The sudden death of Ren Osugi last February robbed Japanese cinema of one of its most dependable actors. That loss is rendered all the more acute by "The Chaplain," Osugi's final screen role, and his debut as producer. It's the kind of serious, intelligent drama that might struggle to get made without an established screen star to lend it clout, and it's hard not to wonder what might have come next.
The movie is also notable for focusing, with rigor and an almost total lack of sentimentality, on a topic that's generally kept out of the media spotlight in Japan: the death penalty. Surveys suggest that capital punishment enjoys widespread popular support here, but there's very little public debate on the subject, and executions are conducted in an almost clandestine fashion.
"The Chaplain" sheds some light on the reality of life on death row, as seen from the perspective of a Christian clergyman. Saeki (Osugi) makes fortnightly trips to a prison to counsel inmates awaiting execution, toting a Bible and a portable music player in case anyone fancies singing hymns. Only six months into the job, he's still a little shaky in his faith, and Osugi's restrained performance conveys the uncertainty of a man who isn't sure he has all the answers.