Four Reasons to Watch Shoplifters
Hulu is promoting Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May with a site featuring all of the Asian titles that are available for streaming on their platform. One such title is Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, a Japanese film widely renowned for its delicate, gripping narrative that exposes the human definition of the word “family.” The drama follows a seemingly conventional family made up of a grandmother, two parents, an aunt, and a son. The tension slowly rises when the father figure, Osamu (Lily Franky) encounters a little girl who was left outside her house in the winter. He takes the girl home with him and trouble ensues when she is reported missing. The family decides not to return her since they found scars on the child’s arms and other signs of abuse. In the second half of the drama, many secrets concerning the real origin of each family member are revealed and their lives are drastically changed. If that premise is not a sufficient hook, here are four reasons to go watch (or re-watch) Shoplifters.
- It’s Relatable
Even if you have never lived in Japan, or in the level of poverty that the characters in Shoplifters are in, there are still aspects of the movie that relate to anyone, even American audiences. This is because the central theme is not about the characters’ socioeconomic standing, though that is a part of it. The story explores what it means to grow up under tumultuous circumstances, as well as love and its survival in unexpected places. The resounding message is about family members that are not blood relatives – the idea that sometimes people choose who they want to be with. The bond that develops between Juri (Miyu Sasaki) and her kidnappers is deeper and more endearing than her relationship with her own mother. This theme is summarized in a line that is highlighted in the trailer: “Giving birth automatically makes you a mother?”
- Subtitles Are Not an Excuse
The director of Parasite, Bong Joon Ho, famously said that “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” It’s hard to collect data on exactly how the presence of subtitles influences the decision of an average American viewer, but a popular notion is that subtitles are often barriers that keep foreign films foreign. Rajendra Roy, MoMA’s chief curator, told Variety that “There’s still a vestigial feeling that cinema not in the English language is exotic, that it’s art for connoisseurs or cinephiles.” This should not be the case. Successful foreign language films like Parasite, The Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Roma, and Shoplifters all address emotions and desires that can appeal to audiences from vastly different countries. These films are all just as powerful as their counterparts, regardless of the language they’re written in.
- Learn to Empathize with Unlikely People
The protagonists of Shoplifters are technically kidnappers and criminals. They often prioritize themselves over their other family members. Osamu is portrayed as a near-useless father figure who gives up on his fixed houses endeavor and settles for a job with an insufficient wage. He has no skills to teach the children besides shoplifting. The grandmother (Kirin Kiki) runs her own hustle, guilt-tripping another family into giving her money, part of which she keeps for herself. The list of sketchy quirks goes on.
Yet, knowing all of the flaws and the crimes that this family is guilty of, the viewer still roots for them. Despite their selfish traits, the family saves a little girl from her abusive parents, accepting the risk that it looks like a kidnapping. Even though the grandmother has ulterior motives for housing Aki (Mayu Matsuoka), she is the only one who asks Aki how her day was, as well as inferring her mood with surprising accuracy. These characters feel like real people. The writing of Shoplifters develops in its American audience an ability to empathize with people from another culture. This kind of exposure is a step towards a broadened world view, and hopefully a step away from stereotyping.
- Discover Hirokazu Kore-eda
Shoplifters is far from the first successful film that Kore-eda has released, but it’s an excellent introduction to the writer/director’s style. For instance, Nobody Knows (2004) is another family drama, this time about siblings abandoned in an apartment in Tokyo and the conflicts that rise from their solitude. It won the Cannes Best Actor Award and is also available on Hulu. Still Walking (2008) is another story about the intricacies of familial relationships. This film is 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and is available on YouTube from $2.99. After the Storm (2016) follows a private detective who persistently tries to return to his family and is haunted by the dreams he fails to reach. You can watch this one for free on Tubi.
Hopefully this list encourages you to give Shoplifters a first – or second, or third – viewing. There is something indescribable about the impact it leaves on its audience, and it’s a sensation that is definitely worth experiencing. Stay on the lookout for other Asian films this month, too, and join in the celebration. We could all use one.
Written by: Isabella Massardi | Instagram
