"Music requires peace"
I first heard of Sakamoto through his score for The Revenant and finding interest in his career outside of this soundtrack led me to this film. On the surface, I was expecting to learn more about Sakamoto’s life and his work. While the film pleasantly supplied such material, I was amazed by its thematic around the power of music. It starts with Sakamoto playing one of his most cherished songs for a group of people left homeless following the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami. No narration or overt exposition was needed to signify the need of the tranquil nature of Sakamoto’s music after such a turbulent time for his country. This theme strengthens as the film moves forward, tying it to Sakamoto’s battle with throat cancer and his activism against nuclear weapons.
The film itself paints a intimate portrait of Sakamoto; presenting itself as a well-executed memoir more than a documentary. It’s direction is a testament to this, with many sequences taking place in Sakamoto’s home as he works on new music and explores his discography. It’s not only captivating to see his creativity when producing music, but to hear him relate this music to his personal ideology and the world around him. In a similar fashion, it’s editing is perfect in it’s focus on Sakamoto - choosing not to go through his career chronologically, but instead build his eclectic career on his life experiences.
My favourite example is seeing him work on The Revenant shortly after he discusses taking a hiatus from music following his cancer diagnosis, telling viewers he couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Another highlight is the film’s use of archival footage, similarly linking it to Sakamoto’s life in a way that feels fluid. This naturally creates a unique immersion wherein the hypothetical barrier between artist and fan quickly erodes. This archival footage is also where Sakamoto’s dedication to his craft is best demonstrated as viewers begin to understand him as one of Japan’s most talented artists.
Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA is a wonderful ode to the healing power of music in the most hopeless scenarios and functions as a intimate retrospect on the life and work of Sakamoto. It’s direction and editing are executed in a manner that understands the intimate nature of Sakamoto’s work, bringing that sentiment to film and creating a documentary with an elegantly human touch.
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