Love Letter is a film written and directed by Japanese director Shunji Iwai. It tells a love letter that was originally sent to heaven out of grief, but unexpectedly received a reply with the same name, and gradually excavated a story of pure unrequited love that was buried for many years but never known.
After watching this movie, I was immersed in the memories of my youth, which I can't forget for a long time. I can't help but think of the feeling of secretly loving someone at that time, or that a love letter can express my feelings, but we are still cautious. That kind of innocence and youth is probably the purest feeling in love.
The story takes place in winter in Kobe, Japan.
The film begins with a close-up of Hiroshi Watanabe lying in the snow dressed in black, which is the anniversary of her boyfriend's death. The subsequent panorama, the snow all over the sky and the black figure of Watanabe in the snow, the sharp contrast between black and white, and the cold tone can better highlight Watanabe's inner heaviness, sadness and yearning for her boyfriend.
At home, my mother dug out a yearbook of Fujii's junior high school graduation. In the photo album, Hiroshi Watanabe found her boyfriend's previous address and secretly wrote it on her arm. Although she knew it was a letter that she would never receive, she sent her first love letter, which was simple: "How are you? I'm fine. " This may be a way for Yoko Watanabe to miss her boyfriend. She may feel that any missing is not as good as a love letter.
In the small bottle in the distance, a cold Fujii tree (female) is lying on the bed, and the sun outside the window shines on Fujii tree (female)' s face. When she received a letter from Watanabe in Kobe, she didn't know it was a love letter to her dead boyfriend. When she received a strange letter, she didn't choose to ignore it, but replied, "I'm fine, but I have a cold." In this scene, Fujii's home is very gentle, with golden sunshine and red mailbox, which is in sharp contrast with the beginning of the film. Everything here is so gentle.
The story also unfolds with a letter written by two people. When Fujii received a reply from Hiroko Watanabe again, she said, "Please take the medicine on time and get well soon." Then Fujii saw the cold medicine sent to her. She is very happy. Although she didn't know Hiroshi Watanabe's letter, her heart was warm, which was the beginning of the friendship between Hiroshi Watanabe and Fujii.
At this point, the film seems to be developing in a gentle and warm direction. The smiles on Watanabe's face are all happy, which is discovered by Mao Zhao who likes her. When Hiroko Watanabe told him that she had written a love letter to Fujii Tree (male) in heaven and received a reply, Mao Zhaozhao felt that she had done a very strange thing. When they kissed, Hiroshi Watanabe did not resist, but accepted. Perhaps because she received Fujii's reply, she began to yearn for love and miss the taste of love.
In order to know who answered the letter, Qiu secretly wrote a letter to Fujii (female) and needed evidence. When they knew that Fujii (female) who had been replying was a woman, they received a reply, hoping that she would stop writing letters. At this time, Hiroshi Watanabe was a little sad and blamed Qiu for breaking her heart, but she was still concerned about the cold condition of Fujii (female). Hiroshi Watanabe pinned her thoughts on her boyfriend Fujii in a letter. She may know in her heart that this is not her boyfriend Fujii, but she did it for comfort.
They want to know what kind of place Otaru is and who Fujii is. Hiroshi Watanabe Zi and Qiu came to Otaru and found Fujii's home, but Hiroshi Watanabe Zi didn't have the courage to meet Fujii (female). Instead, she wrote a letter telling Fujii (female) that her boyfriend was also called Fujii.
On the day Hiroshi Watanabe left Otaru, she met Fujii (female) on the street corner. On that side, Hiroshi Watanabe clearly saw Fujii (female). Back in Kobe, I opened my graduation album at home and looked at Fujii (female) carefully. Suddenly I remembered a sentence that her boyfriend Fujii (male) once said to her, "I fell in love with you at first sight." Speaking of this, Watanabe Hiroko cried. She seems to know the truth of the lie, but she can't let go of her feelings for Fujii (male), as if she felt the bitterness of love. Seeing this, I think my mood is suddenly very sad. Isn't it a kind of harm to be cheated by the person I love?
Hiroshi Watanabe wanted to know about Fujii (male) at that time. She wrote to ask Fujii (female) to tell her about Fujii (male). At this point, the film seems to be the beginning of the story. Fujii Shu (female) said in her reply that her memory of him is bad. At the same time, Fujii Shu (female) also recalled the time in junior high school. She recalled that at the beginning of the roll call, the teacher called "Fujii Shu" and they answered at the same time, only to find that they had the same name and surname, and then their story began. Being teased by his classmates, he chose a librarian to work together in the library and handed out the wrong English test paper to wait for him until evening, while Fujii (male) borrowed various books and wrote Fujii's name over and over again on the library card to help her good friend confess to him, sometimes getting angry. The film adopts a narrative way, combining memory with reality. When two people are writing letters, Hiroshi Watanabe misses Fujii (male), and Fujii (female) is the memory and nostalgia of that memory.
The film recalls that when Fujii (male) went to Fujii (female)' s house before school started, Fujii (male) who actually wanted to confess found that the time was wrong, but he still gave the book to Fujii (female) and rode away. It was only after the school started that Fujii Shu (male) had transferred to another school. At this time, Fujii Shu (female) found her inner reluctance and nostalgia. The secret love at that time could not be hidden, and that feeling was the most precious.
The film is almost over. Fujii (female) who had a bad cold recovered. Hiroshi Watanabe also put down her feelings for Fujii and sent her a letter written by Fujii (female) about Fujii (male). Fujii Shu (female) also found the library card in the book he asked her to return, but she was painted on the back. End the film with a happy ending, so that those unspoken confessions can finally be heard by you.
I like the simple love line "How are you? I'm fine. "