Silent but Beautiful: "Shashinkan"

Synopsis

Set before WWII, the story takes place in a photo studio on top of a hill. Different people come to the studio to have their photo taken. One day, a couple comes, but the wife is so shy that she always lowers her head. Using different kinds of tricks, the owner of the studio manages to get her to smile. A year later, the couple returns and this time, they have brought their daughter with them. One day, a couple comes, but the wife is so shy that she always lowers her head. From this begins the long-running relationship between the girl and the owner who does everything he can to make her smile.

The Good

This is a film that truly embodies the saying “show don’t tell.” With a simple but fitting art style, It communicated a touching story that took place in a turbulent time but made it more of backdrop more than anything. The portrayal of the friendship formed between a young girl and a photographer as time passes and the young girl turns into a woman truly brought the film together in terms of plot and drawing the viewer in. It also helped that it gave a well thought-out story flow to bring out the more dramatic moments and showed how exactly the shop itself is affected. Simply put, there was a depth to the film that was unexpected given how short it was but gave a whole lot to the viewer.

The Bad

In all honesty, even with how short it is, there is almost nothing to criticize about the film. Perhaps it could have done better in other aspects such as the rise of the drama or the music but with the overall presentation and the simplicity of the work, there isn’t much negativity to be found with the work.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a film that is not too long and will give you a story with depth, this is it. The style is different but fitting and the music helped in moving the story along. The way it portrayed the friendship between the young girl turned woman and the photographer was rather well done and the drama that came with the story being set during war times melded well with the story without spotlighting the war itself. It’s a story that draws you in and is worth the 16 minutes of viewing.

Rating: 9.5/10