A Tokyo-based photographer receives a phone call one day, informing him of the death of his estranged father. Wanting nothing to do with his old man even as he stands to inherit their old home, the photographer decides to sell the remote home located in the thick of the woods. Once they complete the sale, both the photographer and the real estate developer head back to the city traversing the winding roads. However, a car accident finds them imprisoned by a group of mysterious, animalistic women who seem spiritually connected to the land.
From its opening shot to the last, Yoshimasa Ishibashi‘s “Six Singing Women” (Japanese: 唄う六人の女) leaves a mark on the ever-growing eco-fiction genre in film. And while its allegory of ecological and environmental abuse is a powerful message in itself, how Ishibashi presents it at times comes across as not only heavy-handed, but also problematic.
Six Singing Women Take Two Men as Prisoners
From the get-go, we see the direction Ishibashi wanted to go. Before the car accident stated above happens, we hear a buzzing sound of a cicada off-screen, while photographer Shinichiro Kayashima (Yutaka Takenouchi) assumes the role of uncomfortable car passenger to shady real estate developer Ryo Uwajima (Takayuki Yamada) behind the wheel. The insect’s sound dies down, revealing a woman in a kimono in the middle of the road who picks the insect up, removes its wings, then eats it whole and raw.
The accident happens shortly after, with the men waking up in different places, but both being in captivity. Their captors – all in non-speaking roles – comprise six women whose silence and steely gazes point toward something sinister. As Kayashima and Uwajima plan their escape, both take different approaches from each other that audiences can interpret as projections to how humans treat nature and the environment. In this regard, the film plays at its strongest.
But while “Six Singing Women” works just fine as a thought-provoking ecofiction, Ishibashi incorporates elements of other genres as well, such as drama and thriller. Moreover, he uses different POVs to tell his story. For the majority of the film’s runtime, the director focuses on Kayashima and Uwajima, two men with opposite personalities, to navigate their way out of their predicament.
A Tale of Two Perspectives
We initially see the film through Kayashima’s eyes as he revisits his childhood home and encounters an elderly villager who fills Kayashima in on some details. After his wife left him with their son, Kayashima’s father became a recluse, busying himself with photographs and research about the woods. As the old woman puts it, “he was a little off in the head…possessed by the mountain.” Curiously, there was no sign of someone wanting to end his life. On the contrary, the old woman adds, days before he died, Kayashima’s father seemed very happy, as if on the verge of a discovery.
Both before the accident and during his imprisonment, Kayashima tries to piece together what his late father had been working on, eventually realizing the essence of the titular characters. More importantly, he discovers something that the film subtly hints upon as something missing in Kayashima’s life – a sense of purpose. And while the news his girlfriend Kasumi (Rena Takeda) plans to tell him might give him that, the film makes it clear that this circle of life is the purpose which Kayashima would have preferred.
As for Uwajima, we see a leeching opportunist ready to pounce on any weakness and goodwill, if it meant he’d emerge on top. Takayuki Yamada portrays him with such depth that it’s very easy for audiences to root against him, as Uwajima’s actions alternate between amoral and immoral in the blink of an eye. We see his POV as someone who doesn’t care if he has to hurt, assault, and even kills anyone standing in his way, values and conscience be damned.
‘Six Singing Women’: A Mystery-Laden Ecological Fable
The ecofiction genre has gained significant momentum over the past several years. This rise, particularly in Japan, can be attributed to several cultural, historical, and social factors. These include historical context and disasters, Shinto and Buddhist influences, and the rapid industrialization and environmental issues. No wonder, the films of Hayao Miyazaki stand in the frontlines as primary examples of cinematic ecocriticism.
“Six Singing Women,” while pale in comparison to Miyazaki’s oeuvre or that of Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Evil Does Not Exist”), is nonetheless a film that has a message to convey. Whether it knows how to say it is a different matter. In this case, Ishibashi uses the two men to represent the conflict between those who appreciate nature and those who destroy it for profit; highlighting the internal struggle within humanity regarding our relationship with the environment.
Kayashima represents humanity’s respect for life. With some guidance from the women he eventually comes around, and in the process finally understands his father. In a way, his journey in the woods becomes that of a bittersweet self-discovery. On the other hand, Uwajima embodies the greedy and destructive side of humanity, seeking to exploit the forest for personal gain. How both the two men interact with each other and toward the enigmatic women underscores this dichotomy. While Kayashima respects the women, Uwajima resorts to violence and exploitation.
The Tightrope Walk of Using Genders to Portray Power and Helplessness
This is where I find the film to be a little careless. Sure, it’s understandable to play into the stereotypes of masculinity wielding excessive power and femininity being one of grace, innocence, and purity. However, poor execution can cause the messaging to backfire, rendering the whole thing as a counterintuitive exercise.
And yes, I get the film’s allegorical nature. However, Ishibashi’s choice to use traditional archetypes to discuss human responsibility toward the environment doesn’t take hold here. The fact that the six singing women have no voice – and one of them even undergoing rape – doesn’t sit well with me. Ultimately, it begs the question, “Is this what male gaze in ecofiction is?”
Despite these issues, “Six Singing Women” is a good entry to cinematic ecocriticism. As Yoshimasa Ishibashi’s first film in over 10 years, it uses the guise of a thriller with horror elements to convey a deeper ecological message.
With better directorial choices (and wiser execution), it could have been something else – more effective, more powerful.
A self-described cinephile who can’t stop talking—and writing—about films. Paul also moonlights as ghostwriter and editor for a few memoirs. He currently resides in the Philippines.
