"Renoir:" A Beautiful Test of Patience

As the week continues, the 61st Chicago International Film Festival rages on, showing new and exciting films from all around the world. This year's international feature competition is showcasing some truly singular works from countries like Italy, Tajikistan, Brazil, Germany, Spain etc. One country that has always had strong, prominent films is Japan. This year's Japanese entry is Chie Hayakawa's Renoir, which received the immense honor of premiering at Cannes this past May, scoring a nomination for the festival's top prize. This month the film had its American premiere in Chicago after previously screening at TIFF, but is this project really meant for Western audiences?

Renoir follows 11 year old girl, Fuki as she deals with a turbulent adolescence in 1987 Tokyo. With a terminally ill father and a busy working mother, Fuki struggles with retaining her childlike sense of wonder while living alongside some of the realest tragedies and stressors life has to offer. The film stars Lily Franky, Hikari Ishida, and is led by newcomer, Yui Suzuki, all of whom give delicate, understated performances.

Renoir is a film that rewards patience. It is not a project that most Western audience members will be used to. There aren't any scenes packed with action or anything particularly exciting. The best comparison I can draw is Wim Wenders' Perfect Days which ironically gets its strength from being utterly un-cinematic. Renoir is a pensive, almost meditative film that invites its audience into the mind and daily life of its main character, and the truth is that life is rarely cinematic. The filmmakers behind Renoir understand this, but I do not think Western audiences will be so kind.

Americans in particular are used to their films looking a certain way. I can admit, as someone who was raised on American cinema, I found Renoir to be a rewarding yet difficult watch. This film moves at an absolutely glacial pace, with nothing profound happening in terms of plot. Despite being two hours long, barely any words are even exchanged between characters. My harshest critique is that it would've worked much better as a 90 minute film as opposed to a 120 minute one. What's fascinating is that this film's greatest weakness to some will be its greatest strength for others.

Renoir is a film that will reward the most patient of viewers, while likely boring the rest to tears. I'm not saying that all Western movie viewers are mindless drones who are only entertained by bright colors and big explosions, but American audiences are not used to films like Renoir. It's a movie that demands its viewers to slow down to a pace that might feel unnatural for some, but can prove to be unexpectedly emotionally fulfilling. Seasoned cinephiles however will feel right at home in front of Renoir, especially those who are used to the long-winded filmmaking of other Japanese directors like Akira Kurosawa and Masaki Kobayashi. Fans of Wim Wenders' Perfect Days will absolutely swoon.

For many in the Western world, Renoir will be a new, challenging cinema experience, but one worth going through. It's not nearly as cinematic as they're probably used to, but it's deeply human, and that's infinitely more real and valuable.

In the meantime, stay tuned for our continued coverage of the 61st Chicago International Film Festival!