No other film has moved me to make as many life changes as 'Perfect Days' directed by Wim Wenders. This story showcases the daily life of a toilet cleaner named Hirayama, exercising the fulfillment he finds in the work he does, and the hobbies that take place after. I'd hold on to labeling the plot as a "slow burn" due to the fact that Hirayama's journey ends right where it started, driving to work after following his morning routine. May I mention how decompressing it feels to watch him perform this almost ritual-like morning routine he has? No scene depicting him watering his small plants, or him storing away his futon shortly after waking up, feels artificial. Unlike the many people online who show off their so-called optimal morning drills, we are invited into the times when Hirayama's usual plans are interrupted. Even when things seem to slow down for the characters, on bike rides, eating dinner, reading a book, or taking pictures, the silence is constant. If Hirayama is our main star, the quiet that follows him is our second. I tell you, it is refreshing to see how someone else experiences life in a way where silence is allowed, even when things go wrong.
Whenever an actual song does end up playing, we get to hear them get wound up and loaded into the player of a van in the form of cassettes. Yes, Perfect Days is indeed far from being mute; snaps of an analog camera, the bustling of the city that surrounds our main man, and the wind brushing against tree leaves are some of the elements our ears are met with. With all the noises I've listed, the winding up, the bustling, and brushing, all of it serves to amplify the expressions of Hirayama whenever he lacks the words to speak. However, it's his choice of appreciating the world rather than trying to add to it that feels so virtuous. In that van, our hero has every tool he needs for the job; using each with intention to clean every last inch of a bathroom. On his time off, he washes up at the local bathhouse, does his laundry, and reads or takes photos of the same tree.
I doubt that there is a greater picture than Perfect Days that reminds us to just take a breath. If there is, please let me know! Ever since I watched this film, I have taken pictures of the nature I have overlooked, listened to music outside of algorithms, and trained myself to spend multiple days without my phone. I've also come to find value in older technology; CD players, a tube tv for DVD's, radio too. Now, I could finish off by listing off all of the benefits I have received by imitating Hirayama, but here's something much better. You don't have to mimic anyone's style or nature in order to find what you need. The world we live in is loud, overwhelming, and is waiting for you to make that next big purchase. What I and Wim Wenders can assure you is this; if you come to love what you have now, you'll have room in your heart to have so much more.
Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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