Giovanni’s Island review

Production I.G’s 2014 film depicts the atrocities that accompany conflict and the aversion of people to succumb to abhorrence.

An exceedingly fortunate few won’t have to witness atrocity. But the rest of us will be forced to watch our country either endure or commit acts of barbarism. Occasionally, we might even have to see both. Expectedly, this moment holds significance. For some, it’s where childhood naivety abruptly ends, replaced by a complicated worldview that can be dominated by cynicism, anger, or denial. This pivotal moment is at the heart of director Mizuho Nishikubo’s Giovanni’s Island.

Much like Grave of the Fireflies or In This Corner of the World, this historical drama can be agonizing. Watching children bear the burden of war can make for a dispiriting experience that’s antithetical to the feel-good fodder than drives contemporary cinema. But it’s also a film that reflects the potential of the human spirit, along with the reminder of social connection and the prospect of acceptance. You might not want to watch it twice, but a single viewing is essential.

Based on the Life Experiences of Hiroshi Tokuno

On August 15^th, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender, nine days after the United States dropped two atomic bombs and five months after the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. Although Shikotan, an island in the northern Kurils, was mostly spared from the carnage, the worry of a foreign takeover began to emerge. Much of Japan would struggle with the American occupation, but Shikotan saw battalions of Russians arrive in anticipation of a land grab. Giovanni’s Island adeptly communicates the sense of uncertainty of this period.

Following the shock of Russian soldiers interrupting their school lessons at gunpoint and the confiscation of their houses, 11-years old Junpei and his younger brother Kanta quickly acclimate to the state of affairs. One of their coping mechanisms is a book called Night on the Galactic Railroad. A popular children’s book in Japan, Galactic Railroad details a magical train that travels among the cosmos, transporting souls from this world to the next. Junpei and Kanta’s late mother loved the book so much that she named the two boys after the lead characters.

Acceptance on the Other Side of the Wall

Trains aren’t present on the small, isolated island, prompting a sense of fascination within the brothers. When they receive a gift of a model railroad set, they lay down pieces of track, using a mounted flashlight to illuminate their provisional housing. Occasionally, Giovanni’s Island hints at a cultural connection between the two oppositional groups. Separated by a wall, Junpei and Kanta build a loop with a Russian girl named Tanya, who now lives in the main part of their commandeered house.

For a moment, the film seems poised to descend into trite, feel-good entertainment, where children close the gaps created by jingoistic adults. One day, the Russians sing one of the songs that the Japanese students habitually perform, and the gesture receives reciprocation. During play, one of the brothers accidentally knocks Tanya down, prompting apprehension across the playground. But she quells the situation by confirming it was an accident, and the children soon forget about the incident.

Of course, history doesn’t usually always provide such sanguine stories of cultural acceptance. The remainder of the film depicts a succession of hardships, from interment to repatriation for the people of Shikotan. Despite the film’s early moment signaling sunny optimism and mutual empathy, subsequent acts plumb the repulsiveness that nations are capable of. Skillfully, Giovanni’s Island shirks blaming individuals. Instead, there’s a disinclination to follow orders and instances of compassion that are often absent from most wartime dramas. Given the current state of the world, that message of benevolence is just as relevant as ever.

The Blu-ray release of Giovanni’s Island bundles the 1 hour and 41-minute film with a “Making Of” featurette, an interview with Tanya’s voice actress, Polina Ilyushenko as well as a music video, and an art gallery. It is currently available from the GKIDS website as well as from major online retailers.