Drive My Car, based on a short story by Haruki Murakami

[madaboutharry]

This movie has been nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best International Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director. It is streaming on HBO Max and can be purchased on Amazon Prime and Apple.

I will simply say this is one of the most exquisite and touching films I have seen in a very long time. It takes nearly 3 hours to tell the story of Yusuke Kafuku and his journey through grief following the sudden death of his wife. It is a story of love, loss, redemption, and letting go. If you like action movies or fast paced shoot 'em ups, then this isn't the movie for you. That said, I really hope people will watch it.

Edit: In Japanese with English subtitles.

[Auggie]

1. I'll agree, a touching film

But needlessly long. Actually, torturously long (scenes are extended for no reason).

[Tumbulu]

2. I savored it in 45 minute sessions.

But I am not sure that I understood the ending at all.

Was the young driver in Korea? Whose dog was that? She is driving Yusuke’s car, right?

I sort of feel as though I am not grasping the final message. Maybe if I watch it again?

[madaboutharry]

3. The driver in Korea is Misaki.

I think the dog is the stray his friends took in. Yes, it’s Yusuke’s car.

I don’t want to write any spoilers.

I feel this movie had a very Buddhist message. Suffering is part of life yet we can’t allow suffering to keep us from happiness.

[Tumbulu]

4. I am still moved and fascinated by it

What do you think the time difference is between when the characters were working on the play in Hiroshima and that last scene ( present day, everyone wearing masks and scar is diminished)? 1 or 2 years or more like a decade?

I am trying to understand the significance of the older car. That has a cassette player still working in it. In the theater the technology allowed for all the translations to be projected above. Do you think that was supposed to be like 2010 ? Making the car at the time 25 years old? I will need to go and look at the other cars on the road scenes to get an idea of what the time frame was, I suppose.

Sorry for being so fascinated with these subtle things, I just feel that it is all very complex and that these points are meant to be part of the story. But I am not sure if I have a full grasp of them.

[madaboutharry]

5. I agree, all the subtleties are important parts of the story.

Last edited Wed Apr 6, 2022, 08:28 PM - Edit history (1)

I think the time jump is not more than a couple of years. I thought it was brilliant to move the story's end into the Covid epidemic. I felt that when she took off her mask and revealed that she had plastic surgery to take away the scar it signified how Misaki was letting go of the tragic landslide and all the guilt she carried over her mother.

To me the car represented the early love Yusuke shared with Oto.

I am also fascinated by this movie and plan to watch it again soon. I think seeing it a second time will bring a lot more understanding.

[Tumbulu]

6. Such insight! Thank you for pointing these out.

I will begin watching it again. And am looking forward to understanding more of the complexities.

[bif]

7. Hear it was great!

Haven't seen it yet. But it's on the list!