Newcomers to the brilliant Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto may not feel as if they have gotten a crash-course on the biographical details of his life by the time they reach the end of Stephen Nomura Schible’s meditative documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda, but you will without a doubt have a deeper understanding of him as a person. Made over a five-year period in the early 2010s during which Sakamoto was diagnosed and treated for stage 3 throat cancer, this film establishes intimacy with its subject by exploring his relationship with sound and music, which in turn gives you a glimpse beyond the composer to the man.
We first find Sakamoto coming across a baby grand piano in Northeast Japan that survived the 2011 tsunami but retains the stains from being partially submerged. The composer is immensely fascinated by the haunted past of this instrument, and his tickling of the tainted ivories feels as if he is communing with spirits long gone. It is only our first glimpse into Sakamoto the environmentalist, next seen in full hazmat suit exploring the restricted contamination zone of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. It is easy to get swept up in the passion with which Sakamoto speaks out against this and other environmental catastrophes. We come to find exactly how his perspective has shifted over the past couple decades, and how that has not only informed his lifestyle but his music, as well. A snippet of a piano recital shown from a former evacuation site for earthquake and tsunami victims comes alive as he rifts on his theme from Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence accompanied by violin and cello. Sakamoto is more attuned to the world than ever before, and he does not intend to let it go without a fight.
The movie is not without some hints of traditional biographical structures, but even these elements are more of a kaleidoscope of moments rather than a strict A-to-B structure. Those who only know his film work may be exceptionally intrigued by the exploration of his synth-pop years in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s as part of Yellow Magic Orchestra, something of a precursor to groups such as Daft Punk. Anecdotes about his work as a composer is mostly limited to dives into the aforementioned Mr. Lawrence, in which he also played a leading role; and two by Bertolucci, The Last Emperor (for which he won his Oscar) and The Sheltering Sky. The on-the-fly nature of some of his working conditions prove to be deeply fascinating, and more of this content would have been lovingly embraced. There are also some brief references to his work on The Revenant, for which he cut short his cancer-treatment hiatus to work with Alejandro G. Inarritu.
While this may sound rather stuffy or esoteric without any details about his personal life or background, Sakamoto as a mid-60s, effortlessly cool man projects a sense of joy and wonder that sweeps you along with him. While the film may not dive as deep into his soundtrack work, his standalone work is given great consideration as he explains how new influences have seeped their way into his work along with his admiration for everything in the natural world. The way in which Andrei Tarkovsky (Mirror) uses sound in film is of particular interest for this artist. One of the most lovely aspects of the film is the musical journey he embarks upon around the world to places such as the Arctic Circle or secluded forests where he captures some of the unique sounds that fuel his creativity. Even his backyard is a symphony as he marvels at the sound of falling rain and tries out different methods to collect it and incorporate it into his work.
Sakamoto is the lone subject interviewed for this project, but with every moment you spend with him you feel further enriched by some eloquent or philosophical musing that reveals a tender heart. You may not yet know what his relationship was like with his mother or if he ever has known true love, but through his music and the outlook he has during one of the most precarious periods of his life, you know him on an intimate level. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda is a feeling more so than concrete thought. You may want to spend more time with this man by the end, but losing yourself within the melodious beauty of the world will hopefully make up for any perceived shortcomings.
Video Quality
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda comes to Blu-Ray in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio from a gorgeous high definition master. The film mostly consists of new footage with a decent amount of archival footage and photos. The documentary footage looks as technically excellent as it can look in high definition. The transfer appears to have plenty of room to breathe and there are no issues with compression artifacts, banding or other digital nuisances. The footage of the older material seems to be the best version of it that would be possible, with most of it looking pretty strong. Interview segments look sleek and clear depending on the filming conditions with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. The colors featured in the film are natural and vibrant as they provide a nice visual pop on screen. Sakamoto has a lovely relationship with nature and some of the beautiful environments he visits were made for high definition. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to a nice amount of detail in shadows. I do not see how this set could have been improved visually. It’s a beautiful transfer handled with care by Kino Lorber.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with both a stellar DTS-HD 5.1 & 2.0 Master Audio track that captures this story perfectly. Music is the lifeblood of the film, and it comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. The filmmakers do a really great job of capturing their subject and making sure all this information comes through with supreme clarity. Sakomoto’s music establishes the mood of the film, and it is resolved well here as it fills the room. The dialogue is also captured without issue, but some of the English-speaking bits may need to be supplemented by subtitles due to accents. Environmental sounds such as rain create an all-encompassing soundscape that this track replicates perfectly. You could not have asked for better for a figure who lives and breathes sound. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for those who desire them.
Special Features
- Ryuichi Sakamoto – async At The Park Avenue Armory: An enveloping 65-minute documentary that showcases a full performance from Sakamoto that is complemented by overhead projected visuals. This is such a lovely supplement to include for those who want to go on a musical journey with him once the main documentary is done.
- Trailer: The two-minute trailer for the film is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda is a sumptuous snapshot of a creative genius who views the beauties of the natural world in an electrifying way all of his own. While some may bemoan the lack of further biographical details, the elements that the documentary does focus on paint a fully-realized picture. Kino Lorber and MUBI have released a Blu-Ray featuring a gorgeous A/V presentation and a supplement that rivals the feature in entertainment. For those who appreciate the haunting beauty that can be captured through sound, this should be a transfixing experience. Recommended
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Lorber and MUBI have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
