The Sound Of the Waves

Based on Yukio Mishima's early lyrical novel about young love, The Sound of the Waves is the touching story of 18-year-old Shinji Kubo, a budding fisherman in a small village on the island of Utajima. Working hard to support his widowed mother and younger brother, Shinji slowly falls in love with the island's latest arrival: Hatsue, the daughter of a wealthy local fisherman. Although the two young lovebirds pledge their hearts to one another, Hatsue's father has other marriage plans intended for his daughter. With the village buzzing with rumors and the couple forbidden to see one another, Shinji gets an unexpected offer for employment on a big fishing boat. Once at sea, Shinji has the opportunity to prove himself worthy of Hatsue's hand. While the animation is nothing to write home about, the character and plot are the real attractions here. The film contains nudity and mild sexual references. One of the 15 titles in the Animated Classics of Japanese Literature series, each title of which contains 1-3 stories. Other entries include: The Harp of Burma, Botchan, and Wandering Days/Growing Up. Recommended. (R. Pitman)