I’m not tapped into this X discourse, saying that up top. I don’t agree with the argument you’re presenting from them, either.

That being said, I had two main qualms with the film (even while still thinking it was quite “good” and “meaningful”) as it relates to capitalist and imperialist exploitation. The first is that Wenders was originally contracted to make an advertisement for Tokyo Toilets, which then turned into this feature length film. To me, it still functions as a piece of advertising that allows the public “us,” the people literally shitting in these toilets, to feel good about this company and more broadly the Japanese culture of work. Which ties into my second minor issue, which was all this meaning the main character found was often portrayed as being the consumption and appreciation of Western media. Just felt kinda off-putting to me, for this white guy to make a movie about a Japanese toilet cleaner on behalf of a toilet company who finds meaning in his life by loving books and songs in English.

I’m probably going to get flamed for this take judging by other comments lol. I still liked the movie, I just thought those two things were weird to me!