The movie is a reflection on the impact of the bombing of Nagasaki. By virtue of that, its reminiscent, its melancholy in parts, its a tribute to those who died and those who continue to live in grief of those who died. There are some other-worldly aspects to it - the eye of the nuclear mushroom, the imp in the waterfall, the defiant walk of the grandma in the last scene. She steps out in torrential rain and walks – walks compelled by her past memories, towards her past memories. Its defiant and also tragic. The scene with her entire family running after her is maybe too theatrical but it makes a lasting impact. Richard Gere does a cameo as the second generation bridge with America. Perhaps his character creates both the continuity and the break from the grandma's past. The respect for the past he conveys perhaps provides validation and closure which had been pending for her.
Review of Rhapsody in August
