A Scene at the Sea

A Scene at the Sea (あの夏、いちばん静かな海, Ano natsu, ichiban shizukana umi, "That summer, the calmest ocean") is a 1991 Japanese film written and directed by Takeshi Kitano. This movie was a break from previous Kitano fare in that it features no gangsters. Instead it presents a simple story about a deaf garbage collector, played by Claude Maki, who is determined to learn how to surf—and does so almost at the expense of the girl he loves. Kitano's more de... more

A Scene at the Sea (あの夏、いちばん静かな海, Ano natsu, ichiban shizukana umi, "That summer, the calmest ocean") is a 1991 Japanese film written and directed by Takeshi Kitano. This movie was a break from previous Kitano fare in that it features no gangsters. Instead it presents a simple story about a deaf garbage collector, played by Claude Maki, who is determined to learn how to surf—and does so almost at the expense of the girl he loves. Kitano's more delicate, romantic side came to the fore here, along with his trademark deadpan approach. In 2002 the Japanese filmmaker directed a similar movie, Dolls, a romantic tale about three pairs of lovers. Office Kitano talent Claude Maki, who plays the mute main character, went on to appear in Kitano's film Brother as Ken, a Japanese-American punk set to become leader of a Yakuza clan. In Brother, Claude speaks mostly in American-English with some occasional Japanese. This film marks the first collaboration between Kitano and composer Joe Hisaishi,... less