Sway (2006)

Profile

Movie: Sway
Romaji: Yureru
Japanese: ゆれる

Director: Miwa Nishikawa
Writer: Miwa Nishikawa
Producer: Kiichi Kumagai
Cinematographer: Hiroshi Takase
Release Date: July 8, 2006
Runtime: 119 min.
Genre: Award Winning / Award Winning-Law / Award Winning-Mystery / Award Winning-Brothers / Award Winning-Rural
Production Company: Bandai Visual
Distributor: Bandai Visual
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot

Takeru returns to his small hometown to attend a Buddhist ceremony honoring his deceased mother. His older brother, Minoru is the one that got Takeru to return to his roots for his mother’s ceremony.

Takeru left his hometown and family many years ago to live in Tokyo. Since that time, he became a successful photographer, while his brother Mineru, was left behind to run their family’s modest gas station business.

When Takeru first arrived back in his hometown, he learned that his ex-girlfriend, Chie, is now working for their family gas station business. He watches his timid older brother work talk with Chie and instantly feels jealousy. That evening Takeru asks Mineru if he could take Chie home, which Mineru agrees to good-naturedly. He even gives Takeru money to buy dinner. Takeru and Chie soon end up back at her apartment and the intimacy that they shared years ago are quickly rekindled.

The next day, at the insistence of Mineru, they all go together to the area known as “Hasumi Gorge” a beautiful mountainous area with a river and an old suspension bridge. On that fateful day, Chie tries to cross the swaying suspension bridge with Mineru closely behind her, but falls to her death.

Mineru is now on trial for the murder of Chie and his younger brother Takeru must now tie the pieces together to find out his innocence or guilt.