by Eli Alderfer
*This Review Contains Spoilers*
Critically acclaimed director, Wim Wenders, is no stranger to success. Known best for his works, Wings of Desire (1987) and Paris, Texas (1984), he has made a return to cinema with 2023’s Perfect Days. Though Wenders did have numerous works since the 1980s and 90s, they went largely unrecognized, but Perfect Days made a name for itself at Festival de Cannes, where Koji Yashuko was awarded best actor. Wim Wenders takes us through the day to day life of Hirayama, a Japanese man who cleans public restrooms around the streets of Tokyo. While many would think this job to be lowly and wretched, Hirayama finds appreciation of his duties and the environment surrounding him, never complaining about it.
Although a fictional narrative, Perfect Days is presented in a style that is comparable to that of a documentary. There is not much of a story in the traditional sense, but rather it is the simple account of a man who loves life, following him as he cherishes kindness and the beauty of the world, even on the gloomy days. On his day to day, Hirayama has his agenda perfected, waking up to water his plants first thing in the morning, to reading a book under the dim lighting of his room after a day of work. He owns only the simplest of technology, and his cassette tapes are his most valuable possession; in wealth of both the wallet and the soul. Although the film is in Japanese language, American audiences will recognize many classic rock hits from The Animals, Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, along with some other familiar tracks. Perfect Days is comforting not only audibly, but also visually.
Wim Wenders is known for cinematically pleasing compositions, and Perfect Days is no exception. The aesthetics contribute to the calming atmosphere of Hirayama’s “perfect” life, presented in a square aspect ratio. A smooth blend of purples, greens, reds, and blues are utilized to create Wenders’ familiar palette of tranquil colors. The prominent green palette of Paris, Texas returns in Perfect Days, where it similarly represents the stagnancy and isolation of our main characters. Wenders perfectly balances cool and warm tones in his scenes, highlighting emotions throughout the film. One aspect that came as a surprise was the monochrome scale, used in each of Hirayama’s dream sequences. His dreams are displayed not as stories or events, but vague layers of memories, often including people and nature, in a grainy black-and-white frame.
Although a fictional narrative, Perfect Days is presented in a style that is comparable to that of a documentary. There is not much of a story in the traditional sense, but rather it is the simple account of a man who loves life, following him as he cherishes kindness and the beauty of the world, even on the gloomy days. On his day to day, Hirayama has his agenda perfected, waking up to water his plants first thing in the morning, to reading a book under the dim lighting of his room after a day of work. He owns only the simplest of technology, and his cassette tapes are his most valuable possession; in wealth of both the wallet and the soul. Although the film is in Japanese language, American audiences will recognize many classic rock hits from The Animals, Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, along with some other familiar tracks. Perfect Days is comforting not only audibly, but also visually.
Wim Wenders is known for cinematically pleasing compositions, and Perfect Days is no exception. The aesthetics contribute to the calming atmosphere of Hirayama’s “perfect” life, presented in a square aspect ratio. A smooth blend of purples, greens, reds, and blues are utilized to create Wenders’ familiar palette of tranquil colors. The prominent green palette of Paris, Texas returns in Perfect Days, where it similarly represents the stagnancy and isolation of our main characters. Wenders perfectly balances cool and warm tones in his scenes, highlighting emotions throughout the film. One aspect that came as a surprise was the monochrome scale, used in each of Hirayama’s dream sequences. His dreams are displayed not as stories or events, but vague layers of memories, often including people and nature, in a grainy black-and-white frame.
The first half of the film focuses on Hirayama, and his seemingly perfect life. He is not only content with his mundane life, but he is happy with it. He smiles at strangers and studies the trees above him, photographing them to preserve the memory. He hardly says a word a day, until his niece, Niko, runs away from home to live with him. As the film shifts into the second half, we begin to see more of who Hirayama is. He is comforted by Niko’s presence, and opens up to her about life. Hirayama, aging and wise, and Niko, young and curious, admire Tokyo together, repeating the line “Next time is next time. Now is now.” We are reminded not to worry about the future, but to just live in the present and appreciate the blessings we have.
In the final act, Hirayama’s home is visited by his sister (Niko’s mother) who has come to take her daughter home. Niko is resistant, but her mother insists. It is here that we see much of what Hirayama has bottled up and hidden inside of him. His sister is wealthy and snobby, judging Hirayama for the work he does cleaning restrooms. He becomes defensive when his own sister criticizes him. After Niko and her mother leave, the film concludes with a long shot of Hirayama initially smiling, but then crying while Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” plays off of his cassette tape. We realize that Hirayama may not have been entirely happy throughout his “perfect life,” but he shows kindness and finds the goodness around him, rather than subjecting to the conformity of societal dissatisfaction.
Perfect Days is a subtle but emotional ballad. Held strong by aesthetics and acting, Yashuko’s performance as Hirayama was well deserving of his Cannes award. With Wenders’ return to filmmaking, we can hope for more films as beautiful as this. Perfect Days is a slow but intricate reflection of life, serving as a reminder that if you smile at the world, the world will smile back.
