Rhapsody in August
A grandmother’s summer with her grandchildren becomes a quiet, unsettling meditation on Nagasaki, family memory, and the possibility of forgiveness.
Overview
A poignant exploration of family and history unfolds as a grandmother shares her past with her grandchildren.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- contemplative
- elegiac
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film's humane treatment of grief and carefully structured movement between stillness and motion, while divided responses faulted its sentimentality and limited political context.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kane's grandchildren learn how the 1945 atomic bombing killed their grandfather and confront its meaning within family life.
The summer visit, caregiving, and family interactions provide the framework for reflecting on Nagasaki's destruction.
The film focuses on the atomic bombing and mourning while presenting reconciliation and condemnation of violence as central concerns.
The family encounters a long-lost Japanese American relative, creating differing perspectives on responsibility, victimhood, and remembrance.
Films like Rhapsody in August, and why
The Mourning Forest
shared humanist family drama, wartime memory, and quiet reflection on intergenerational grief
After Life
shared japanese family intimacy, historical trauma, and contemplative treatment of loss
The Wind Rises
shared postwar memory, understated family conflict, and elegiac humanism
Movie Details
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Release Date
- 1991-05-25
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (162)
Cast
- Sachiko Murase
- Hidetaka Yoshioka
- Tomoko Otakara
- Mieko Suzuki
- Mitsunori Isaki
- Hisashi Igawa
- Toshie Negishi
- Chōichirō Kawarasaki
- Narumi Kayashima
- Richard Gere
Common questions
- What is Rhapsody in August about?
- A grandmother’s summer with her grandchildren becomes a quiet, unsettling meditation on Nagasaki, family memory, and the possibility of forgiveness.
- What is Rhapsody in August like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rhapsody in August as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Rhapsody in August violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Rhapsody in August as mild.
- What did critics think of Rhapsody in August?
- Critics broadly recognized the film's humane treatment of grief and carefully structured movement between stillness and motion, while divided responses faulted its sentimentality and limited political context.
- Which films are like Rhapsody in August?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mourning Forest, After Life, and The Wind Rises.
- How long is Rhapsody in August?
- Rhapsody in August runs 98 minutes.
