Plan 75: What’s Japan’s Next Plan?
Plan 75 starts off with a scene of hate crime towards the elderly (based on a mass murder that took place in a facility for the disabled in Japan, 2016) by a young man who claims that those he killed were not contributing to society and therefore, he was doing society good.
Then Plan 75 comes along as a government project, seemingly benevolent and accommodating for both groups — the youth and the elderly. But is it really different from the murders that happened in the first scene?
Hayakawa digs deep into the reality Japan is facing currently. 4 years ago, when she presented a short version of this film, the reaction from the audience was that they could not imagine a world like this. But now, only a mere few years later, Hayakawa says she’s been hearing many agreeing with policies like such. Even the older women she interviewed for the movie was keen on having a policy like this take place so that they won’t be a burden to their families.
There can be endless discussions about what is right and what is wrong. But most importantly, what Hayakawa intended to put emphasis on is that Michi made a choice through her own will, not through the oppression of the society that was put unto her (signified by the train track crossroad blocked in front of her, while Hiromu is shown crossing it).
Hiromu’s uncle also appears to have made the choice he wanted to make. Even though Hiromu is saddened by the loss of his reunited relative, it is as though his uncle is being transported to a bright, otherworldly place when indulging in the eternal sleep.
The Community
The stark contrast between the Filippino community and the Japanese community are evident throughout the movie. While Maria is supported through her fellow friends from church and her family, the disconnect between families and friends are apparent in almost all Japanese characters; just take a look at Michi, her two friends, Hiromu and his uncle.
The System
The young ones, Yoko and Hiromu, are at first very keen on following the rules and do not stop to question the new system that the government established. On the contrary, the older characters are somewhat resistant to this new policy (remember the man who turned off the TV that had the Plan 75 ad on loop?). Hayakawa’s hope was to portray the Japanese society, where most are willing to accept the way things are, and go along with it.
The Facility
The Plan 75 facility is freakishly white with the help of the unnatural fluorescent lights, providing no privacy whatsoever. Michi actually witnesses Hiromu’s uncle’s death through the slightly opened curtain. This was the place where the dignity of a private death was not granted.
At the end of the movie, was Michi witnessing the sunrise, or the sunset? Was there a tomorrow to look forward to, or was there only the last chapter waiting to be closed? That would depend on how each of us perceived her decision.
