Name: Jella Mae T.

Ycalina
Course and Year: BSA-2
Intructor: Mr. Niño A. Ardiza

“UNDER THE OPEN SKY” REACTION PAPER

A criminal. That was the first thing I thought of Mikami at the very first scene of the film.
A former yakuza who was convicted of murder for 13 years. A century of his life was stolen from
him and the life out of the prison cell is way more different than he could ever imagine. Although
society as a whole may be unwilling to accept an ex-con like Mikami, many of the people he
encounters are ready to assist in any way they can. At first, I wasn’t able to find the exact words
to write after watching the film as it took me many sighs and deep breaths before finally putting
my thoughts into words. I realized how people judges a person based on what they see on the
physical version of their performances without even knowing anything about who they are or
what they’ve been through. Everyone Mikami encounters looks down on him because of his
background, no matter how hard he tries to alter or reform his life. Every step along the way,
Mikami is met with rejection from the outside world just because he has the label "convict"
slapped on him.
It was heart-breaking to see a film that really mirrors what is happening in the real world.
The cruelty, the manner of turning backs on the people for one mistake, it’s just very hard to
accept that we have this mentality of cancelling people without even knowing their side of the
story. Mikami is not a bad person for killing a rival gang who harassed the woman he loved, it
was merely a defense out of a situation that killing is the only way of saving. He has been
socialized to express himself violently, even when he is attempting to do it in a kind manner.
Accepting aid is a show of weakness, he says, and fleeing a battle is a sign of defeat. I can
sense every moment of joy and grief that he experiences along his journey that I want to reach
out and help the poor man via my laptop screen. His tired face, fighting back tears brought on
by the world's unfairness, when all he wants to do is go on with his life and become a new man.
Above all, Mikami's greatest desire is to reconcile with his mother, who abandoned him
when he was four years old. That story strand is a first of sorts, but it rings true and hurts hard,
as does so much else in this excellent depiction of a lifelong outsider seeking to find a home in a
society that gives few second chances. This is a tear-jerker film about humanity and how we
accept and reject people on our daily lives. How, at the end of the day, no matter how awful
things may appear, no matter how worthless you may feel, each and every individual has an
influence on their fellow human beings, large or small. We must take responsibility for our
deeds, and the rest of the world must learn to be more forgiving. It doesn't take much, but it may
make a huge impact for people who are in need.
In conclusion, I highly encourage and will surely recommend this noteworthy drama to
people who struggles in adjusting a new life and is seeking for acceptance in a society where
second chances is very uncommon and foreign.