This film is an acknowledged classic of World Cinema and I can certainly appreciate that it is a very well-made film and possibly even a great one, but I didn't like it.
The film revolves around a married French film actress (Emmanuelle Riva) who has a passionate affair with a married Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) while she is filming on location in Hiroshima for an anti-war film. The affair triggers memories of the actress' first love affair with a German soldier in occupied France.
The film's main concerns seem to be memory and it's relation to the present and healing. The film is beautifully made with a poetic and elegant screenplay from novelist Marguerite Duras, but it remained curiously uninvolving. All the style and formality prevented any real engagement with the characters. It also suffers from moments of monumental pretentiousness. It is worth watching for World Cinema fans, just because of it's reputation, but others should really approach with caution.
The film revolves around a married French film actress (Emmanuelle Riva) who has a passionate affair with a married Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) while she is filming on location in Hiroshima for an anti-war film. The affair triggers memories of the actress' first love affair with a German soldier in occupied France.
The film's main concerns seem to be memory and it's relation to the present and healing. The film is beautifully made with a poetic and elegant screenplay from novelist Marguerite Duras, but it remained curiously uninvolving. All the style and formality prevented any real engagement with the characters. It also suffers from moments of monumental pretentiousness. It is worth watching for World Cinema fans, just because of it's reputation, but others should really approach with caution.