Silk 2007

The film begins with Hervé Joncour (Michael Pitt) reflecting on a mysterious Asian woman as she bathes in a hot spring. However, his true story unfolds earlier in the 19th century when he returns to his hometown in France during his army leave. There, he meets Hélène (Keira Knightley), a passionate teacher who dreams of a beautiful garden, while Hervé’s heart longs to marry her. Their relationship blossoms into a passionate affair, bringing both joy and complexity to their lives.

The narrative then introduces Baldabiou (Alfred Molina), a local entrepreneur who runs three silk mills that are vital to the town’s economy. As a silkworm disease threatens the industry, he sees potential in Hervé—a bright and ambitious young man. Baldabiou persuades Hervé’s father, the mayor (Kenneth Welsh), to release Hervé from military service, allowing him to pursue his love for Hélène and embark on a dangerous mission to save the silk trade. In 1862, Hervé travels to Egypt seeking silkworm eggs, his journey stretching over two months.

With the African silkworms also afflicted, Baldabiou then sends Hervé on a perilous expedition to Japan, a land forbidding to foreigners. The journey is treacherous, filled with months of travel across Europe and Asia, journeying by horse, train, and caravan. Upon arriving in Japan, Hervé is blindfolded and led to a secluded village where he meets Hara Jubei (Koji Yakusho), a local baron who could provide the essential silkworm eggs. However, amidst this mission, Hervé finds himself captivated by Jubei’s unnamed concubine, often referred to simply as the Girl (Sei Ashina).

After successfully acquiring the silkworm eggs, Hervé returns a wealthy man and utilizes his newfound riches to create a splendid home and garden for Hélène. His second journey back to Japan intertwines passion and risk when the Girl gifts him a note in Japanese before he has an intimate encounter with another woman. However, his hopes to reconnect with the Girl keep him in Japan longer than intended.

As tensions escalate with Schuyler (Callum Keith Rennie), a gun-trading Dutch merchant who warns Hervé of Jubei’s intentions, Hervé ultimately returns home, grappling with his emotions and the changes his experiences have wrought. Back in France, he seeks the help of Madame Blanche (Miki Nakatani), a brothel owner who translates the Girl’s note for him, filled with longing: “Come back or I shall die.” Despite returning to Hélène, he remains a haunted man, aware that she senses the transformation within him.

Baldabiou proposes sending Hervé to China, where conditions are safer, but Hervé insists on returning to Japan. Unfortunately, upon arrival, he finds the village deserted due to the breakout of war. As he attempts to fulfill his mission, he faces hostility from Jubei, leading to disastrous consequences. The town’s economy crumbles due to the failure of the eggs Hervé brings back, yet he invests in expanding Hélène’s garden, attempting to mend the damage caused.

Months later, a heartfelt letter from the Girl arrives, once again translated by Madame Blanche, who warns Hervé not to visit her again. The letter expresses her poignant love and desire for his happiness, hinting at their unfulfilled connection. After the formalization of silkworm egg export from Japan and the opening of the Suez Canal, Hervé’s journeys to Japan cease.

Tragically, Hélène falls ill and passes away in 1875, leaving Hervé to mourn her loss. Upon visiting her grave, he discovers a tribute of small blue flowers, which leads him to seek out Madame Blanche again. It is here he learns that it was Hélène who penned the love letter, acknowledging Hervé’s affection for the Japanese woman and wishing for his happiness above all. This revelation opens Hervé’s eyes to the truth that Hélène was in fact his one true love.

The film concludes with Hervé narrating his tale to Ludovic (Mark Rendall), the son of a friend and the gardener to Hélène’s beloved garden. Through this act of sharing, Hervé imparts the essence of love and sacrifice intertwined with the legacy of the garden he and Hélène nurtured together.