Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus

The most impressive thing about Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus, after Sakamoto's performance itself, is the recording quality.

There is clarity across the whole audible sound spectrum, you can hear Sakamoto's feet pressing the pedals, his every breath, the rising and setting of the dampeners. When he is turning his score, you immediatly hear that it was printed on thick, heavy paper. It is absolutely clear that the sound crew on this recording were true professionals.

The Director, Neo Sora, always has the camera slowly gliding or zooming. This constant gentle motion helps the viewer to enter an almost meditative state and concentrate on the music.

From time to time though, I would have preferred more shots of the beautiful Yamaha grand piano doing its work instead of what felt like overly avent-garde shots of shadows, reflections or the studio's wall panels.

Even more I would have preferred shots where Sakamoto's eyes are visible. He knew that this would be his last public performance, and he is putting all of his soul into it - one of the two lines of dialogue in the movie is him saying he needs a break because he is pushing himself too far - so his face is full of emotion during his whole play. But we almost NEVER see his eyes clearly - they are almost always blocked by microphones, his hair or the frame of his glasses.

I don't think the decision to film in B&W was the right one; the set looked like it was already mostly black, so you are only loosing some clarity of the picture and probably some deatails on Sakamoto's face, without really gaining anything. This is however only my subjective opinion.

The lighting however is beautiful. The light cuts clear lines and shadows, and the varying illumination helps maintain visual alternation troughout the movie.

Of course quieter parts are part of a concert like this. Unfortunately though, a cinema isn't a concert hall, so you will here a constant white noise from the AC unit, which you usually don't notice on "normal" films, and if you are unlucky also people talking, opening soda cans, leaving the venue, etc.

I think this performance is best enjoyed at home with some high fidelity headphones.

Sakamoto displays an incredible connection to the instrument in his performance. If you are a fan of his work, or just this style of classical music in general, this is a film for you.

Rest In Peace Ryuichi Sakamoto, 1952 - 2023. The world is poorer without you.