John Powers

Like millions of people around the world, I was hooked by the figure skating competition at the Olympics.

It enthralled me with its extraordinary display of prowess and grace, but also with its fragility, its constant sense of precariousness.

Years of hard work could go poof at any second.

As I watched, I kept thinking of the gorgeous new movie Kokuho.

I'll explain why later.

But first, let me say that Kokuho is set in and around the world of kabuki, the 400-year-old theatrical form that lies near the heart of Japanese culture.

Spanning half a century and running nearly three hours, this quiet epic is the top-grossing Japanese live-action film of all time.

you can see why.

It's bursting with emotion and beauty.

Its costumes, hair, and makeup are dazzling.

Li Sang-il's film tells a compelling story about friendship, the weight of history, the quest for perfection, and the torturous road to becoming a living national treasure, which is what the word kokuhou means.

When we first meet the hero Kikuo, he's 14 and playing a female role in an excerpt from a famous kabuki play.

Men play all the roles in kabuki.

His performance is seen by a kabuki star, Henai.

That's Ken Watanabe, who's impressed by his talent.

When Kikuo's Yakuza father is murdered by a rival gang, Henai takes him in as a protege, teaching him to become an onagata, a male actor who plays female roles.

there is one snag.

Hinai already has a son of the same age, Shunsuke, who's slated to be his artistic heir, and in the kabuki world, artistic status passes from generation to generation.

Naturally, we expect Kikuo and Shunsuke to become rivals, and in a way they do.

Yet as they share the sometimes cruel ordeal of their training, they become friends and acting partners.