakami explores Japan’s identity crisis, wherein traditional and cultural touchstones dissolve or reconstruct with Western ideologies in mind.
The surfaces of Murakami’s works often (intentionally) obscure the intent behind mass market consumables.
The line between low-brow and high-brow is more amorphous in Japan than in Western culture. Manga is an art form the same way as a traditional woodblock painting.
In Jellyfish Eyes, these ideas come through the kawaii F.R.I.E.N.D, which has the surface appeal of a child’s toy — in Japan, they also made collectibles of these creatures.
He also explores how the child relates to this creature and can contribute to its power in relationship to the child. Organic relationships yield better outcomes than those mediated by technology.
The film’s overt themes can be grating and naïve. The film will also not permit a Western audience to understand it completely. More subtle themes are (intentionally) obscured through Japanese cultural references, creating a frustration that the critic assigns as a failure by the filmmaker.
And perhaps it is. Its themes, however, are consistent with Murakami’s work and would have likely found more success if marketed through high-art Western channels. But that would be missing the point.
Also, it’s a fucking kids’ movie. Chill out.