Hirokazu Kore-eda – Shoplifters

Thinking Through Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)’s Philosophy on the Art Essence

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters offers a contemplative reflection on family, morality, and social fragmentation. From a Hegelian perspective, this film exemplifies the dialectical process through which the human spirit seeks reconciliation between individual freedom and communal bonds. Kore-eda’s nuanced portrayal of unconventional family dynamics challenges traditional moral frameworks, emphasizing the synthesis of genuine human connection beyond legal or social norms.

Spirit and Family as Ethical Life (Sittlichkeit)

According to Hegel, the family is the fundamental ethical unit, a manifestation of love that transcends mere biological or legal ties. Shoplifters problematizes this ideal by presenting a chosen family, bonded not by blood but by shared hardship and mutual care. The film’s aesthetic of intimacy—characterized by close-up shots, warm lighting, and spontaneous interactions—reveals the spirit’s quest for ethical life (Sittlichkeit) within a fractured social context.

Freedom and Belonging: A Dialectical Tension

Hegel posits that true freedom is found in the alignment of personal will with the universal ethical spirit. The characters in Shoplifters live on the margins of society, engaging in theft to survive. While these acts contradict societal norms, they paradoxically foster deeper familial bonds. This tension reflects the dialectical movement where the struggle for survival gives birth to a new form of moral unity, defying conventional legal boundaries.

The Dialectic of Poverty and Dignity

Hegel’s concept of the dialectic involves the transformation of contradiction into a higher unity. In Shoplifters, poverty becomes the locus of both degradation and human flourishing. The characters’ acts of shoplifting, though criminal, are imbued with moral purpose—a means to nurture and protect one another. Kore-eda’s restrained, observational style highlights this complexity without moralizing, allowing the audience to perceive the synthesis of survival and affection.

Aesthetic Realism as Philosophical Insight

Kore-eda’s aesthetic approach mirrors Hegel’s notion that art must capture the truth of human experience. The film’s visual realism, with its naturalistic performances and understated cinematography, allows the spiritual essence of the characters’ lives to emerge organically. Rather than presenting a romanticized or heroic narrative, Kore-eda reveals the quiet, persistent spirit of care amidst social neglect. In this way, the film’s aesthetic simplicity becomes a profound philosophical statement on the endurance of human connection.

Contradiction Between Law and Love

One of the film’s most poignant dialectical oppositions lies in the contrast between societal law and familial love. Hegel argues that ethical life (Sittlichkeit) transcends formal legality, manifesting instead as the living spirit of human community. In Shoplifters, the state’s intervention at the film’s end disrupts the fragile harmony the family has created. The legal system, symbolizing abstract moral order, fails to comprehend the deeper ethical bonds that the characters have forged. This disruption highlights the tragic discord between external authority and inner moral truth.

The Spirit’s Quest for Recognition

The notion of recognition (Anerkennung) is central to Hegel’s philosophy, wherein individuals seek acknowledgment of their humanity within social structures. In Shoplifters, the family’s existence on society’s periphery exemplifies the struggle for recognition within a world that marginalizes the poor. The characters’ small acts of love and solidarity assert their humanity despite societal judgment, reflecting Hegel’s idea that the spirit transcends material conditions through ethical relationships.

Transcendence Through Tragedy

The film’s resolution, where the family is separated and forced back into their original, fragmented lives, encapsulates a tragic dialectical movement. In Hegelian terms, tragedy arises when opposing ethical demands collide—here, the love-driven community versus the rigid demands of social order. The child’s yearning for her chosen family, even after being returned to her biological relatives, signifies the failure of abstract legality to reconcile the deeper spirit of kinship that had formed.

Beauty as Ethical Truth

Hegel posits that beauty in art arises when the spiritual and the material achieve harmony. In Shoplifters, beauty emerges from the tenderness and care expressed within impoverished settings. The cramped living quarters, illuminated by warm, natural light, transform from mere shelter into a symbolic space of ethical unity. The film’s lyrical pace and compassionate gaze invite contemplation, allowing viewers to see beauty not as a mere aesthetic quality but as an ethical manifestation of communal spirit.

The Sublation of Conventional Morality

In Hegelian terms, sublation (Aufhebung) involves the preservation and transformation of contradictory elements. Shoplifters sublates the binary of good and evil by presenting morally ambiguous actions within a context of profound human solidarity. The film’s refusal to simplify the characters’ motives aligns with Hegel’s understanding of ethical life as a dynamic, evolving process. The act of theft, while morally problematic, becomes an expression of love, thus transcending its purely negative form.

The Ultimate Reconciliation: Love as Spirit’s Expression

Ultimately, Shoplifters asserts that the spirit finds its highest expression in acts of love that defy conventional norms. The family’s chosen bonds, forged through shared hardship, reflect a higher ethical truth than the impersonal mechanisms of the state. In this sense, Kore-eda’s film exemplifies Hegel’s vision of art as the sensuous presentation of the spirit, capturing the profound human need for belonging within a world that often negates it.

Conclusion: Cinema as Ethical Reflection

Shoplifters embodies Hegel’s conception of art as a vehicle for exploring the complexities of human experience. By presenting love and survival as interwoven dialectical opposites, the film challenges audiences to rethink moral absolutes and recognize the deeper ethical structures at play. Kore-eda’s cinematic realism, rooted in empathy and subtlety, aligns with Hegel’s belief that art should reveal the spirit’s quest for reconciliation within the contradictions of modern life. Through its portrayal of a family that transcends bloodlines, Shoplifters becomes not just a narrative but a philosophical inquiry into the essence of community and the enduring power of love.