Snow Woman

by Kiki Sugino who stars as the lead actress, Yuki
Women in Film and Photography at Objectifs

With post screening discussion with the director Kiki Sugino

The film opens in black and white. Lead actor Minokichi trudges up the hill with his friend and mentor. It is a snowy night. They stay in an old shed that night. His friend is paid a visit by Snow Woman (Yuki-ona) and was discovered by Mino. Snow Woman breathes out onto the mentor and he dies. She warns Mino not to tell anyone else she'd kill him.

The film moves into colour.

One day in the mountains, as Mino is on his way back to his home, he meets Yuki (which means snow). She looks just like Snow Woman. Yuki looks sick and about to die. He brings her home and nurses her back to health with his mom's help.

One day he asks her to stay. Eventually they marry and have a daughter Ume (which means plum). Suddenly he is no longer able to work as a mountain harvester, but has to work in the factory to make lanterns. From making lanterns after that the factory progresses to making lights. This factory is owned by his mentor's brother's son, Ogata, who is also the village leader. Ogata also married on the same day as Mino and they have a sickly son, Mikio.

Yuki brings ginkgo drink to Ogata, who told her to get out as she does not belong here. This ginkgo is supposed to help make Mikio better.

Mino & Yuki tried to have children. The night of their wedding they consummated the marriage and she was pregnant right after. But the child was still-born, delivered by the mid-wife of the mountains. There is talk in town that this was so because she was not from this village. No one knows where she came from. Gossip spreads in town. The mid-wife had a discussion with husband and wife, and soon after they went to the onsen where is is warmer to have intercourse. They successfully delivered Ume who grows up to be a beautiful girl who can dance the traditional dance very well.

The scenes jump back and forth much like how dreams work. They seem disjointed and it is up to the viewer to piece them together.

The mother and daughter tied red threads around the forest during winter. I wonder how much the daughter knows her mom is not of this world. I think she senses quite a lot. Maybe they want to show their blood ties and presence to the earth.

Yuki and Ume talks to mid-wife, who pleads death due to old age. Yuki is portrayed as one one who kindly gives death to those who cannot bear the pains of earth anymore.

Ume and Mikio become good friends. One day Ume brings Mikio to the hut where his granduncle died. He was tired and fell asleep. I think Ume breathed his last on him. She might have the power to bring death to people as well. He goes out to the snow with her and dancing on the snow is her (or her mother). Mikio brings his red thread of life and give Ume. He is discovered the next day with marks of frostbite on him, just like his granduncle.

His dad is furious and gets one of his co-workers to confront Mino. This co-worker dies of frostbite soon after. I think Yuki killed him because she came back late that night. The husband waits for her the next night to confront her. He asks where did she go, and recounts with tears of the night of his mentor's death - how he met the Snow Woman who spared his life only if he does not tell any soul about this. Yuki hears this and breaks into tears. She does not bear to kill him now and fleas the village.

Her daughter knows that her mom has gone off. It starts snowing again.

The traditional folk song plays again, where initially the women carried I think gifts or offerings to the gods of the mountains across the river.

It is a beautiful, enigmatic story even though I have not read the original Snow Woman. There are hints of industrialisation, ideas of village-city that is through gossip, wanting to keep out "others" much like how borders keep out asylum seekers, superstition, dreams, folklore and traditions.