Harmonium: A Japanese family drama like no other

Yasaka(white shirt) having dinner with Toshio and his family

Whether it is Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, or contemporary directors like Hirokazu Kore-eda and Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japanese filmmakers have excelled in the "family drama" genre.

However, a film that seeks to reinvent, or perhaps even dismantle, the conventions of the genre is Koji Fukada's "Harmonium." A key aspect of the family drama genre is establishing the family's current dynamic or atmosphere before introducing the main plot points, and "Harmonium" follows this pattern. The film presents a typical Japanese middle-class family with an ordinary lifestyle: Toshio, the father, runs a machine shop in his garage; Akie is a conventional housewife; and their daughter, Hotaru, plays an instrument. Their lives, much like the rhythm set by Hotaru's metronome, are steady, calm, and repetitive. However, this internal rhythm is soon disrupted by the arrival of another character. One day, Yasaka, an old acquaintance of Toshio's, appears at the family's machine shop. We learn that Tanaka has just been released from prison and there is some tension between him and Toshio due to an unresolved past. Toshio, out of nowhere, offers Tanaka a job in his shop and a place to stay in his home, a decision that surprises his family as they now have to live with a stranger they know nothing about.

As time passes, the rest of the family starts to warm up to Tanaka, who gives music lessons to Hotaru and grows closer to Akie. In many ways, Yasaka begins to replace Toshio's role as the family's father figure, and even embodies qualities that Toshio lacks. Yasaka's arrival disrupts the family's internal, mundane rhythm, which has masked the distance between them. Yet, through Yasaka's helpful and attentive nature, a new rhythm emerges, further exposing the fragile connections within the family, but at the same time, setting the stage for a darker future.

Up to this point, "Harmonium" presents itself as a familiar domestic drama, introducing a family with clear unresolved issues. The minimalist, slow pacing of the story and visuals is reminiscent of films by Kore-eda or Ozu. The introduction of Yasaka as an unexpected character who highlights the family's flawed and mundane life is another common feature of the genre. However, he will also go on to introduce elements not typically associated with such a quiet, simple story, such as violence, atonement, and death.

It is when these elements begin to infiltrate the story that we witness Koji Fukada's reimagining of the genre. "Harmonium" is divided into two distinct parts by a pivotal event that alters the tone and structure of the narrative in the film's second half. In many family dramas, a life-changing event often occurs before the film's story and is frequently referenced throughout to show how the characters have been or continue to be affected by it. For instance, the passing of the Yokoyama family's oldest son in "Still Walking" or the disappearance and presumed death of Shūkichi and Tomi Hirayama's middle son, Shoji, in "Tokyo Story"

In "Harmonium," although it happens off-camera, this event occurs right in the middle of the story. It marks the shift from a quiet suburban family drama to a tragedy defined by atonement and violence. The consequences of this life-changing event, much like the event itself, underscore a significant departure from traditional storytelling in the genre. I won't reveal the event or scene that dramatically alters the storyline, but it's certainly worth your time if you seek surprising twists in the family drama genre.

"Harmonium" retains many elements that define the genre in Japan. The elegantly composed long shots and the minimalist normality of everyday life permeate the film. However, the transformation the film undergoes shows that it is unlike any other in the genre. While typical family dramas seek to slowly portray the restoration or understanding of family ties, "Harmonium" aims to depict the slow and painful disintegration of those bonds.

Fukada masterfully uses one of Japanese cinema's refined assets as a foundation to highlight and expose the fragility of family relationships, but above all, to demonstrate the impact that tragedy and the past can have on our lives, even when least expected.