Review of Tugumi

Tugumi (1990)
10/10
A refined interpretation of hometown
19 July 2021
The first 5 minutes of this movie are overwhelming. Each scene is so beautiful that make you immersed in nostalgia. "Sometimes the wind brings the smell of the ocean... At such times I almost cry out." The narration mutters softly, the camera moves like a bird moving on the wind, and the scene slowly fades from the city to the sea village. It's probably most memorable movie openings scene ever.

It's amazing how the female protagonist can express so many emotions with a restrained expression. The bipolar disorder that the protagonist suffers is actually seen as a device to represent the movie's theme. In conclusion, this is a film that show the feelings toward hometown through the character Tsugumi.

Hometown is a place that gives us a sense of frustration like hell when we stay there, but it is also a place that provides infinite longing when we are far from there. It is a truly bizarre place that allows you to encounter many accidents and raw emotions again if you are back to there by longing. It is like a night river side scene in the middle of the movie. Creepy and beautiful at the same time. A place where life and death, love and conflict are intertwined so that you can feel extreme emotions, like bipolar disorder.

Is there any other film that expresses the hometown in such a pitiful and beautiful way? It is a film that deserves a full score.
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