In ancient Rome, architect Lucius (Hiroshi Abe) is struggling to come up with new ideas for the design of bathhouses. While bathing he is mysteriously transported to a modern Japanese bathhouse and on his return is able to implement the various discoveries he made, believing them to be the work of a bizarre, as-yet-undiscovered ‘flat-faced’ tribe. Through repeated trips through time Lucius becomes a celebrated bathhouse designer, gaining the attention of the Emperor Hadrian (Masachika Ichimura) who tasks him with making an Imperial baths to rival anything seen before. Lucius’s journeys to the future coincide with the presence of manga artist Mami (Aya Ueto), who begins studying ancient Roman history and Latin in order to understand the peculiar visitor.
Based on a manga by Mari Yamazaki and directed by Hideki Takeuchi, “Thermae Romae” is a fantastical comedy, celebrating the Japanese love of onsen and bathhouse culture. The first half of the film moves at a brisk pace, with fish-out-of-water humour as Lucius attempts to understand where he is and why the strange people he meets have so many novel inventions in their baths. These early scenes are the most enjoyable, with great comedic acting from Abe and Ueto. There is a thin plot in the second half, involving the succession to the Roman Imperial Throne, and Lucius and Mami’s relationship. The film does slow down, but still has plenty of jokes, largely involving the old group of men who frequent Mami’s mother’s rural bathhouse. The Ancient Rome sets are impressive, giving a sense of scale and grandeur, and providing an amusing comparison to the more quotidian Japanese scenes. The film’s score features classical music and opera, again adding to the sense of a historical epic juxtaposed with contemporary farce.
An ode to relaxation, “Thermae Romae” is an enjoyable drama with a fun cast who do a great job with the material, capturing the surprise and disbelief at their situations. The film’s focus on bathing creates a calming atmosphere and despite the occasional drama the film remains enjoyably inoffensive. There is relatively little in terms of character development, but the film does attempt to deliver a message around the power of humanity for creativity and invention, and the importance of co-operation. An enterataining story with broad appeal.
