The Backwater


The Backwater is a 2013 Japanese drama film directed by Shinji Aoyama, starring Masaki Suda. It is based on the Akutagawa Prize-winning novel by Shinya Tanaka and adapted by Haruhiko Arai. The film won the Best Director award from the Swiss critics' federation and the Best Film award from the Junior Jury's at the 2013 Locarno International Film Festival.

Plot

Toma lives with his father, Madoka, and Madoka's lover, Kotoko on the riverside in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Toma's mother, Jinko, resides on the other side of the bridge, making a living by cleaning fish. Madoka routinely beats and chokes women during sex. As Madoka's son, Toma is afraid of becoming like his father.
On his 17th birthday in 1988, Toma has sex with his girlfriend, Chigusa.

Cast

The song "Torna a Surriento" was used in the closing credits of the film.

Release

The film screened in competition at the 2013 Locarno International Film Festival.

Reception

Jinshi Fujii of Yomiuri Shimbun praised the film, noting that "Aoyama has succeeded in transmigrating the tradition of Japanese film through something more than mere repetition." Meanwhile, Dan Fainaru of Screen International felt that "the script relies mostly on its female characters that are unsurprisingly far more alive and interesting than the men in their lives, and the same goes for the performances of the three lead actresses."