狗神 (2001)

Akira Nutahara, a teacher of classical literature and calligraphy, breaks down on his motorcycle on his way to a new job in a remote mountain village on Shikoku. He is not far from his destination, Ikeno. Seiji Doi, the helpful deputy head of a large paper factory, offers him a ride, but first wants to visit an old friend in the small provincial hamlet of Omine. The idyllic village is inhabited mainly by two extended families bound by an old feud: the traditionally male-dominated Bonomia clan and the modern, more open-minded Doi clan. Through Seiji, Akira meets the reclusive, considerably older Miki Bonomia, who makes labor-intensive washi paper in a workshop. Despite the age difference, the shy papermaker catches the teacher’s interest. She leads a simple life under the stern eyes of her clan and its tyrannical head, Takanao. At first, the newcomer is incredulous when he hears an old legend that Miki’s family is said to carry an Inugami curse and is therefore shunned, along with the rest of her clan, by the other villagers. As the story unfolds, however, it becomes clear that the legend is indeed true. For generations, certain female family members have secretly been tasked with watching over an old urn containing restless dog spirits, checking that they are all accounted for, and ultimately appeasing them, or else the spirits will harm other people. This heavy burden falls to Miki, who is initially unaware of it but neglects her duties after beginning a new relationship. Her late mother passed the burden on to her. As her affair with Akira develops, the taciturn Miki begins to change shortly before the annual ancestral festival. She truly blossoms, becomes more cheerful, and changes in appearance as well—she grows younger and younger. Soon the village is beset by strange accidents, claiming several victims. The superstitious, isolated villagers blame the Bonomia clan and its menacing Inugami curse. Akira, who has meanwhile lost his job, considers leaving the village with Miki, whom he intends to marry. But Miki is bound for life to this place, its traditional values, and above all, the Inugami. Strange incidents become more frequent, and the villagers grow increasingly hostile toward her and her clan. The couple separates for a short time. Before that, Miki had confided in her lover, revealing that she once had an affair with Takanao, her brother, though she did not know he was her brother at the time. Their affair had consequences: she gave birth to a baby whom, mistakenly, she believes to have been stillborn right up to the end. In reality, Miki’s late mother concealed what had actually happened and gave the newborn boy up for adoption. That boy is Akira. The two lovers, however, know nothing of their close family ties. Only the family head, Takanao—the biological father—is eventually informed. At the end of the film, despite everything, the Bonomia clan’s traditional family festival is held. Akira has returned and is there, still passionately in love and unaware of the truth. At dusk, a family tragedy unfolds during an ancient Shinto ritual. The irresponsible Takanao plans a “new beginning.” To bring it about, he attempts to poison all the women and children in his clan. His plan fails, and several family members manage to save themselves, including Miki, while the patriarch is killed in a violent struggle. Almost in passing, he mentions that he is Akira’s father, but his revelation is lost amid the turmoil. In one of the film’s final scenes, a hunter shoots Akira, and Miki takes him away.