Vibrator - 2003 -Ryuichi Hiroki

I first watched this movie almost a year ago, and I have to say that it left a pretty big mark on me. I had probably picked it up off the shelf of the video store two dozen times over the course of a year before I finally took it home. I typically choose a director and then plow through their entire catalog before moving on. So, when I noticed that Ryuichi Hiroki had a few to select from, specifically Tokyo Trash Baby (Tokyo Gomi Onna) and I am an S & M Writer (Futei no kisetsu), I have to admit that I found myself somewhat intimidated by the overt sexual connotations that were smack dab in the titles of his films. Not that I would be embarrassed to rent or watch pornographic films. No. It was just that I wasn't quite sure what I was jumping into with this director. Japanese portrayals of sexuality in film have quite a range, and I have found that the more prevalent depictions border on the fetishistic and/or the immature. When given the titles I am an S & M Writer, and Vibrator I assumed that I was in for films that were over sexed and lacking in plot/character development. I was completely (and gratefully) wrong. I could immediately empathize with Rei and Takotoshi -with their longing for something real and true in a world that offers them little beyond the work that they have cut out for themselves- with how desperation leads them to attach themselves to falsities, and to find and attach themselves to each other.

Before I get into the plot, I should mention that I

watched this film last night in Japanese, without subtitles. I have only been studying Japanese for a little over a year, so my memory of the actual conversations, and my translations, may fail me.
We are first introduced to Rei as she stands alone in a convenient store looking through the alcohol selection, her inner monologue guides her over to the magazines and back again. We are immediately aware of insecurities from her ongoing conversation with herself: her dependence on alcohol and and unhealthy relationship with her body. It is obvious that Rei is lost in the convenient store, lost as to what to buy, lost as to why she is there, and lost in herself. When a man with blond hair walks in she immediately notices him, her phone starts to vibrate in her coat pocket, over of her heart. He catches her watching him and we see him pass her in the aisle and brush his hand over her butt. Her phone vibrates again. This could be accidental or creepy- some guy in a convenient store catches you spying on him and grabs your ass -yes, the situation is a bit awkward. But after hearing Rei's monologue, I understood why she would follow this guy into the parking lot, climb into his truck, and have some Shochu with him. She is looking for something to invigorate her, perhaps even redefine her.

Ryuichi Hiroki began his career in 'pinky' films (Japanese sex-ploitation movies of the 1970's), which explains how he competently captures sexual encounters that border on pornography, without the excessive nudity or sex. The first encounter between Rei and Takotoshi occurs in the back of a truck and Hiroki manages to capture sexual intimacy in close quarters without invading or disturbing. The removal of each piece of clothing and the bits of foreplay -all which could easily make us forget that these people are complete strangers- provide revealing intimate details that reveal each characters yearning to latch onto another. The element of mystery is still visible in how they fumble around and react with surprise to each change in position (I mean, Rei tells Takotoshi her name while he is between her thighs). A powerful desire to give in and let go is the nature of the encounter.

It is the next morning when we see that Rei is bulimic, she throws up her shochu and corn chips, swishes her mouth out with water, and asks Takotoshi to join him on his journey. We find them in the truck together traveling though the countryside. Both are freelance workers -Rei is a writer and Takotoshi is an independent truck driver- the nature of this work probably testifies to a deeper fear of failure and commitment. During the ride, Takotoshi tells Rei that he is married and has a daughter, and explains that she isn't the first girl that he has had an affair with. He paints a callous picture of himself for Rei, telling her stories of mistreating women and drug deals. He immediately sets his relationship with Rei up for failure to protect himself from getting in too deep and potentially having to continue it after the road trip. Despite the fact that Rei does not reveal too much about herself to Takotoshi, she hides herself from him by pretending to be cool when she is anything but. As the ride goes on and Rei begins to feel vulnerable, we see her problems -both physical and emotional- surface. She is surprised that Takotoshi doesn't judge her while she breaks down in front of him; he stays by her, and her inner monologue expresses surprise at how he is able to know just how to care for her without being told.

Hiroki does an excellent job of taking Rei and putting her in the foreground, while keeping her problems below the surface; her psychological problems, bulimia, and taste for alcohol are a part of a deeper problem that is not entirely revealed. Women with dependency problems on film often annoy me, as I usually find they are one-dimensional caricatures of the real thing. Rei offered a good balance despite the fact that she is slowly breaking down throughout the film. Takotoshi provides the support that she needs throughout the ordeal and in the end brings her back to emotional and physical reality -here she confronts the validity of his stories, is able to tell him that she likes him, and is returned to the convenient store where they found each other. She picks up her basket and returns to life as she knew it. Now, I unfortunately don't think that they meet again after this. But, rather, I think that this journey taught Rei and Takotoshi that they need other people, complications and all.