Asian World Film Festival Presents RED SNOW Film Review — Dead Murder Mystery Case

Posted on by Alexis Leonard

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Heavy snow accretes on the uneven pavement of this small Japanese coastal town, filling the dark alleyways with slush and ice. Older men drink and gamble inside the taverns and leave in the wee early hours of the frigid morning. They return home late and harass their partners who are too scared or numb to react. Lampposts are scarce in this town, but there is just enough light for the citizens to ignore the crimes in the shadows.

Red Snow is the story of a journalist, Shogo Kodachi, who returns to this daunting town to solve the murder case of Takumi – the young boy who mysteriously died decades ago. The urge to solve this case is purely personal as the statute of limitations has already passed. Although there are no legal ramifications of this dead murder mystery case, some need to discover the truth to move on with their lives.

Takumi’s older brother, Kazuki Shirakawa, feels guilty over the death of his younger brother, but he remembers nothing of the event and desires to fill in the blanks. The only person in the town who can answer his questions is Sayuri Eto, who was just a young girl when her abusive mother was a plausible suspect in Takumi’s death. But Sayuri strangely refuses to answer any questions about the incident.

 

Red liquid is prominent in the film, whether it is blood or red paint. Kazuki Shirakawa is a passionate potter, and as he collaborates with the reporter on Takumi’s case, he drips and swathes his bowls in red glaze. The red glaze oozes and spreads, and before long it resembles blood. His hands are stained by red glaze as he remembers Takumi, imagining he has his younger brother’s blood on his hands. Every torturous moment he lives without answers regarding his younger brother’s death, the more his life spirals.

 

Asian World Film Festival’s Red Snow Visualizes Juxtaposing Themes

Throughout Red Snow, we watch the mysterious, tragic pasts of each character unravel as the complex case of Takumi grows deeper and more convoluted. In this writer’s opinion, the film’s visuals are alluring as the bright snow falls in dim parts of the town, but the puzzling pieces of the plot were difficult to connect at times.

This film portrays a small, coastal Japanese town that appears to be in a perpetual blizzard. Red Snow is for someone looking for a complicated thriller with a dramatic plotline. However, there are graphic scenes of sexual abuse/rape, so if these scenes trigger you, stay away from this film.

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Creative Cast:

Director: Kai Sayaka
Producer: Asano Hirotaka

Cast:

Nagase Masatoshi
Nahana
Iura Arata

Images courtesy of Asian World Film Festival

Alexis Leonard

About the Author: Alexis Leonard

Alexis Leonard’s passion for reading and writing began in the Hundred Acre Wood when she accompanied Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh on their friendly, imaginative adventures. At the age of seven, Alexis was inspired by this honey-loving bear and began writing her own short stories filled with magical kingdoms, eerie forests, and furry monsters. She is interested in international relations and foreign languages, practicing her language skills by reading short stories from around the globe and learning about literature from different cultures. In her spare time, you will find Alexis reading psychological thrillers, watching anime, or focusing on her own creative writing.

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