Yumeji is the third and final part of director Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Roman Trilogy. It comes around a whopping ten years after its predecessor Kagerô-za that didn't achieve the same critical and financial success as first instalment Zigeunerweisen. Just like its two predecessors, this final entry in the trilogy combines a romantic drama with mysterious supernatural elements.
The story is a semi-faithful biography of painter and poet Takehisa Yumeji. The movie tells how he leaves his best female friend behind to meet a mysterious lover he has only been contacting by mail. The strange lady is however getting sick and faces oppression from her family to join the painter and poet. The protagonist is stuck alone in an inn in the countryside and starts falling in love with the widow who runs it. She is looking for the body of her murdered husband on a nearby lake. He was murdered for desiring a married woman and was thus killed by her violent husband who has since been hiding from the police in the nearby mountains. Things get complicated when the murdered husband turns out to be alive and well and wants to win his wife over again. The unsuccessful murderer however also makes an appearance and wants to finish his tale of vengeance. The protagonist ends up feeling overwhelmed by these drastic changes in his life and starts losing his sanity.
This movie deserves praise for several elements. The settings are absolutely magnificent as the Japanese countryside evokes a magical atmosphere that makes viewers want to visit these locations. The calm, melodic and mysterious soundtrack blends in splendidly to enhance this atmosphere. The plot comes around with a few surprises, many of which are so absurd that this film has an almost humorous touch at times. This unpredictability of events will keep viewers watching until the very end.
However, this movie isn't without several notable flaws. Even though ten years have passed between this film and its predecessor, this movie feels so old-fashioned that it might have been made about a decade earlier. The story features numerous similarities to its two predecessors. The camera techniques haven't evolved one iota in a decade as the director never attempts to try out any new creative turns. This stagnant stability makes it difficult to even consider him a genuine artist and such a lack of development can't be defended by the idea of consistency either. Another issue present throughout the trilogy is yet again the film's slow middle section and its challenging length of one hundred twenty-eight minutes.
At the end of the day, viewers who have been enjoying this film's predecessors Zigeunerweisen and Kagerô-za are also going to be appreciating the concluding Yumeji. This movie convinces with mysterious atmosphere, intriguing plot and stunning settings. However, this third entry suffers from uninspired camera work, slow pace and repetitive themes. Despite a few memorable sequences such as the film's surreal opening that could come straight from a progressive rock music video or the hilarious hunting sequence between the dangerous failed murderer and his cowardly target, this movie is overall the weakest entry in the Taisho Roman Trilogy. It's only recommended to those familiar with its two predecessors and cineasts who appreciate the combination of tragical romantic dramas and atmospheric supernatural elements. In the end, Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Roman Trilogy can be described as an acquired taste that needs much empathy, patience and time to be fully enjoyed. Personally, I'm glad to have watched all three movies but won't be revisiting them for quite a while.
