The Reason for Returning Home After 12 Years

What does family mean to you? If it's a given that you can love, understand, rely on, and share joys with them, then you are truly fortunate. This film portrays a profound darkness, a deep loneliness, that can only be understood by those who have not been blessed with such everyday happiness.



Louis, a successful 34-year-old playwright, returns to his hometown for the first time in 12 years. He intends to tell his estranged family that he has only a short time left to live. His mother prepares a meal for her long-absent son and dresses up for the occasion. His younger sister, whom he hasn't seen since she was little, is eager for her admired brother to listen to her stories. His older brother, however, is indifferent. He even interrupts Louis's conversation with his sister-in-law, whom Louis is meeting for the first time.

The film doesn't deeply explain what prompted the protagonist to leave home and not return for 12 years. However, through the family's reactions to his arrival, the audience gradually begins to understand. As soon as someone says something, the older brother mocks or trivializes it, quickly escalating the situation into a confrontation. Despite this, Louis repeatedly tries to find an opportunity to announce his impending death. But time passes with the tension unresolved.

The viewer soon becomes curious about when, where, and how the protagonist will deliver this heartbreaking news. And then, we begin to hope that everyone will uniformly regret the lost 12 years, learn from their mistakes, and instantly return to being a happy family. A moving ending that brings tears to our eyes.



But, as if to say that would be a fairy tale, the story gradually deviates from the path the audience expects. And we hold our breath. We are stunned by the conclusion Louis chooses in this seemingly unresolvable situation. The song that plays at the end beautifully expresses the protagonist's feelings: 'An unbearable, deep loneliness. Impossible to fight.'

Page02. Tragedy Born of Love. Beyond That.

Tragedy Born of Love. Beyond That.

What makes this film so remarkable is its honest portrayal of a world that is familiar to some and completely alien to others. While some may prefer to know only happy things, there is value in understanding the profound darkness and deep loneliness known only to a few. This is something literature has repeatedly explored since ancient times. The miracle wrought by rare storytellers is their ability to depict not just tragedy, but also a glimmer of hope beyond it.

For Louis, whose hopes of understanding have been repeatedly dashed, this may be the last time he sees his family. Yet, as he falters, his mother speaks to him.

'I cannot understand you. But I love you. This love, no one can take away.'

These words perfectly capture the tragic reality of Louis's family. People clash, wear each other down, and sometimes find those who can mend their wounds, but there are also relationships that leave scars with every encounter. This can be true even within a family. They struggle to express love, to receive love. Such are imperfect human beings. Yet, this does not mean love is absent.

Indeed, it is precisely because of love that their conflicts intensify, and the reality of their inability to understand each other becomes even more tragic. Family, and indeed human relationships, are not built on empathy alone. The societal assumption that those bound by blood should naturally understand and cherish one another traps some individuals, causing them to suffer. They come to know a despair far more profound than the end of their own world.

This film, painted with such intense absurdity, grips the viewer's heart. Yet, Dolan's artistry in confronting this reality without flinching is commendable. Especially in an era that favors comfortable endings, his compassion in facing humanity squarely and shedding light on unwelcome truths is truly admirable.

Therefore, one might even consider that the unexpected ending may not be the true 'end' that Dolan intended. Like great literature that has always posed questions, this film leaves a profound resonance, suggesting it too is posing a question.

Perhaps this is merely my own wishful thinking. I earnestly hope that beyond the ending, something Louis leaves behind will bring a dawning realization, a sense of hope, to his family. If the shadow of Louis's deep sorrow can help his family, and ourselves, to re-recognize the preciousness of the light of love, then I believe that Louis's world, and our own, is not entirely lost.


****
A salute to the soul-stirring performances by France's leading actors.

It's Only the End of the World
Directed and Written by Xavier Dolan
Starring Gaspard Ulliel, Vincent Cassel, Léa Seydoux, Marion Cotillard, Nathalie Baye, and others
Now playing nationwide
©Shayne Laverdière, Sons of Manua


June Makiguchi
After working for Kyodo News, a film festival secretariat, and magazine editing, she became an independent writer. She currently writes film columns and interviews for women's and men's magazines, focusing on lifestyle topics such as fashion, food, and music within cinema.

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