Minamata

Minamata – Depp’s best performance in years, as he tackles corruption in Japan

People need to see what’s behind the eyes, that’s where the truth is”, such words have never been truer when photographing real people with real problems.

John McDonald

Minamata follows photojournalist W. Eugene Smith, considered by many to be “perhaps the most important American photographer in the development of photographic essays”. It shows Smith as he attempts to get his career back on track following a severe bout of alcoholism, drug addiction and many years of self-loathing. During his post at Life magazine, he’s approached by a passionate Japanese lady called Aileen (Minami), who informs Smith about the atrocities happening in the coastal town of Minamata through the poisoning of the water supply with mercury - leading to thousands of deaths and disabilities. Smelling an interesting story, Smith informs his boss Robert Hayes (Bill Nighy) about the news. They agree to send him to Japan to uncover the truth and bring down the responsible big corporation.

Depp captures the very essence of the man, his personal struggles and his dilemmas around morality. Always drawn to portraying troubled characters throughout his career, they seem to imprint themselves onto Depp (and vice versa). And usually, they deliver his most memorable and the best performances.

Director Andrew Levitas (an accomplished photographer himself) stays true to the real story and doesn’t shy away from the gritty details. Shot beautifully, Levitas is aided by the talented French cinematographer Benoît Delhomme (The Proposition and The Theory of Everything).

The scenes in which Smith moves around taking photos of local people at work and shooting the landscape is almost poetic - a master craftsman at work - subtly capturing emotion in small details. The score by Ryuichi Sakamoto adds a mystique to these scenes; you feel everything, a wonderful experience. As Smith begins to get closer to the secrets of corruption that potentially put his life at risk, he starts to grow an affection for Aileen; the project is now more than just a job. The aim is to expose the story for Life at an upcoming conference and deliver justice for the townspeople.

The film recreates the powerful and heartbreaking photographs captured by Smith; it’s a lovely little stylistic trait throughout the film. The photographs hit hard and add an eeriness to the film, especially Tomoko in Her Bath, considered one of the most important images in the history of photojournalism.

Minamata is a truly beautiful movie that will tug on all your heartstrings with its powerful true story and emotional accompaniment. Although dramatized slightly, its documentation is so matter of fact that it felt incredibly authentic. With that, it is a shame it never got that wide release it deserved; such stories deserve to be seen by the masses. This really is Johnny Depp’s finest performance in a long time. A unique talent such as him deserves endless roles like this - it’s what he thrives at – give us what we want, Johnny. The direction was another strength, Levitas had a clear vision of what needed to be said, the cause, and the effect. He gets the best out of Depp, as well as all the supporting characters. If Minamata went under your radar, then make sure you check out this excellent piece of cinema with its heart-wrenching story.