The Sea Is Watching (2002) poster
7.4
Your Rating: 0/10
Ratings: 7.4/10 from 47 users
# of Watchers: 140
Reviews: 1 user
Ranked #83761
Popularity #99999
Watchers 47

Oshin is a prostitute in 19th century Japan. When a young samurai named Fusanosuke arrives at Oshin's brothel having fled a drunken brawl in which he injured a man, the girl hides him from the authorities. Fusanosuke is subsequently banned from his father's house for having drawn his sword in the fight and must hide his identity as he moves about the streets of the city. In the course of his frequent visits to her, Oshin falls in love with him, but when his status is restored, he marries his betrothed, breaking Oshin's heart as well as those of the other girls at the brothel who'd tied their own hopes to the fantasy that Oshin might escape the prostitute's life... When a desperate itinerant named Ryosuke empties his soul to Oshin, she begins to fall in love with him. (Source: Avistaz) Edit Translation

  • English
  • magyar / magyar nyelv
  • dansk
  • Norsk
  • Country: Japan
  • Type: Movie
  • Release Date: Jul 27, 2002
  • Duration: 1 hr. 59 min.
  • Score: 7.4 (scored by 47 users)
  • Ranked: #83761
  • Popularity: #99999
  • Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

Cast & Credits

Photos

The Sea Is Watching (2002) photo

Reviews

Completed
The Butterfly
2 people found this review helpful
Sep 9, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

"A flower once bloomed will hold to the vine, while a bud will fall."

Kurosawa Akira worked on this script but didn't live to film the story. The Sea Is Watching seemed far from his usual comfort zone as it was woman centric and heavy on romance. You'd have to go back to just after WWII to see him tread so heavily into romantic territory. Director Kumai Kei picked up his mantel and made the film, but it felt far from the Kurosawa films most of us are familiar with.

The film centers around a brothel and a young prostitute named Oshin. She has a big heart and a bad habit of giving it away to the wrong men. Kikuno is an older prostitute with an older suitor who wants her to come live with him. Stopping her is a violent yakuza lover who thinks he owns her and uses her earnings to pay off bad debts. The young women stick together and support one another through their ups and downs. After a bad romance, Oshin falls hard for a destitute man who is ready to end his life. He will play a key role when a torrential storm churns up the sea and the nearby river sending flood waters toward the town.

The cinematography and sets were beautiful and the colorful kimonos stunning. The acting seemed overwrought at times as the younger thespians weren't as polished as the more experienced actors. Shimizu Misa grounded the young oiran with a more reserved performance.

This film played like a melodramatic slice of life on the wrong side of the bridge as the women dealt with the caste system, love, heartache and dangerous clients. The middle bogged down making an already long film feel longer. However, the ending gave the film the emotional weight it desperately needed when one person showed the true samurai spirit in a moment of love and sacrifice with the pure-heart of a warrior.

9/9/23

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?

Recommendations

A Courtesan with Flowered Skin
Love and Honor
Hill of No Return

Recent Discussions

Be the first to create a discussion for The Sea Is Watching

Details

  • Movie: The Sea Is Watching
  • Country: Japan
  • Release Date: Jul 27, 2002
  • Duration: 1 hr. 59 min.
  • Content Rating: Not Yet Rated

Statistics

  • Score: 7.4 (scored by 47 users)
  • Ranked: #83761
  • Popularity: #99999
  • Watchers: 140

Top Contributors

11 edits
9 edits
8 edits
4 edits

Popular Lists

Related lists from users

Recently Watched By