Tamara Ruppart's Path of Dreams is a remarkable artistic achievement. This film does everything right. It is visually stunning and there is an elegance of setting, costume, and dialogue. The story is expertly paced and the performances are nuanced and well-captured on film. This is a sublime story expertly told.
Only a filmmaker with a poetic sensibility could pull off a presentation that befits the story of one of Japan's most legendary poets. The story unfolds through an invitation the protagonist, Komachi, issues to her over-eager love interest, Shosho.
Come to see me each night before
the moon is high and we will write
poems to learn who we truly are.
Vow to this and keep your vow, and
we will create a love almost as
beautiful as poetry. On the 100th
night, I will accept you as my
lover.
"We will write poems to learn who we truly are." That line just blows me away. And lines like that just keep cascading over you throughout the entire movie.
From the opening moments, until the conclusion, I was drawn into the story's world and its aching narrative. Multiple layers of meaning and interpretation blossom effortlessly throughout the story. There is nothing heavy-handed about it. The important questions about identity and how to forge a lasting love are in the foreground while doubt and insecurity lurk in the shadows. One has a sense that somehow by watching this movie, a person can begin to learn who they "truly are."
In this short movie there are no wasted lines, no shots that take you out of the story. Instead every camera angle, every close-up, and every setting choice keeps drawing you in deeper and deeper. The attention to detail such as the colors of kimonos or items in the background let you know you are in the hands of a thoughtful and skilled storyteller. I highly recommend Path of Dreams and urge you to keep an eye out for Tamara Ruppart's next offering.