Reviewed by Justin Bateman
Stars Elmar Wepper, Hannelore Elsner, Nadja Uhl, Maximilian Brückner, Aya Irizuki, Birgit Minichmayr, Felix Eitner,
Floriane Daniel, Celine Tanneberger
Written by Doris Dörrie
Certification UK Unrated | US Unrated
Runtime 127 minutes
Directed by Doris Dörrie
When Trudi (Elsner) discovers from the doctor that her husband Rudi (Wepper) is suffering from a terminal illness, it is left to her to decide whether or not she should tell him. The doctor suggests that they take a trip somewhere before it’s too late and Trudi has always had a passion for Japan where one of their sons, Karl (Brückner), also happens to live. But Rudi is perfectly content to stay in their rural village and even a trip to Berlin to see their other children is something of an ordeal.
The visit is not without its difficulties. The children don’t have time to spend with their parents, while Trudi and Rudi feel out of place in the big city. All the while, Trudi is torn between telling the man she loves what she knows and maintaining his blissful ignorance. The two of them then take a trip to the Baltic Sea whereupon Trudi suddenly dies. This unexpected turn takes Cherry Blossoms in an unexpected direction but is all the more affecting for it. Left alone, Rudi has to come terms with a life he never envisaged and after spending some time with his daughter’s girlfriend, decides to make the journey Trudi never made to Mount Fuji. As well as dealing with familiar familial trials and tribulations, the film addresses the impermanence of life, regret, loss and enlightenment sensitively and poignantly. Director Doris Dörrie gives a masterclass in showing rather than telling and many of the most touching sequences are without any dialogue at all.
In a way it’s hard to recommend Cherry Blossoms because it is at times so emotionally gruelling. It’s also slow to the point of torpor and at over two hours makes the whole viewing experience a tough one. But there is much to be admired in the aesthetics, the subtly powerful performances and in dealing with a difficult subject with such delicacy.