Minamata: Movie Review

Cast: Johnny Depp, Hiroyuki Sanada, Bill Nighy, Minami

Director: Andrew Levitas

When Johnny Depp acts, the result is a film like Minamata becomes elevated - even if it is, in parts, a none-too-subtle salvo against corporate negligence, based on a true story.

Depp is Life photographer W Eugene Smith, an alcoholic self-absorbed, almost nihilistic, who is pulled into the story of Japanese province Minamata, after he's approached by Minami's Aileen. She tells him a tale of the local company Chisso Fertiliser who has been dumping waste in the local water supplies, poisoning the fish and subsequently poisoning its people, leaving them deformed and twisted with mercury poisoning.

Initially reticent, Smith agrees to go to the region, and witness for himself first hand what is happening. Aileen thinks he will make the difference to their campaign as the prestigious photographer, his editor (Bill Nighy in grumpy form) believes it will be his last job and Smith believes he's too far gone to care.

It won't surprise anyone to know how this film goes - especially if people are au fait with the black and white photos which emerged in Life magazine of the transgressions of Chisso Fertiliser. And it won't really surprise anyone to how they may feel as the tide of outrage builds throughout - be it in the locals' treatment or the imagery which doesn't hold back from the truth of the matter.

There are one or two lapses in Minamata - a little too often we're treated to montages of Depp's Smith in his dark room, and several galvanising speeches aimed at extolling either the virtues of photography or the virtues of doing the right thing.

Levitas wisely holds back from over-villainising the CEO of Chisso, even if he does indulge in some scenes of blackmail and extortion. The film is more successful when it shows more random moments of either brutality from the local police, or in moments that showcase the fear evoked in the community or scenes where the images are left to tell the story, rather than heavy exposition.

And in among all of this is Depp, giving a restrained and all the more powerful performance of Smith, a man whose indignation rises to the fore toward the end. It's telling that Depp underplays this man who's become detached from society and almost emotionally stunted. Consequently, by holding back, he proffers an emotive turn, lending the film a deserved gut-punch it delivers in its credits.