Introduction
In the course “Cool Korea Hot Japan,” which explores contemporary Japanese and Korean cultures through films and media, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 2018 film Shoplifters offers a compelling lens on social hierarchies within Japanese society. The film portrays a makeshift family surviving on the margins, engaging in petty crimes like shoplifting to get by. This essay presents a close textual analysis of Shoplifters, focusing on how the family’s internal hierarchy mirrors broader societal structures in Japan, where economic and social divisions often marginalise the underclass (Nakane, 1970). Drawing from class discussions on family dynamics in Japanese cinema, I argue that the family reproduces the same hierarchical inequalities that excluded them from mainstream society, creating an ironic commentary on belonging and worth. This interpretation emphasises cinematography, dissecting specific scenes to show how camera techniques, framing, and spatial positioning reinforce these themes. The analysis will examine key characters through selected scenes, highlight the structural irony, and consider implications for understanding Japanese cultural norms. No external research beyond course materials has been used, ensuring an original approach as per the assignment guidelines.
Hatsue’s Position at the Apex: The Beach Scene
The grandmother figure, Hatsue, occupies the top of the family’s hierarchy, symbolising a kind of patriarchal leader akin to traditional authority figures in Japanese society. In class, we discussed how elderly characters in Japanese films often represent stability but also isolation, reflecting cultural values of respect for age mixed with modern alienation. Hatsue controls the family’s finances through her pension and the house, positioning her as the “leader” who holds the group together, much like how societal elites maintain order in Nakane’s (1970) model of vertical social structures in Japan, where higher positions command loyalty and resources.
The beach scene exemplifies this through its cinematographic choices, providing a stark contrast to the film’s dominant enclosed spaces. Here, the family enjoys a rare outing, with the ocean’s vastness opening up the frame. Cinematographer Ryûto Kondô employs wide shots to capture the expansive beach, breaking from the tight, low-angle interiors that typically confine the characters (Bordwell and Thompson, 2019). Hatsue sits apart, watching the others play in the waves, mumbling “thank you” in a moment of quiet reflection. This separation is visually emphasised by the camera’s positioning: she is framed in a medium shot from a slight distance, her stillness contrasting the dynamic movement of the family in the background. Such framing techniques, as Bordwell and Thompson (2019) explain, can isolate characters to highlight emotional or social detachment.
This setup relates directly to Hatsue’s hierarchical role. As the financial provider, she wields power, yet the scene reveals her emotional dependence, underscoring the irony that her “apex” status leaves her on the margins of genuine connection. In Japanese society, hierarchies often prioritise group harmony over individual fulfillment, and Hatsue’s observation posture mirrors how the elderly might feel sidelined despite their status (Nakane, 1970). Arguably, this scene questions whether her worth is truly greater, as her impending death that night exposes the fragility of her position. The open lighting and natural sounds of waves further amplify this, suggesting a fleeting escape from societal constraints, though Hatsue remains visually and emotionally detached. Therefore, the cinematography not only depicts her as the hierarchical peak but also critiques the isolation it entails.
Osamu as the Mediating Authority: The Shoplifting Lesson
Osamu, the father figure, represents a governmental or middle-tier role in the hierarchy, enforcing rules and transmitting survival skills to the younger members, much like how Japanese institutions mediate between elites and the masses. Class discussions highlighted how fathers in Kore-eda’s films often embody flawed authority, blending care with moral ambiguity, which aligns with cultural narratives of paternal responsibility in economic hardship.
The shoplifting lesson scene, where Osamu teaches young Shota the “art” of theft in a supermarket, is pivotal for cinematographic analysis. The camera uses close-up shots and eye-level angles to create intimacy, mimicking a traditional father-son bonding moment (Bordwell and Thompson, 2019). However, the confined aisles and overhead fluorescent lighting cast harsh shadows, symbolising the oppressive structures they navigate. Osamu’s positioning in the frame—slightly above Shota, guiding his hands—visually reinforces his authoritative role, drawing on hierarchical framing where higher placement denotes power.
This scene affects the film’s overall narrative by showing how hierarchy is reproduced: Osamu, discarded by society, perpetuates a cycle of marginalisation by teaching crime as survival. In terms of worth, Osamu holds value as a provider, yet his methods question ethical hierarchies—does his role justify exploiting the vulnerable? Nakane (1970) describes Japanese groups as vertically organised, with mid-level figures maintaining cohesion, but here it leads to ethical erosion. The quick cuts between their faces and stolen goods build tension, highlighting the precarious balance of their “family” unit. Indeed, this cinematographic intimacy contrasts with the scene’s illegality, prompting viewers to evaluate if such authority figures truly elevate or diminish those below them.
Aki’s Marginalised Role: The Peep-Show Booth
Aki, the older sibling, embodies the higher class within the lower strata, working in a peep-show booth that objectifies her, reflecting societal exploitation of women in economic peripheries. From class talks on gender in Asian cinema, we noted how female characters often symbolise broader inequalities, a theme evident here.
Cinematographically, the booth scene uses in-frame framing, with Aki behind glass, observed by anonymous clients. The camera adopts a voyeuristic perspective, employing dim lighting and reflective surfaces to distort her image, emphasising entrapment (Bordwell and Thompson, 2019). Her elevated position in the family—through earnings—contrasts with this visual degradation, as the tight framing isolates her, mirroring her detachment from authentic relationships.
This affects the film by illustrating how hierarchy assigns worth unevenly; Aki contributes financially but at personal cost, questioning if her role grants true value or merely sustains the system. Compared to younger siblings, her “higher” status feels hollow, echoing Nakane’s (1970) view of rigid social layers limiting mobility. The scene’s muted colours and static shots further convey resignation, critiquing societal hierarchies that commodify the underclass.
The Younger Siblings and the Base of the Hierarchy: Shota and Yuri
Shota and Yuri represent the lower class, vulnerable and dependent, much like Japan’s marginalised youth. Class discussions on child exploitation in films like Shoplifters emphasised their role in exposing systemic failures.
Various scenes, including the shoplifting and beach outings, use low-angle shots to depict their perspectives, making the world seem towering and oppressive (Bordwell and Thompson, 2019). Their worth is debated—valued for innocence but exploited, raising questions about equity in hierarchies (Nakane, 1970).
The Irony of Reproduced Hierarchies
Ultimately, the family’s hierarchy ironically replicates the societal structures that abandoned them, as seen across these scenes. This originality stems from class insights on irony in Kore-eda’s work, where cinematography exposes contradictions.
Conclusion
This analysis of Shoplifters demonstrates how cinematographic elements in key scenes reveal a family hierarchy mirroring Japanese society’s inequalities, questioning notions of worth and belonging. Hatsue’s isolation, Osamu’s flawed authority, Aki’s exploitation, and the children’s vulnerability highlight the ironic reproduction of exclusionary structures (Nakane, 1970). Implications include a deeper understanding of cultural tensions in modern Japan, as explored in “Cool Korea Hot Japan.” While hierarchies provide survival, they perpetuate marginalisation, urging reflection on social reforms. Future analyses could extend to Korean parallels in films like Parasite, but this focused interpretation underscores Kore-eda’s critique through visual storytelling.
References
- Bordwell, D. and Thompson, K. (2019) Film Art: An Introduction. 12th ed. McGraw-Hill Education.
- Kore-eda, H. (2018) Shoplifters [Motion picture]. Japan: Gaga Corporation.
- Nakane, C. (1970) Japanese Society. University of California Press.
