MovieChat Forums > Dare mo shiranai (2004) Discussion > One Scene I Didn't Understand *SPOILERS*

One Scene I Didn't Understand SPOILERS

posted 11 years ago by hexedd
7 replies | jump to latest

When the eldest brother sees the girl in the school outfit walk up to a "shrine" on the ground that says something like "To so and so in heaven" and it has shoes and incense being burned. Just prior to that it shows some other schoolgirls running away and laughing saying "she's coming". Was that some sort of cruel prank? I didn't understand the cultural significance of it. It was like she was being bullied by the other girls but I didn't understand how the "shrine" represented that...Anyone have any insight? I know a fair bit about Japanese culture but that one went over my head.

[–] audioliquor 10 years ago

Wow...I'm surprised nobody volunteered an answer yet!

I think that the shrine is like a grave for her. It's very unlucky for someone to get that done for herself. It's like being cursed that you will die soon. Another thing I can think of, is that it is implying that Saki is supernatural, like she's a witch or something.

What do you think?

[–] hexedd 10 years ago

Ahh, excellent interpretation, thanks so much. Now that I re-watched the scene it definitely looks like some sort of shrine. Although the second one you said seems possible too. Thanks for the reply. :)

[–] audioliquor 10 years ago

You're welcome.

On a side note - I honestly don't know how you can watch this again.... It's one of the most upsetting movies I've ever seen. I cannot stop thinking about it, and the movie is really good. But I can't watch it again. No way. :/

I want that mother to go to jail, and I want to know that those kids find loving homes and stay in touch. I don't need movies to have happy endings. But I need this one to...!!!

[–] voodoo1 10 years ago

The first time I watched this movie was at night, and afterwards I just couldn't sleep, I found so infinitely sad and haunting. The thought of children suffering is simply heart-breaking. Add to that, the melancholic music is enough to send you into sad trance.

I read up about this story and found that more recently in Osaka a woman had abandoned her 3 year old and 1 year old sons who eventually died of starvation in their apartment after their mother just decided to disappear. I just don't know what is wrong with people that they would wilfully do things like this.

I liked this movie very much, it makes you feel and think about things that other movies struggle to touch you with. However, watching this movie again is hard, not easy to do without getting depressed again.

[–] HeadStark 10 years ago

While I'm not a Japanese, I've watched a fair share of Japanese soap drama. One of the most common form of bullying in Japan is done by kids is to pretend the bullied has died. They do this in order to make the bullied feel alone and unwanted. I can't think of any grand symbolism yet, but I think the main point of showing us that scene is to make us believe that Saki (the schoolgirl) is also lonely and thus able to bond easily with another kids who are also lonely.

One interesting and disturbing thing is, we are introduced to Yuki (the youngest kid who died) coming out of the suitcase and then she leaves us by going back inside the suitcase again.

[–] TCCPhreak 9 years ago

I think Saki being lonely also explains why she didn't get any help. Like the older brother, she was afraid that the kids might get split up and end up being lonely, again.

Don't forget that Yuki left the house in a bigger suitcase than she entered it in. I'm not sure whether Saki says "You've grown" in the english dub or sub but that's definitely a tear jerker moment for me.

[–] palhares-f 9 years ago

I read somewhere that Saki doesn't have a mother, and that in Japanese Culture this fact alone could lead people to bully the children of single parents (not that kids and youngsters need many reasons to bully someone). If so, the shrine could be to Saki's mother? The other girls were trying to tease her for not having a mom?

My two cents.