Shall We Dance?

I have always regarded Japan as this very exotic culture. In fact, hearing the words ‘Japanese Cinema’ often reminds me of all those horror films and anime series I have seen before. I was not even aware of the all those Japanese films that truly made a buzz in both domestic and international scene. That was the case until I saw Masayuki Suo’s Shall We Dance?

This movie is one of the more completely entertaining Japanese movies I have seen – full of comedy that is not vulgar in anyway like most of today’s film. It has a heartfelt story line with a good character development seen from the acting and the movie as a whole. But with its title, I’m sure there are some who will assume that this is just another typical Hollywood love story: boy meets girl love affair. But no, this is not. Perhaps it may seem like another rebel-fights-society type of plot. But again, this is not. There is absolutely more to it than just that. It actually is a story of a man who forgot to love life, a man who failed to embrace life. And as the story sets out, this man finds himself in a search to break from his dreary existence ―what started as a fantasy about a dance teacher becomes an actual passion for dancing that truly changes his outlook on life. Please, don’t get me wrong: this film’s main substance is not about dance, but―as much as anything else―the healing and the invigorating powers of self-expression. The movie does give us the right mix of chuckles and bittersweet moments along the way, making it one of the best examples of a well-rounded story that Asian cinemas could be proud of.

However, for such a long time now, Japanese cinema has been subjugated to Western influences due to heavy globalization and internationalization. In fact, as others put it, modern Japan has already been an awkward mix of traditional and imported Western cultures. So, does this mean that Masayuki Suo’s Shall We Dance? is just another product of Hollywood’s impact on the cinemas of the countries in East Asia, specifically in Japan? Maybe yes (because I think that is totally inevitable), but not all. Why yes? Well, note how Mai Kishikawa, the dance teacher whom Mr. Suigyama initially felt infatuation with, talks about Blackpool – a dance festival held and is most popular in the West―and how she is hooked up with ballroom dancing – a set of partner dances, all of which are developed in the West. But as I have said, Western influence is not, for the most part, evident in the entirety of the movie. Why? Because despite the degree and rate of penetration of all these foreign influences, every Japanese artist (Suo in this case) will still be unconsciously and chiefly influenced by his own traditional aesthetics. So we ask: what exactly makes this movie uniquely Japanese?

Of course, before we can appreciate the ‘Japanesness’ of this movie, there must be some sort of knowledge on how the Japanese culture operates. When we watched this movie in class, I only know a few facts. But I was glad with all the things I discovered throughout its entirety. Well, other than the atypical story drift it presents us, there is actually another interesting aspect of the film that I myself have witnessed―Shall We Dance is apparently a great view at the Japanese society. For someone who has a narrow and stereotypical view on Japanese cinemas, the opportunity offered by this movie (that is, to peer through an ‘open window’ into the unique culture of Japan) is definitely something that could aid us in broadening our cultural perspectives, as well as our cinematic appreciation.

What I found in the movie are several issues concerning the Japanese culture and society. Social values, gender roles, communication modes, and styles of self-expression are just a few. For instance, public signs of affection are considered to be in bad taste in the strict rules of Japanese society. Imagine―all those things that we regard as normal and inoffensive (perhaps a husband putting his arm around his wife) are already considered to be breaches of decency. What more for social dancing where your partner is not necessarily your spouse? What more for this type of society that views ballroom dancing as unsuitable kind of behavior? Indeed, the idea of dancing together in public can already be judged as ‘beyond embarrassing’. Now we have a clearer picture on what dancing can symbolize sociologically in Japan. To be honest, this kind of setting (which I find so unique about the Japanese culture) makes it hard for me think whether the American remake can pull this off the way the original film does. I have seen some parts of the American remake starring Richard Gear and the gorgeous J-Lo. Yes, the American remake really does adhere to the original film in terms of plot, but what makes them really, really apart is the cultural context in which the story takes place.

Also, I figured out that one of the ways in which Japanese think of their society as “unique” is to really give emphasis on their society’s homogeneity. Apparently, Japan is not a country of individuals who, by all means, defend their right to go their own way. I browsed through their cultural history and I found a maxim that says, “the nail that sticks up will ultimately be hammered down”. And so, going back to the movie, I think this general rule is truly evident in the struggles faced by Mr. Sugiyama. He is a father in his society, and fathers there are expected to spend so much time at work, be a ‘salary man’ who should devote himself whole-heartedly to their society’s convention of success so as to provide all the needs of his family. And that is why, I think, Mr. Sugiyama’s decision to heed this call to adventure (i.e., dancing) is a far bolder act than if it runs in the context of any other culture.

As I have said, there’s a lot more in this movie that can help us identify with the Japanese culture (e.g., role of the wife; definition of success; how the Japanese people should keep loyalty and obedience to a company, a group, or perhaps a family; etc.) These cultural differences do make this story resonate better in Japan than it does in America, or even any country that’s planning to do a remake of this one. Well, I haven’t totally seen the Hollywood remake but I’m sure that it will be excellent in one way or another. Just that this Japanese original rendition from 1996 was so thought-provoking for me that I am hard-pressed to think of any way that it could be improved, or if its setting were to be situated in a different culture.

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Paper on Japanese Cinema, Film Class at Ateneo de Manila University