It's Hirokazu Koreeda [Next stop, Heaven]: In your long life, which part do you want to take away to the next life?

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Written by: Tsuba

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foreword

[Next stop, Heaven], as a very early work by Hirokazu Shire, it has a very typical "Shizhi style": quiet, peaceful, and the mirror movement is not fancy, but it is very relaxing to watch. In this film, the "dialogue" between the characters is the focus of the whole film, and the whole film is gradually strung together word by word. In [Next Stop, Heaven], you can see all kinds of souls that have passed away, they have reached the end of their lives, and they rest for a while at the relay station between the heaven and the earth. At this time, looking back on a life that may be long or short, what are the memories that make people unable to let go? What are some impressive events? Have you chosen which life you will take with you before stepping into eternal life? If you are still confused about your life, let's take a look at this movie about "choice".

Synopsis

The story of [Next stop, the kingdom of heaven] takes place at the registration office for souls between the kingdom of heaven and the world. There are staff members sent by the kingdom of heaven. They are responsible for asking every soul who comes here, when they go to the kingdom of heaven, what they want to bring with them in their lives. Which memory left? Once the deceased souls have made their choice, they can travel to the afterlife to experience that happy time, forever. In this film, there are several souls that give the staff a headache and are particularly impressive. They are Grandpa Watanabe, who worked as an ordinary company employee until his death, and a boy who used to be a local ruffian with wild orange hair. , Ise Valley. Until the selected period expires, it is difficult for the two of them to choose the most cherished memory and take it to heaven.

An ordinary employee, Ichiro Watanabe, can prove his memories of living

Ichiro Watanabe, a 70-year-old clerk, lives by his own definition as "ordinary and boring." Of course, there are also good memories, but what Watanabe wants to choose is a "memories that can prove that he lived." He recalled that as soon as he graduated from college, he worked for a steel company and worked hard in the same company until he died at the age of seventy; his family had only one wife and no children. Watanabe believes that there is nothing special or unusual about such a boring life. What clips are there to choose from?

In our life, there are many times when we think that we are inferior to others. Compared with the glamorous experiences and experiences of others, we just get up every day, brush our teeth, do the same things day after day, and get along with the same people day and night. , live a peaceful life. However, the more viewers watch Watanabe's selection process, the more we can understand the ultimate pursuit of life, which is actually just pure "happiness". In all kinds of life, some people may become successful managers and become famous all over the world; some people may get married and have children in their hometown, watching their children grow up all the way, doing ordinary jobs by themselves , until old age and demise, but both kinds of life can be classified as so-called "happiness". "Happiness" doesn't necessarily mean doing all kinds of colorful things to make the world admire it, but it can also mean simply enjoying an ordinary but warm love and living an ordinary but contented life. Grandpa Watanabe watched countless life clips in the screening room, and while watching, he would say "So I said these things", "So I did this kind of thing", some of the clips amused him Laughing, and some clips made him cry. Isn't these life stories composed of various feelings just the time to prove that you have survived?

On the last day of the deadline, Watanabe finally chose the picture of chatting with his wife in the park, bringing the eternal heaven to savor. In a person's life, perhaps the most ordinary summer afternoon is the most memorable passage of life.

"I want to choose the ordinary, just a holiday in the park. It's in Central Park next to the Ginza Cinema, it's been a long time... Or should I say, after more than 40 years of marriage, I have never taken my wife to the movies with me , and it turned out to be the last time, watching a movie with my wife." - Ichiro Watanabe.

The imaginative Iseya Yusuke, the soul that does not choose

And another head-scratching soul, Iseya Yusuke, is a figure with bright orange hair and always thinking beyond the rules. Of all the deceased who appeared, I think Iseya is the most "creative" one, and all the arguments he put forward are eye-opening. Iseya asked the staff, can I choose the "dream" part of the memory? He unfortunately died at the age of 20. He believes that the scenes he sees in his dreams may be more "realistic" than the fragments of his life, and they make people want to watch them again and again. In his dreams, he has seen colorful beaches and energetic runners. , and all kinds of imaginative people and things, he thinks that those fragments may be more interesting than his own life.

Iseya also told Grandpa Watanabe that he did not want to choose any part to take to heaven, because he thought that perhaps "not choosing" was a way to be responsible for life. This argument of "no choice" is very intriguing. I personally think that if it were me, I might not be able to choose. Human life is endless, and there are too many cherished fragments. It must be difficult to choose, right? Memories with relatives are warm and relaxing; memories with lovers are sweet and sour; memories with friends are silly but make people smile. If you want to force a person to distinguish between the light and the heavy, it is too hard. That's why I think Iseya's "no choice" approach is very romantic. Maybe it's because it's hard to let go, so I decided to "don't choose"?

"Me, it's not that I can't choose, it's that I don't want to. I decided to take responsibility for my life in this way." --- Iseya Yusuke

Epilogue

[Next stop, the kingdom of heaven] It is suitable for people at all stages of life to enjoy. If you taste this movie at different ages, you may have different feelings. In this film review, the plot I have mentioned is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are many interesting questions waiting for you to discover: Why are there staff in the kingdom of heaven working there? For what reason were they chosen to serve the vast number of dead souls? That's left to all who read this review to discover. Someone once told me that the rhythm of [Next Stop, the Kingdom of Heaven] is too slow and dull, making it hard to watch. But if you can calm down and think about the meaning of the characters in the play in this fast-changing era, I believe this movie will definitely make your life more purposeful, and you will know how many years of ups and downs in the world you have pursued. why things are.