SUNDANCE 2021 | "I Was A Simple Man" Is Both Haunting And Beautiful

Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world. From the glorious forested mountains to the sandy shores and crashing waves, being in Hawaii is an incredible experience unlike any other. The same can be said for I Was A Simple Man. From the vast Oahu landscapes to the illustrious sounds of the natural world, I Was A Simple Man strongly appeals to the senses, even if the experimental style of storytelling isn’t everyone’s cup of kava.

In this reality-bending tale, I Was A Simple Man tells the story of Masao, a elderly man living on Oahu with rapidly waning health. With his wife having passed away and weak relationships with his kids, the family he has takes care of him reluctantly. But as his health deteriorates, he’s visited by ghosts of his past who usher him through his memories and into the afterlife.

Visually, the film is stunning. Whether we’re following Masao through his metaphysical journey or witnessing the film’s transitional montages of Oahu scenery, everything is gorgeous from the small things like rain dripping off leaves to the wide grandiose frames of the mountains and everything in between. It’s all amazing, but it's the wide shots that seem to bestow I Was A Simple Man with its power. Even when the focus is just on two subjects, director Christopher Makoto Yogi chooses abnormally wide and distant shots to include much of the setting in the frame.

But as luscious as the sights of Oahu are, it’s the sound design in I Was A Simple Man that’s the real treat. As the film begins, it’s hard not to revel in the sounds of rain falling, trees rustling, waves crashing, and wind blowing. As if I Was A Simple Man is this year’s Portrait Of A Lady On Fire when it comes to sound, the film captures every nuance of every sound in exquisite detail. A feast for the ears, the ASMR rhapsody of sound imbues a peace and tranquility in an emotionally tumultuous story that is often haunting and eerie in all the right ways.

But with so much praise to lavish on the aesthetic and sound design of the film, enjoying I Was A Simple Man is a matter of knowing what you’re getting into. This is a production about artistic and intimate storytelling more than it is about entertainment. I Was A Simple Man truly is a transport into another place that’s simultaneously familiar to the natural world and reflective of a dream-like experience. This may be a story about a simple man, but this film is beautifully complex...emphasis on “beautifully”.

MoviesThomas Stoneham-JudgeFebruary 1, 2021i was a simple man, movie review, sundance, sundance 2021, sundance film festivalComment