Drive My Car

“Drive My Car” is a Japanese drama film directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. This film is adapted from the short story of the same name by the famous Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. The film stars Hidetoshi Nikijima, Toko Miura, Masaki Osada, and Reika Kirishima. As we all know, this film has won dozens of international awards, including at Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe. “Drive My Car” is the first Japanese film to compete in the best film category with four Oscar nominations at the 2022 Academy Awards. How good is this almost 3-hour drama film to receive such high appreciation?

Yūsuke Kafuku (Nikijima) is a renowned actor and stage director known for his unique multilingual approach. He marries Oto (Kirishima), a writer who has a strange habit of telling stories during and after physical contact. One day at their apartment, his wife dies of a brain hemorrhage. The story begins two years later when Yusuke is offered a job in Hiroshima to direct a stage show. Yusuke, who is loyal to his old car, now has to rely on a young female driver, Misaki (Toko Miura), to take him to the location every day. Along with the progress of the performance’s rehearsal, Yusuke and Misaki’s togetherness also leads to a unique relationship that changes their lives.

It’s not easy to summarize the story of this nearly 3-hour film because of its depth and layered plot. It’s also difficult to review because many aspects cannot be written about without spoilers. The film opens with a scene in bed, where Oto passionately tells Yusuke a story. They seem to be a happy couple, but something feels amiss in their relationship until Oto leaves for good. This absurd opening segment raises many questions. What’s the matter with them? It’s as if Oto was no longer happy with Yusuke until she chose a path full of “sins.” Trust me; the story is not that simple.

After this long opening segment, the next chapter is set two years later, uniquely “re-opened,” complete with cast and crew credits. The slow-paced plot revolves around Yusuke’s audition process and stage performance rehearsal, as well as his unique relationship with the driver, Misaki. The relatively slow tempo doesn’t necessarily make the film boring because it’s precisely during these moments that the story slowly begins to reveal the relationship with the first segment. With the intimate dialogue between the characters becoming more open, the cause of Yusuke and Oto’s strained relationship is also addressed. The plot isn’t as simple as we thought, and this outer layer turns out not to be the main point and message of the film.

This film addresses “(way of) communication,” leading to regret and trauma. Communication is also a focal point in Yusuke’s approach to the show, with all the characters using different languages, even sign language. Physical language isn’t the main focus; rather, it’s the language of the heart that is honest with oneself. This is shown in the dialogue towards the end of the film. There’s no need for difficult interpretation here; it’s all in the dialogue. Oto’s voice recording, accompanying Yusuke and Misaki’s journey, gradually gets replaced by small dialogues between them, sitting side by side in the front seat, even smoking together in the car. Yusuke has finally been able to let go of Oto. The ending presents a very sweet resolution. Yusuke’s old red Saab 900 Turbo car silently witnesses the owner’s journey, accompanying the grief, trauma, regret, and happiness he now feels.

“Drive My Car” is a classy spectacle due to the depth of the script and touching themes, supported by the aesthetic touch of the filmmaker and the strong performances of the cast. In terms of cinematography, apart from solid compositions full of meaning, the filmmaker also likes to extend the duration of his shots to give a personal touch through the expressions of each character. Such a powerful script is nothing without Nikijima’s earthy appearance. The female cast, Reika Kirishima, Toko Miura, and Park Yu-rim, also give charming performances, adding more depth to the story. “Drive My Car,” located in Hiroshima, may still carry another message regarding the trauma-filled history during WWII. This film doesn’t tackle sensitive global issues but can stir our hearts as humans making mistakes. “Drive My Car” is one of the best films of the last few decades and one of the best modern Japanese films of all time.