‘Kokuho’ Review: A Hit in Its Home Country, Three-Hour Japanese Epic Illuminates the Highs and Lows of Kabuki Theater

A vivid portrait of a legendary kabuki actor over the course of his career, “Kokuho” joins a rich tradition of films that depict the personal cost of making art. Too often, such stories present an overly simplified version of the given artform’s rigors and qualities, diluting any undergirding sense of what drives the characters to put themselves through the ringer. By contrast, Japanese director Lee Sang-il’s surprise hit “Kokuho” spends a great deal of its lengthy runtime capturing the beautiful physicality and anguished storylines around which the performances revolve, mirroring the many struggles and complicated triumphs of its central protagonist’s existence.

The title “Kokuho” translates to “national treasure,” a title bestowed by the Japanese government upon high masters of an art or craft. Its director, Lee, is best known for his films “Hula Girls” (2006) and “Unforgiven,” a 2013 remake of the Clint Eastwood movie, starring Ken Watanabe. “Kokuho…