Original subtitles

That's good.

How about using some more colors?

Tony.

Yes?

Tony Takitani's real name was...

It really was Tony Takitani

Tony's father

was Takitani Shozaburo,

a jazz musician.

Right before the Pacific War began,

Shozaburo caused some trouble

and made his way from Tokyo to China.

Takitani passed the violent war years,

breezily playing trombone

in a Shanghai night club.

And when the war ended,

his longstanding ties with shady characters caught up with him,

and they locked him up

in prison for a long time.

Most of his fellow prisoners

were executed, one after another,

with hardly any benefit of a trial.

The executions always took place at two in the afternoon.

One day,

without warning,

they'd drag him to the courtyard, too, and shoot him in the head

with an automatic rifle.

In that place, the boundary between life and death...

Was as slim as a single strand of hair.

Takitani Shozaburo

returned to Japan, no more than a bag of bones,

in the spring

of 1946.

He found his home

had been destroyed in the firebombing, and his parents

and his only brother,

lost to the same fate.

In other words, he was then...

utterly alone in the world.

Eventually,

he married a distant relative on his mother's side.

A year after they were married, they had a baby boy,

and three days after the child's birth,

his mother died.

Her death came abruptly,

as did her cremation.

An American Major, a friend of Takitani's,

consoled him for the loss of his wife like family.

And the Major said,

"You should name your kid Tony, after me".

What with American influence likely to endure,

the idea of giving his son an American name seemed...

Not half bad.

That's what Shozaburo thought

Not half bad, Tony Takitani...

Not half bad...

And yet,

because of that American name,

whenever Tony introduced himself,

people looked at him oddly...

Some even got mad.

Tony Takitani

was a boy who kept to himself for this and other reasons.

For as long as he could remember,

his father was off touring with his band.

Spending time alone was the most natural thing

in the world for Tony.

When he was young,

a housekeeper looked after him,

but once he started junior high,

he cooked for himself,

locked up

and went to bed on his own.

I'll take care of my own supper tomorrow.

I see, bye.

Good night.

Good night.

I never thought I was especially lonely.

TONY TAKITANI

You need to do Self Criticism on that.

That's what you think, and we're staying back, so we're fine,

but who knows about next year...

You're good,

but I don't feel any warmth.

That just makes you a capitalist running dog.

That's a little extreme, isn't it?

That's flawed logic.

What's flawed about it?

Tony couldn't fathom the value of the kinds of paintings

his classmates argued over,

paintings imbued with artistry or ideology.

To him, such paintings were just immature,

and ugly.

And inaccurate.

Have you ever gone out with a woman?

I did,

but we broke up.

Ever considered marriage?

Never.

Right...

Did Hayashida already go home?

He left half an hour ago.

I thought I'd have lunch with him...

How's things?

Oh, looks good, OK.

Listen,

the axis of an ellipse...

Tony was best at drawing machines.

His detailed renditions of cars, radios, and engines

were more scrupulous than anyone else's.

That he became an illustrator...

Was only natural.

We're in the red for the second half.

Yes, well, the price of paints rose...

In paints and in paper, our expenses have increased

along with our staff.

From magazine covers to advertising illustrations,

Tony accepted any job related to mechanics.

The work was agreeable

and the money was good.

I'm off.

Heading home.

I'm sorry I kept you waiting.

Come inside.

Thank you.

Here are the layouts you sent me.

There's A, B and C...

This one...

is A.

This one's B...

and C's...

Yes, thank you.

- And there's D and E. - Yes, I'll take them.

You're new, right?

Yes, I'm Konuma Eiko.

It's nice to meet you.

Oh, likewise.

I'll look after these, then.

She was like a bird taking flight for a distant land...

She wore her clothes naturally,

as though enveloped by a special breeze.

She returned to Tony's office several times.

And one day, Tony asked her out

to lunch.

I've never met anyone who inhabits her clothes

with such obvious relish as you.

I feel like clothes...

That they...

fill up...

what's missing

inside me.

I'm self-centered

And I...

love...

to indulge...

myself.

So...

I spend almost my entire salary on clothes.

I never spend money on anything except paints and supplies.

I think I've gone and fallen in love.

I'm thinking about getting married for the first time ever.

So, what do you like about her?

How can I put it...

It's like she was born to dress up.

That's great.

Shozaburo and Tony

only saw each other once every two or three years.

Once they'd settled matters,

there wasn't much left

for the two to discuss.

Takitani Shozaburo wasn't

naturally suited to being a father,

nor was Tony Takitani

naturally suited to being a son.

On their fifth date,

Tony proposed to her.

But she'd already been seeing

another man for some time,

and Tony was fifteen years

her senior.

That wasn't me, was it?

"Please let me think it over",

is what she said.

Loneliness...

is like a prison,

that's how Tony saw it.

If she says she won't marry me,

I might just have to die.

Tony wanted

to make this clear to her.

I'm sorry, out of the blue like this.

There's no denying there's 15 years between us...

How lonely his life had been,

how much he had already lost...

And how meeting her,

had finally made him recognize it.

The lonely times were over for Tony Takitani.

As soon as he woke up,

he sought her.

When he saw her sleeping figure beside him, he relaxed

and became anxious at her absence.

This lack of loneliness

felt ever so slightly odd to Tony.

Because now that he wasn't lonely,

he found himself constantly terrified

by the possibility of being alone again.

Sometimes, when he imagined it...

It scares me so much I break into a cold sweat.

His terror lasted three months after their marriage.

And yet, as he grew accustomed to his new life,

his fear abated.

- It has real personality, right? - It's like a kid, right, a baby?

There was not a single thing to cast

a dark shadow on their married life.

She was a gifted housewife

and looked after the house briskly.

But there was just one thing

that bothered Tony.

Which was...

She buys an alarming number of clothes.

In the presence of clothes,

she was almost entirely unable

to restrain herself.

In a flash, her expression altered

and even her voice changed.

The problem escalated

after they visited Europe.

During their travels,

she purchased an astonishing volume of designer clothing.

As though bewitched, she simply bought

every garment in sight,

while Tony tagged along behind,

picking up the tab.

Once they returned to Japan,

her fever did not subside.

Day after day,

she continued shopping for clothes.

They had to order

several large wardrobes,

along with shelves designed

to accommodate her shoes.

And when that still wasn't enough, they had to convert

one entire room into a closet.

- Is this the only color? - Yes, it only comes in white.

Hello?

Hi there, Dad.

Yeah, it's been a while.

I see...

Please wait a minute while we prepare your table.

She's getting us a table.

That's my Dad.

You've never seen him onstage, right?

Shozaburo was playing exactly the same music he had always played.

But his music was somehow different

from the way Tony remembered his father playing.

The difference may have been subtle.

But to Tony,

that difference

was crucial.

Tony wanted to approach his father onstage...

What's so different, Dad?

That's what he wanted to ask.

What if...

you cut back a little on your shopping?

I'm not just concerned about the money.

I'm happy you're getting more beautiful.

But... do you really need all those clothes?

I know I should.

But even though I know better,

I can't help myself.

When I see beautiful things,

I can't not buy them.

I can't stop myself...

from buying them.

Like an addiction.

But...

she promised

to try to escape

from her obsession.

For a week,

she stayed at home,

so as not to be tempted.

But during that time,

she began to feel as if she was empty.

She spent her days

in the dressing room, staring at her clothes.

She never ever tired of looking at her clothes.

And the more she looked, the more she desired new ones.

As soon as that desire arose,

she lost control.

I simply couldn't control myself.

And yet, she truly loved her husband,

and accepted the wisdom of his objections.

She only had one body.

I really don't need...

so many clothes.

So she went

to her favorite boutique and asked

if she could return a recently-purchased

coat and dress.

I'm sorry about it.

Please come back.

After returning the garments,

she felt unburdened.

But

as she waited for the light to change, she could think of nothing,

but the coat and dress she had just returned.

Of their colors,

their design,

and their textures.

How much per false tooth?

70,000 yen.

So, 280,000 for four?

Oh, no...

They're so expensive when health insurance doesn't cover them.

Hisako,

I hear you quit your job?

I just couldn't take it.

How are you getting by?

Waitressing at an Italian restaurant.

I'm going

on a job interview after this.

Take a look at this.

Woman, size 7,

approximately 165cm tall,

and shoe size, 23cm.

The qualifications are a bit strange

but I'm a perfect match.

And...

look at the salary!

Maybe you should be careful.

So pretty!

From the thirteen women who applied,

Tony chose the woman who most resembled his wife.

Relax.

Thank you.

The job is really simple, actually.

You're here from 9 to 5 every day

to answer the phone,

and deliver my assignments,

pick up materials,

or make copies.

Yes.

But there's one condition.

I just lost my wife.

I've still got all of the clothes she left behind.

They're all practically brand-new.

I'd like you

to wear them as your uniform,

while you're at work here...

Every day...

Your wife's clothes?

That's right.

That's why those sizes were a job requirement.

I'm sure it's a strange request. I know that

but I have no ulterior motives

I just need some time to get used to the fact that she's gone.

If you are around, dressed in her clothes,

I know that the reality of her being gone

will sink in.

Honestly,

she really couldn't grasp

what Tony Takitani meant.

And yet, he didn't seem like a bad person...

I think he's just a little out of it from losing his wife.

And besides...

Her unemployment was about to run out.

She needed a job.

I understand.

I mean, actually...

I don't really get

what you're talking about...

But I think I can do what you ask.

Oh, really? Thank you.

Before I do...

Is it possible...

I could see

your wife's clothes?

Of course.

I just think that I should try them on,

to be sure they really fit...

Of course.

I'll wait outside. Please try them on.

She found row after row of hundreds and hundreds of beautiful garments.

She couldn't help imagining how it must have been to die

and leave behind

so many fabulous clothes.

The clothing and the shoes

fit her as perfectly

as if they'd been made for her.

Are you all right?

After a while, Tony Takitani came in to see how she was...

"Why are you crying?",

He asked her.

Are you all right?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I just...

don't really...

understand...

I guess...

I've never seen...

so many beautiful clothes at once.

I think it confused me.

I'm sorry.

Go ahead and choose a week's worth of shoes and clothing and take it.

And then...

"Just in case it cools down,

"why don't you choose a coat, too,"

said Tony Takitani.

She chose a grey cashmere coat that looked warm.

It was as light as a feather.

She had never worn

such a coat in her entire life.

Her clothes...

seemed like his wife's lingering shadows.

These shadows,

once infused with warm breath,

had moved alongside his wife.

Yet,

what now confronted him,

their vital roots severed,

seemed a flock of shadows,

withering with each moment.

As Tony...

Watched this happen,

I gradually began to suffocate.

I'm sorry, but things have changed.

The things you took home are yours to keep.

Please just forget this entire episode.

Please don't tell anyone about it.

Morning.

They have a terrible reputation.

The stains never come out.

You're wearing more designer stuff.

It's silk wool.

Looks pricey.

Must have cost over 100,000 yen.

Why? And how can you afford so many expensive clothes?

I can't tell you.

And even if I could,

you two would never believe me.

What's that mean?

Tony wound up contacting

a second-hand clothes shop, and they came

and took everything away.

He left the barren,

former dressing room vacant for a long time.

And even the emotions

he had once embraced

gradually receded from his memory.

His memory gradually shifted,

like mist in the wind,

growing dimmer

with each change.

Two years after his wife's death,

his father, Takitani Shozaburo, died of liver cancer.

He left behind only

his trombone

and a mountain of old jazz records.

The records reeked with mold,

so periodically Tony had to open the windows of the dressing room.

In this way... a year passed.

However,

the mountain of records he had inherited

gradually began to burden him.

Tony called a second-hand record shop

for an appraisal.

Because many of the records were rare,

the appraisal came in quite high,

but even that meant nothing.

Once the mountain of records vanished,

Tony Takitani

was truly

and finally,

completely alone.

I'm going home now.

Stick around.

Something I want to ask you.

All right.

You're Tony Takitani, right?

Yes.

Nice crowd.

The thing is,

you may be shocked...

I'm the guy...

Eiko ditched back then.

I hear the chick up and died.

Wasn't that chick a pain?

She was not a pain, and...

I've forgotten.

And stop calling her "that chick".

So you are dull, after all.

Just like your drawings...

From time to time,

he would recall the unknown woman,

who had wept so,

in the former dressing room,

upon seeing the clothes.

And

his memory would resurrect

the sound of her sobs.

"I've never seen...

so many beautiful clothes

at once"

He didn't wish to remember it.

And yet,

even after he had forgotten almost everything else,

strangely, he could never shake

the recollection of that woman.

Hey, say, gloves...

I got two pairs of gloves.

Oh, perfect. I'll give you one.

- Which one? Purple or yellow? - Either's fine.

- But, no... - It's up to you.

You can't leave it up to me.

But really, either's fine.

Yellow, or purple...

- You really sure? - Yes, it's really fine.

Oh, I know.

You know the purple one's... It's missing,

there's only a thumb.

It really doesn't matter.

I really don't even want them.

Hey, that's not very nice...

Issey Ogata

Miyazawa Rie

Narrator: Nishijima Hidetoshi

Based on "Tony Takitani" by Murakami Haruki

Music: Sakamoto Ryuichi

Executive producer: Yonezawa Keiko

Producer: Ishida Motoki

Director of photography: Hirokawa Taishi

Written and directed by: Ichikawa Jun

Subtitles: Linda Hoaglund

Subtitling TITRA FILM Paris