Silk (2007 film)

Plot

Herve (Michael Pitt), in 19th century France, is a military officer, because that is what his father wants. He is happy when he gets the opportunity to change his profession to that of trader of silkworm eggs. Because in Europe silkworms are affected by a disease (pebrine), he is sent to Africa to get healthy eggs. (The film shows only a brief desert scene.)

Since the African silkworms are affected too, he is sent to Japan, even though at that time (the Bakumatsu period) almost all of Japan was off-limits to foreigners. The journey is by carriage and train, a caravan of horses through Asia, the boat trip from the Asian continent to Japan, and guided, blindfolded, on horseback to the Japanese village where he can buy the eggs from a local baron, Hara Jubei (Koji Yakusho).

During his stay in the village he becomes obsessed with Jubeis unnamed concubine (Sei Ashina) who hands him a note in Japanese. On a second journey he has sex with another girl handed to him by Jubeis concubine. Having traded more eggs than on his first trip, Herve delays his departure by two days in the hope of seeing the girl again. At home Herves love remains secret, and though he seems happy with his wife, Helene, they remain childless. Herve seeks out a French-Japanese brothel owner in Lyon, Madame Blanche (Miki Nakatani), known for giving the small blue flowers that she wears to her clients, who translates the note for him as: Come back or I shall die. Madame Blanche advises Herve to forget about her, she wont die.

The third time he is sent to China, since Japan is no longer safe, and good eggs are now available in China. Regardless of the politics in Japan, Herve insists on going there anyway. When he arrives in Japan, however, war has broken out and the village is abandoned; Jubei and the girl are not there. Jubeis young servant boy (Kanata Hongo), whom Herve has met before, shows Herve where Jubei and his household have gone. When Jubei sees Herve he becomes hostile and tells Herve to go home. Before he leaves, Herve discovers that Jubei had the boy executed (by hanging) for showing Herve where to find them. Without seeing the girl, Herve leaves Japan, buys eggs in China and returns home. Unfortunately his side trip to Japan has delayed his departure until too late in the season, and before reaching France Herve discovers that the eggs have hatched and the caterpillars have died. Three of the silk mills are forced to close down. To employ the village, Herve decides to build Helenes garden instead.

Months later, Herve receives a long letter from the mysterious concubine, written in Japanese. He again takes the letter to Madame Blanche for translation, who agrees, providing Herve never comes to see her again. The letter is a deeply moving declaration of love.

Helene becomes ill and eventually dies. After her death, Herve finds a tribute of small, blue flowers on her grave. He seeks out Madame Blanche once more, believing her to have written the letter, but Madame Blanche reveals to him that Helene had written the letter. Helene had asked Madame Blanche to translate the letter into Japanese, knowing that her husband was in love with a Japanese woman, and wanting him to be happy. Madame Blanche tells Herve that, more than anything, his wife loved him. Too late, Herve finally realizes that it was Helene who was his true love after all.

The film ends with Herve, fated to remain childless, recounting his story to Ludovic (Mark Rendall) – a young protege since childhood and now Helenes gardener – on a bench in Helenes garden. Henceforth, Ludovic can now appreciate the real story behind Helenes garden.

Cast

Similar Movies

Francois Girard directed Silk and The Red Violin. Koji Yakusho appears in Silk and Eureka. Sayonara (1957). Keira Knightley appears in Silk and Atonement. Crazy/Beautiful (2001).

Reception

Silk received mainly negative reviews from critics, as the film holds a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 56 reviews.