A celebration of an artist’s life in the purest sense, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus is the definitive swan song of one of the world’s greatest musicians. In late 2022, as a parting gift, Ryuichi Sakamoto mustered all of his energy to leave us with one final performance: a concert film featuring just him and his piano. Curated and sequenced by Sakamoto himself, the twenty pieces featured in the film wordlessly narrate his life through his wide-ranging oeuvre. The selection spans his entire career, from his pop-star period with Yellow Magic Orchestra and his magnificent scores for filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci to his meditative final album,12. Intimately filmed in a space he knew well and surrounded by his most trusted collaborators, including director Neo Sora, his son, Sakamoto bares his soul through his exquisitely haunting melodies, knowing this was the last time he would be able to present his art.
Review (Scott McCutcheon 29/03/34)
You’re enjoyment of Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus will more than likely depend on how much you enjoy his music. Whilst I enjoyed his composition for the soundtrack of Monster, his last film before his death, I found watching Sakamoto play 20 piano tunes in just under 2 hours something of a challenge. His music, whilst beautiful to listen to, does tend to be all very similar.
To get the most from Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, unless of course you’re a devoted fan, it’s probably better watched in more than one sitting.
