Seeking Cerulean

Spoiler Warning: While I don’t think it’s possible to “spoil” the film of such a simple plot, please read at your own risk! I am confident you will still fully enjoy the movie (maybe even more so) after reading this.

If the first thing you do in the morning is check your phone, or if you are no stranger to mindlessly doom scrolling on Tik Tok late into the night, please, take a moment and watch this movie. If you’re looking for a thrilling action sequence or mind blowing plot twist, be prepared to be severely disappointed. On the other hand, if you are seeking a breath of fresh air from the incessant overstimulation that surrounds us, this soul-cleansing film will leave you feeling like a weight has just been lifted off your shoulders.

Each day we navigate through a sea of images, quick clips, sound bites, and news articles. Our lives are oversaturated with an overwhelming amount of information and suggestion of how we should act and think. Perfect Days is the complete opposite of that. The movie is a visual representation of a man who has found what I like to call his “quiet“. To further reinforce the profundity in the quiet, Wenders displays a different side of the city known for lights, technology, and the hustle and bustle of people. Instead, we see a peaceful and almost still Tokyo. Wenders inserts clips of Tokyo’s quiet corners; a flowing riverbank, empty streets, a charming park. The main character’s life is shown in a collection of ephemeral, unremarkable moments that the director has carefully curated into an homage to life’s beauty. Perfect Days is a tribute to the profound in the ordinary.

Komorebi (木漏れ日), a Japanese word that describes the way that sunlight peeks through the trees, was the original title of the film, Perfect Days. This word encapsulates what I felt after watching this movie – warm, light, and full of wonder. Directed by German filmmaker and playwright, Wim Wenders, Perfect Days is a slice of life film; a beautiful character study of Hirayama, played by the talented Koji Yakusho, an older Japanese gentleman that cleans Tokyo’s toilets for a living.

Despite being the main character, Hirayama has a mere handful of lines throughout the entire movie. The first 45 minutes, in fact, no one utters a word. Though I’m sure many will find the film slow or boring, I found the simplicity of the plot refreshing. The lack of dialogue forced me to focus on the characters’ facial expressions and body language; the slight, subtle intricacies of a smile, or the fallen look of Hirayama as he witnesses a woman he is fond of embrace another man. In fact, the ending of the film is also filled with quiet; the camera moves in for a tight close up of Hirayama’s face, tears pouring down his cheeks and his eyes filled with powerful emotion. I believe Wenders purposefully leaves this scene open for interpretation. Is Hirayama crying because he is happy? Or is he still searching for happiness, like most of us?

Hirayama thrives in a very structured environment and he clearly values routine and simplicity. His days include simple joys such as getting a coffee from the vending machine each morning before work, selecting the perfect soundtrack to start the day via his vast collection of old school cassette tapes, or enjoying the warm rays of sunshine casting shadows upon his face as they peek through the tall trees; komorebi.

The movie suggests that true happiness is not perfect. Hirayama displays feelings of irritation when his coworker bails on his shift and exhibits deep sadness when his sister visits to see what his life has become, even going so far as to ask him, “Are you really cleaning toilets now?” On the outside looking in, some may feel that Hirayama lives a depressing life, cleaning up after others’ messes and living in isolation with no partner to keep him company. Yet we watch Hirayama complete his job each day with a sense of great care and pride. Though it appears that Hirayama does long for more permanence in his relationships, it’s suggested that having an attachment to such things or a person may cause great pain and suffering. Therefore, we can interpret that he has chosen to remove these risks from his life, finding happiness in unassuming pleasures and taking each day as it comes.

The film hints that Hirayama left behind a life of wealth and status for one of cleaning toilets and isolation, yet Wenders does not ever provide a definitive answer because that is not the message he wants to be received. Instead, Perfect Days displays how acts as seemingly ordinary as going to your favorite local bookstore or eating at the restaurant where the servers greet you by name, provide daily boosts of serotonin. Hirayama has found his happiness in surrounding himself with his books and tapes and a community of people that provide him fleeting, but thoughtful interactions.

I feel a new sense of appreciation for life after watching Perfect Days. I feel inspired to continuously find joy in the little things; my cat patiently sitting outside my bedroom door to sweetly greet me each morning, my favorite purple flowers in our backyard in full bloom, my fiancé giving me a kiss on the forehead when he gets home from work, my neighbors giving me a friendly wave. The film is a gentle reminder that happiness comes in many forms; it can be flawed and filled to the brim with conflicting emotions, but it is unique to each person and does not require as much as society has led us to believe.

Too often do I find myself trying to find meaning in everyday life, only to realize that living life every day is the meaning; it’s the joy and the key to happiness. As Hirayama states in the film, “next time is next time. Now is now.” Beauty and life itself can be fleeting. Enjoy the little things, the small moments, and the quiet. Live in the now because tomorrow will always bring along another set of problems to be solved. But today? Today is surrounded with beauty, you just have to look up and feel it.