I am infuriated. I am disgusted. I can't sleep.
Caterpillar (Kyatapira) is a Japanese movie released in 2010 against the growing Fascism in Japan. It starts with the Sino-Japanese 1945 war scenes. A few soldiers are running after Chinese girls in a village that has been set on fire and finally get hold of them, torture them and rape them ruthlessly as they try to defend, scream and cringe. You see the satisfaction on Kurokawa, the soldier's face, as if he has had his revenge.
The next scene transports you to a house in a small village in Japan, where a family is kneeling down and horrifically looking at the return of their son, a 'war hero', Kurokawa. The soldiers who have come to drop him at this house say that he miraculously survived the war even though he has lost his limbs. Once they leave, you see the family reacting, not knowing whether to be rejoice the return of their kin or be miserable at the pound of flesh lying in front of them who can neither talk nor hear.
The wife, Shigeko breaks down, in grief, and in rage and refuses to accept him as her husband, but the whole village asks her to take care of her great husband, who has done his country proud, who is a role model for many, and is truly a 'War God'.
She finally comes to terms, obediently fulfills her duties, by cleaning him and feeding him. Even though her husband is incapacitated, he still has his insatiable sex drive and repeatedly signals her to take off her clothes and satisfy him. He does not show any remorse at his demands and expects her to give into his demands as her duty.
The character of Shigeko portrays so much strength and perseverance that you begin to wonder how can she be so patient. The film takes you back to the times before Kurokawa left for the war, when he repeatedly used to rape Shigeko and call her an 'infertile bitch' who could not give him a son. How is she able to take care of a man, her husband who used to treat her like filth and in some ways still does, by expecting her to look after him and fulfill all him whims and fancies at every beck and call. The movie shows the indomitable spirit of a woman, and the courage and patience she demonstrates towards her husband. A woman may be physically weaker but she is several times superior to the man when it comes to courage.
The movie has some very graphic scenes, where she cleans her husband's ass every day. Once she is so disgusted by the act, that she starts singing patriotic songs to pep herself up and justify her duty. The patriotic songs that she sings form the background score of the movie and in difficult times, she repeatedly sings them to motivate her.
Much to Kurokawa's repulsion, she takes him out on a cart, dressed in a uniform and his medals, for villagers to see and appreciate. In a way, it seems she is looking for praise and appreciation for herself too as the selfless wife of the War God who made his country proud. Kurokawa, however, seems to hate the pity on the faces of the villagers, and refuses to go out the next time.
Even though he has lost his limbs and been reduced to an animal, who just eats, sleeps and craves for sex, he still has his masculine pride intact. He wants to eat all the food, leaving none for Shigeko, spits on her face when she refuses to have sex and shows no signs of remorse till Shigeko strikes back. She slaps him, curses him, screams and reminds him of all the painful times he has given her. She forces herself on him chiding him and asking him, 'Who is barren now?'
Her grief reminds Kurokawa of that fateful night when he raped the innocent girl and killed her. He remembers her screams, the look in her eyes, and the pain he gave her and consequently the fire that cost him his arms and legs. He breaks out in a fit, full of remorse, and out of control, he wriggles across the floor, tries to break his head against the wall screaming in agony. Shigeko at this point, laughs and cries at his remorse, singing, 'Rumble, Tumble like a Caterpillar.'
The movie ends with the scenes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki war in 1945 when the monarch gives in to the USA and the war ends. Several Japanese soldiers who fought for their country are hanged to death as war criminals.
Caterpillar is simple, beautiful and hard-hitting. It subtly shows how fascism and war are glorified to justify the heinous crimes committed against mankind, destroying not just human lives but killing the human spirit. The film repeatedly makes you ponder how a soldier fighting in the name of his country yet raping and ruthlessly beating Chinese victims, even his wife can be portrayed as a War God. How can people bow in front of him, worship him and sing in his praise? The setting of this film might be Japanese, but the same story repeats itself everywhere. Be it war against the Naxals in India, the army in Kashmir, USA soldiers in Afghanistan or El Salvador, they are all war heros who have ruthlessly set people's homes on fire, raped women and robbed innocent children of their livelihood. Yet, we worship them as martyrs, as heroes and as Gods.
Caterpillar (Kyatapira) is a Japanese movie released in 2010 against the growing Fascism in Japan. It starts with the Sino-Japanese 1945 war scenes. A few soldiers are running after Chinese girls in a village that has been set on fire and finally get hold of them, torture them and rape them ruthlessly as they try to defend, scream and cringe. You see the satisfaction on Kurokawa, the soldier's face, as if he has had his revenge.
The next scene transports you to a house in a small village in Japan, where a family is kneeling down and horrifically looking at the return of their son, a 'war hero', Kurokawa. The soldiers who have come to drop him at this house say that he miraculously survived the war even though he has lost his limbs. Once they leave, you see the family reacting, not knowing whether to be rejoice the return of their kin or be miserable at the pound of flesh lying in front of them who can neither talk nor hear.
The wife, Shigeko breaks down, in grief, and in rage and refuses to accept him as her husband, but the whole village asks her to take care of her great husband, who has done his country proud, who is a role model for many, and is truly a 'War God'.
She finally comes to terms, obediently fulfills her duties, by cleaning him and feeding him. Even though her husband is incapacitated, he still has his insatiable sex drive and repeatedly signals her to take off her clothes and satisfy him. He does not show any remorse at his demands and expects her to give into his demands as her duty.
The character of Shigeko portrays so much strength and perseverance that you begin to wonder how can she be so patient. The film takes you back to the times before Kurokawa left for the war, when he repeatedly used to rape Shigeko and call her an 'infertile bitch' who could not give him a son. How is she able to take care of a man, her husband who used to treat her like filth and in some ways still does, by expecting her to look after him and fulfill all him whims and fancies at every beck and call. The movie shows the indomitable spirit of a woman, and the courage and patience she demonstrates towards her husband. A woman may be physically weaker but she is several times superior to the man when it comes to courage.
The movie has some very graphic scenes, where she cleans her husband's ass every day. Once she is so disgusted by the act, that she starts singing patriotic songs to pep herself up and justify her duty. The patriotic songs that she sings form the background score of the movie and in difficult times, she repeatedly sings them to motivate her.
Much to Kurokawa's repulsion, she takes him out on a cart, dressed in a uniform and his medals, for villagers to see and appreciate. In a way, it seems she is looking for praise and appreciation for herself too as the selfless wife of the War God who made his country proud. Kurokawa, however, seems to hate the pity on the faces of the villagers, and refuses to go out the next time.
Even though he has lost his limbs and been reduced to an animal, who just eats, sleeps and craves for sex, he still has his masculine pride intact. He wants to eat all the food, leaving none for Shigeko, spits on her face when she refuses to have sex and shows no signs of remorse till Shigeko strikes back. She slaps him, curses him, screams and reminds him of all the painful times he has given her. She forces herself on him chiding him and asking him, 'Who is barren now?'
Her grief reminds Kurokawa of that fateful night when he raped the innocent girl and killed her. He remembers her screams, the look in her eyes, and the pain he gave her and consequently the fire that cost him his arms and legs. He breaks out in a fit, full of remorse, and out of control, he wriggles across the floor, tries to break his head against the wall screaming in agony. Shigeko at this point, laughs and cries at his remorse, singing, 'Rumble, Tumble like a Caterpillar.'
The movie ends with the scenes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki war in 1945 when the monarch gives in to the USA and the war ends. Several Japanese soldiers who fought for their country are hanged to death as war criminals.
Caterpillar is simple, beautiful and hard-hitting. It subtly shows how fascism and war are glorified to justify the heinous crimes committed against mankind, destroying not just human lives but killing the human spirit. The film repeatedly makes you ponder how a soldier fighting in the name of his country yet raping and ruthlessly beating Chinese victims, even his wife can be portrayed as a War God. How can people bow in front of him, worship him and sing in his praise? The setting of this film might be Japanese, but the same story repeats itself everywhere. Be it war against the Naxals in India, the army in Kashmir, USA soldiers in Afghanistan or El Salvador, they are all war heros who have ruthlessly set people's homes on fire, raped women and robbed innocent children of their livelihood. Yet, we worship them as martyrs, as heroes and as Gods.
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