Yûrika (2000)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 217 minuten
Alternative titles: Eureka / ユリイカ
Country:
Japan / France
Directed by: Shinji Aoyama
Stars: Kôji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki and Masaru Miyazaki
IMDb score:
7,7 (4.667)
Releasedate: 18 May 2000
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Yûrika plot
In Eureka, only three people survive a violent bus hijack on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The event completely disrupts the lives of bus driver Makoto and the students Kozue and Naoki. The traumatized driver disappears from view and the children are left alone in their parental home without a mother or father. They are literally dumbfounded and communicate using sign language. After two years of absence, Makoto moves in with the children. The three form a surrogate family, closely watched by student Akihiko, Kozue's and Naoki's cousin. In an attempt to finally come to terms with the violent events, Makoto buys a bus to take the children on a trip. Place of departure: the parking lot where the hostage-taking took place. During the bus trip, the three ex-hostages try to shake off their traumatic past.
Actors and actresses
Makoto Sawai
Kozue Tamura
Naoki Tamura
Akihiko
Yumiko
Shigeo
Matsuoka
Yoshiyuki Sawai
Mikiko
Keiko Kono
Reviews & comments
eRCee
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- 13449 messages
- 1981 votes
Eureka. A film with an exclamation point, just because of its length. But there's more. Stylistically, I thought the film was very beautiful. The beautiful, high-contrast sepia, the stately camerawork and the sparse music give Eureka its own face. The premise of the story and the characters it revolves around are interesting enough. That's why I watched the entire running time with fascination. But what I stumble over a bit is the storytelling and the development. After the hijacking that opens the film, there is a somewhat messy phase in which the characters are brought together. The middle section is interesting and portrays the circle in which the characters have become stuck. The mutual acceptance of Makoto, Naoki and Kozue is especially moving to see. The tension is created by the promise of a way out. By the way, there are also unnecessary lines in this section, especially the part about the murders. But then, towards the end, the characters' crisis turns out to be a tendency to murder, either of themselves (Kozue) or of others (the other three), which is suggested to be a general response to experiencing trauma. This strange thought is more or less the bottom of the film. Then the redemption, the rebirth, the eureka effect comes about in a not very original journey to the sea. This felt a bit easy to me. The scene with the shells, which was probably meant to be symbolic, also actually passed me by. The last shot (Hadaka no shima-like) is of course beautiful, technically speaking, because the film simply did not get me emotionally at the denouement. I looked for a masterpiece in Eureka, but unfortunately I didn't find it.
Translated from Dutch · View original
BBarbie
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- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
I've seen lengthy films before, but as far as I can remember never one in which so little happens (apart from the opening). The slow pace makes it seem like it has no end. I think Aoyama could have easily finished the whole thing in less than half the running time. However, it must be said: the choice of sepia gives the film its own character.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
The last post dates from over 6 years ago and the last vote from almost 2 years ago. Yet this film was included in the MM 2023 list of Film Pegasus. Remarkable! The film is special. With a playing time of 3.5 hours, it can be called quite challenging.
The pace is indeed slow and it does demand something from the viewer. The film is about the traumatic recovery of 3 people from a hostage situation in which they are the only survivors. Their post traumatic stress disorder is the common thread throughout the film and is visually depicted through that brown gray filter. Very atmospheric and serene.
There is a lot of attention paid to the character development of the characters and the entire film has a poetic understated feel. Highly recommended for cinephiles, that's for sure. I'm definitely a fan, but it could have been an hour shorter, although not everyone will agree with me.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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