“Evil Does Not Exist”, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s latest film, is a subtle and profound meditation on the delicate balance between humanity and nature. Following the success of his internationally acclaimed “Drive My Car”, Hamaguchi shifts his focus to a more intimate scale, offering a nuanced and contemplative exploration of a rural Japanese village faced with the encroachment of modern development.
“Evil Does Not Exist” is a thought-provoking film that premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2023. The film competed in the main competition for the Golden Lion and won the prestigious Grand Jury Prize, cementing its impact with audiences and critics alike.
Following its success at the Venice International Film Festival, the film was screened at several other prominent events. It was screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2023 New York Film Festival and the 2023 BFI London Film Festival, where it won the prestigious title of Best Film in Official Competition. The jury praised the film, saying, “Subtle, cinematic and underscored by fully realised performances, Hamaguchi’s assured drama supersedes the sum of its parts. It is both a lyrical portrait of family and community, and a nuanced consideration of the ethics of land development.”
The film opens with a beautiful shot that sets the stage for a seemingly idyllic rural existence centred on Takumi (Hitoshi Omika), a widowed lumberjack with a daughter, Hana (Ryo Nishikawa).
Takumi’s life is presented as a peaceful, almost Edenic existence. He’s a skilled craftsman, deeply connected to his surroundings, and his village is a place of tranquillity and community spirit. The camera lingers on the beauty of nature, showing the pristine stream and the abundance of wild wasabi, underlining the harmony between man and nature. This serene setting is enhanced by Eiko Ishibashi’s elegiac score, which subtly underscores the film’s melancholic undertones.
This idyll is shattered, however, by the arrival of a entrepreneur who wants to build a “glamping” resort on the village’s land. His attempts to win over the villagers, embodied by his two hapless minions Takahashi (Ryuji Kosaka) and Mayuzumi (Ayaka Shibutani), are met with polite but firm resistance. In a display of both pragmatism and deep-seated ecological awareness, the villagers articulate their concerns with calm but unwavering conviction.
Hamaguchi’s masterful direction blends humour and unease, highlighting the absurdity of the entrepreneur’s ambition while subtly revealing the disturbing implications of his actions.
For the most part, the film is visually unadorned, simple, direct. For one thing, Hamaguchi tends to move the camera along with the characters, though the exceptions carry narrative weight: images of nearby Mount Fuji, a rear view from inside a car of a rapidly disappearing road, and a beautiful travel shot of towering treetops, their branches framed against the sky.
Word by word, detail by detail, juxtaposition by juxtaposition, “Evil Does Not Exist” beautifully deepens our thinking about nature and morality. This film is not a conventional narrative, but a haunting and complex exploration of our relationship with the world. It is a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, leaving you to ponder the unseen forces at play in the seemingly simple act of disturbing a delicate ecosystem.
