“Perfect Days”, directed and co-written by Wim Wenders, was my top film of the eighteen I saw in a very strong year at the Telluride Film Festival. Koji Yakusho, who was chosen Best Actor at Cannes, gives an outstanding performance in this deeply affecting masterwork. Yakusho has appeared in a variety of international films including “Babel”, “Tampopo” and “Shall We Dance?”.
Yakusho portrays Hirayama, a cleaner of the modern toilets in Tokyo. Yakusho’s face conveys deep emotions, He smiles contentedly as Hirayama goes about his daily routine. While driving Hirayama listens to tapes of his favorite music. One of these songs gives the film its title. Hirayama has encounters with a variety of characters, including a boy separated from his mother and a woman enquiring about privacy in a high-tech toilet. He plays an unusual game of tic-tac-toe. An encounter with a seriously Ill man is very poignant.
Koji Yakusho (left) in “Perfect Days”
Hirayama has dreams of striking black and white sequences of sunlight making patterns through tree leaves. As Hirayama looks through photos, Yakusho shows the deep memories and feelings they evoke. A visitor from Hirayama’s family reveals details from his past, building to an unforgettable conclusion from Wenders and Yakusho. “Perfect Days” is the Japanese nominee for the Best International Film Oscar.
After the screening. Wim Wenders discussed his film with fellow German filmmaker Werner Herzog and Koji Yakusho (with an interpreter).Wenders said the genesis of “Perfect Days” was when he was asked to make a film on the modern toilets in Tokyo.
Koji Yakusho (right) in “Perfect Days”
Wenders spoke of a translator on the set, but added “poor lady” as he directed with eyes and gestures. Wenders believes magic is connected to the camera and if you know exactly what the camera does; you just need one take. He compared making “Perfect Days” to filming a documentary. They did not have to rehearse and rarely needed more than one take. He called the film another of his “road journeys.”
Koji Yakusho said that he did not have many lines of dialog to speak in the film. He added that the script had descriptions on how to move through the set. He spoke of feeling very free while making “Perfect Days”, working without rehearsals. He said some things were different than the script as when Wim would ask him to smile. He describes the film as about being about how a man lives. He added that his character’s name is dedicated to director Yasujiro Ozu, the name of the central character in Ozu’s “Tokyo Story.”
Wim Wenders at outdoor panel at Telluride
Werner Herzog called “Perfect Days” a love letter to Ozu.” He added that it revealed the soul and solitude of one man. He said his was amazed at a scene when the lead actor laughed and cried at the same time.
Yakusho described the experience of making the film as “moving” and “wonderful.” At times he thought “Is he (Wenders) going to cut yet? He hasn’t cut yet.”
Wenders said his wife Danuta shot the black and white scenes of light through trees. He believes “every person is wholly unique.” He added that loneliness has a different perception in Japan where there is a sense of responsibility toward others.
Koji Yakusho in “Perfect Days”
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