Sweet Bean

Although I was not able to find Sweet Bean on Kanopy, I went ahead and paid for a rental on Amazon Prime. I'm glad I did; it was worth $5 for my husband and I to see it.

I will not discuss the plot, since Jonathan did already, but one thing I noticed was what Professor Yasar mentioned about Japanese film creating space with slower pacing and a use of empty space. Even though the examples we saw of this in class were from 1949, this was the case in Sweet Bean as well.  It did not make the film feel slow, however; it made it feel poignant and sweet.

For use in the classroom, I also would use it to show the Japanese attitudes toward leprosy, but also the attitude toward making something right for the pleasure of others, and of helping others and being part of a community. This film shows that everyone faces their own struggles, and must learn to overcome their difficulties in their own way, but also that community can help share in this burden and make life more enjoyable. We have been talking about this movie since we saw it- a sure sign of being worthwhile.