Sarusuberi doesn't have great narrative ambitions. It portrays a series of vignettes covering a small portion of the protagonist's life, and doesn't conclude any of the narrative arcs it alludes to. This blunts emotional impact, but focuses the viewer on its themes. It's a reflection on the artistic process, though it has little to say about art itself.
Oei never has any great epiphanies, the film instead subtly conveys how her experiences influence her art. She can't draw women in sex scenes convincingly, and the people around her imply it's because of her sexual inexperience. So she goes out to a brothel, and when we next see her drawing erotic art, the woman in it resembles the sex worker she met that day. Most experiences Oei has tie into her art like this, and it provides otherwise disparately connected scenes clear narrative purpose.
The film has some interesting things to say about how a lack of technical proficiency can enhance a work's impact.
Oei's painter kohai Zenjirou's lack of technical skill gives his sex scenes an allure she cannot capture. She’s sure her art is technically superior, so this frustrates her, and to resolve the cognitive dissonance she further invests in her feeling of superiority. She works hard to improve anyway though.
That’s a surprisingly accurate reflection of what visual artists are like. Technically skilled artists are a dime a dozen, as are creatively inspired ones. People who have only technical skill often feel superior to those who only have creative inspiration, vice versa. But a great artist needs both, and regardless of how self-critical they are, they can get better with practice and study.
The dialogue has a satisfying pace that wordlessly informs the viewer as to the personalities and relationships of the characters. The way Oei pauses before answering Zenjirou's questions, but immediately answers Hatsugoro's questions informs us as to her disposition towards them.
Likewise, the editing and sound design inform us as to the thoughts and emotions of Oei's little sister Onao. She's blind, and her mood is different on a summer morning, rich with audible and olfactory stimuli, than on a winter morning, where snow absorbs most sound. This is communicated through careful camerawork and editing, often changing angles to signal that she's picked up on something we expect to be received through visual stimuli.
Explicit symbolism is layered throughout the visual tapestry. This is an East Asian film, so of course flowers are a primary symbolic tool. Many of the backgrounds, effects, and locations replicate the work of the historical Hokusai and Oei. It’s a nice atmospheric touch that works regardless of the viewer’s familiarity with their work.
I greatly appreciate the film's attitude towards sex, sex workers, and erotic art. Sex is generally treated casually throughout the piece, and sex workers are regarded with appropriate respect. Homosexuality is not treated as exceptional or aberrant. Erotic art is considered to be of equal value to all other art, a view I particularly enjoy living in a society that very much looks down on erotic art. I should moderate my praise somewhat, as this is largely reflective of the society it portrays rather than a moral stance of the film, but I still found it refreshing.
The narrative and characters may have only the barest traces of arcs, but this is a carefully constructed film, and it pays off in every important way. It isn't intensely emotional, but it paints an enthralling picture that keeps the viewer engaged throughout its run.
It is a meaningful, worthwhile experience. I recommend.
