Shadow of Fire – Third Window

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
Screenplay: Shinya Tsukamoto
Starring: Oga Tsukao, Shuri, Hiroki Kono, Mirai Moriyama
Country: Japan
Running Time: 96 min
Year: 2023
BBFC: 15

Following WWII, Japan made a change to their constitution, bringing in Article 9, a ‘no war’ clause. This states that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. It also meant that Japan was forbidden to maintain land, sea, or air forces On paper, this made the country a pacifist nation that could not be involved in violent conflict.

However, over the years, likely bolstered by the U.S.’ influence over Japanese policy, Article 9 was reinterpreted. The Self-Defense Forces (SDF), a special armed police force, was established, which could be perceived as a form of military. A right to ‘collective self-defence’ was added too in 2014, meaning Japan can now assist an ally under attack, even if Japan itself is not directly threatened. Following this, the military capabilities of the SDF have been expanded and they’ve been involved in some international operations.

This gradual move away from an enforced national pacifism has troubled many, including the filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto. He believed that the Japanese needed to be reminded of the horrors of war in all their forms. So he made his own adaptation of Shōhei Ōoka’s novel ‘Fires on the Plain’ in 2014, a gruelling account of the lives of soldiers during WWII. This mustn’t have been enough to get his message across though, as Tsukamoto ended up making an unofficial trilogy of anti-war films, following up Fires on the Plain with Killing in 2018 and then Shadows of Fire in 2023.

Third Window Films have previously released the first two instalments of this trilogy and are now setting their sights on the third. I got hold of a copy and my thoughts follow.

Shadow of Fire is set in Tokyo during the recent aftermath of World War II. A woman (Shuri), struggling to survive in a city reduced to rubble, runs a dilapidated tavern where she sells her body to make ends meet. Her desolate existence is disrupted by the arrival of a young orphan boy (Oga Tsukao) who steals from her.

Soon after, a demobilized soldier (Hiroki Kono) appears and the trio form a surrogate family of sorts, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.

However, the soldier is haunted by the horrors of war and his trauma-induced actions threaten to shatter their fragile peace.

Further complications later force the young boy to leave his new home and he sets out to work for another troubled soul (Mirai Moriyama).

Shadow of Fire is a bleak and harrowing film. There are glimmers of hope and warmth but these are frequently dashed. These hints are enough to give the film a great humanity though, rather than wallowing in ‘misery porn’ territory.

The central message is never watered down though. Through the film, Tsukamoto wants to show that war not only affects those being physically attacked but also those perpetrating the violence and those who survive the mass conflict. The soldiers in this film and those living among the rubble have all been deeply traumatised by what happened during the war.

The boy in the story represents the future generations. It’s suggested that he comes out stronger from experiencing the horrors of the aftermath but it’s too late for the adults. They’ve already been killed, even if their blood is still pumping.

Tsukamoto’s approach to telling his story is interesting. On top of an unexpected change of protagonist and perspective halfway through the film, information is often kept back for a time. This keeps you intrigued and also allows you to draw your own conclusions as to what is happening, sometimes inaccurately. What is also surprisingly kept from the audience is any open discussion about what has happened leading up to the film’s setting. The war is not openly mentioned, though it’s clear to anyone with the slightest knowledge of what happened to Japan during WWII.

This might be a comment on the fact that the Japanese don’t like to discuss what happened during the war. They prefer to keep things buttoned up and behind closed doors. The bombing of Tokyo by the United States Army Air Forces was the single most destructive bombing raid in human history, killing over 100,000 civilians and leaving over one million homeless, but it’s rarely discussed or presented on film, particularly in comparison with the atomic bomb attacks on Japan.

Shadow of Fire is largely a chamber piece, though the ‘chamber’ and much of the cast changes part way through. As such, the cast has to work hard to keep you engaged. They do an excellent job. Young Oga Tsukao does particularly well. He was only 8 when the film was made and whilst his dialogue is kept to a minimum, he is subtly expressive and natural throughout.

Stylistically, the film is impressive too. Tsukamoto shot the film himself, as usual (he’s one filmmaker who can truly be considered an auteur, given he takes on so many roles). Whilst it’s clearly shot digitally, as Tsukamoto has long preferred, low-key lighting and grimy set design create a dark, dingy atmosphere.

Music is also used sparingly but effectively. The score is by Tsukamoto’s regular composer Chu Ishikawa. This is surprising seeing as the composer died 6 years before the film was made, but this was also the case with Killing. Ishikawa had left a large hard drive full of music for Tsukamoto when he died.

Overall, Shadow of Fire is a bleak film that isn’t easy to watch but there’s enough humanity to keep you drawn to its harrowing tale. Its powerful message is eloquently delivered too, making for a film that is well worth watching, as tough as it may be.

Film:

Shadow of Fire is out on 30th September on region B Blu-ray, released by Third Window Films. The transfer is excellent, with a crisp image, well-handled contrast and rich colours. I had no issues with the audio either.

Disc/Package:

Where to watch Shadow of Fire