Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.


Shall We Dance? could have easily been another one of those mindless off-color slapstick comedies that, according to many Western experts, are very popular in Japan. The plot, concerning a middle-aged salaryman taking dancing classes to woo an attractive girl he regularly spies on, would lead to many embarrassing and laughable situations typical with this kind of low-brow style of comedy. However, Shall We Dance? is above that. Admittedly, the film does implement stereotypical characters and situations, but the director, Masayuki Suo –who also wrote the script– does not take manners in a superficial way: he describes the story in a very subtle way, making the characters and situations flesh out slowly into an experience that is nothing short of charming.

When we see the main character of the movie, Shohei Sugiyama (played by Koji Yakusho), we can empathize with his dilemma. He is what many people would consider a typical Japanese: a middle-aged man with a job at a big company with a wife and a daughter. He has achieved everything that he is expected to do in his life, including buying what is –by Tokyo standards– a huge house through very hard work. "I’ve given my soul to the company," he confesses to one of his co-workers at one point. He goes to work very early in the morning and returns late at night, exhausted, which bothers his wife very much. Yet he clearly believes that there is something missing in his life: we can interpret from his attitude that he is in the middle of a midlife crisis.

And then, on one of his routine subway trips back home, he catches sight, by chance, of a lithe woman looking enigmatically out a window of a nearby building –a sight by which he is captivated. A few seconds later when she closes the window to go back inside, he notices a sign written across it: "Kishikawa School of Dance." He gathers up his courage over the next couple of days until he finally decides, although with some hesitation, to attend the school for a chance to meet her. First, though, he needs to learn to dance…

Shall We Dance? is a great movie not because it paints its attributes in bold, brash strokes and a sugary-sweet tone –something that most "romantic comedies" nowadays are so willing to do. Instead, it does almost the opposite. Masayuki Suo has done this before, in 1992’s Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t, which told the story of a group of underdogs put in charge of winning the state Sumo championship. (Interestingly, a lot of the actors from Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t even make some cameo appearances, or get minor roles, in this movie.) Shall We Dance? shows how much Suo’s style has progressed. While Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t was a film made in the popular "underdog" genre –cliched and predictable– it did showcase what have become staples in his work. He uses a very slow pace and introduces its points in a very subdued and quiet manner to engage the viewer into the story.

In Shall We Dance?, this technique is used in an even better way than its predecessor, and it is impressive to see how skillfully Suo accomplishes this. Using many shots where nothing is said for large periods of time. he encourages us to think carefully about what is happening in the given situation. In true Japanese fashion, like a haiku by Basho, most of what is said or shown only hints at a larger meaning. This affects every single aspect of the movie, but it is most apparent in the main character. Even after his experiences with dancing, we do not see Sugiyama’s personality change in a miraculous, sudden fashion; we see how he incorporates this new aspect into his life, adjusting to the changes in a very subtle way.

In other words, Suo is not content with just presenting us with just a simple "love story"; he makes sure his film is enjoyable and memorable because he knows the characters must be likable and, most of all, believable. Therefore, he takes this opportunity to let the characters grow as the movie progresses, but in a plausible fashion, according to their personalities. We are never told outright why the characters behave as they do. A rather flamboyant colleague in the dance school, for example, is one of the movie’s best characterizations –and one of its best surprises as well. His actions may be funny and unusual, but Suo always suggests that there is something behind his behavior. We are given some vague reasons as to why he acts in this extravagant way but we can only understand better as the movie progresses.

That said, though, the movie is never mellow or sorrowful: it is always presented in a bright, cheerful light that, in a cynical way, could be labeled as "audience pleasing," and it is somewhat obvious at times. However, unlike the psychedelic Australian movie Strictly Ballroom, Suo uses ballroom dancing not as the main impetus behind the movie, but rather as just a tool to introduce us to a wide variety of interesting, and at many times, funny characters and subplots. Unfortunately, this means that he does rely on many stereotypes, like the abusive but well-meaning woman, or the talkative loudmouth who always ruins things.

It is obvious, however, that Suo is fully aware of what he is doing. He uses our expectations about the predictable characters and situations and expands about them to create a new set of scenarios that constantly surprise the audience. In no other scene is this more evident than when Sugiyama finally discloses his feelings to the object of his affection, Mai (played by former ballerina Tamiyo Kusakari). We know what he is about to say, but Suo handles it in such a masterful manner that he manages to reveal new facets about the characters and even the theme of the movie itself. Watching the scene unfold is truly a pleasure to watch. Nevertheless, there are some subplots the movie could have done without which tend to drag the plot slightly.

In spite of its slight flaws, though, Shall We Dance? remains a superbly made film with some wonderful cinematography, a storyline that manages to be both intriguing and engaging, and a wonderful cast resulting in something that truly enchants both the heart and the mind. If anything, it is a great example of what can be accomplished in a hackneyed and crowded genre if people were to put just a little bit of thought and imagination into it.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS