Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda

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Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda

2018

1h 41m

Documentary

Music

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Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A portrait of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

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Critics Consensus

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda takes a thoughtful look at the composer's life and legacy that should prove affecting and illuminating for novices as well as longtime fans.

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David Stratton

The Australian

Oct 26, 2018

3.5/5

Schible's documentary - while not particularly well shot - is a very useful insight into the work of a major composer.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Aug 16, 2018

2.5/5

Those who are interested in how documentarians capture artistry on film will find good examples in Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda. It helps to come to the film with some foreknowledge of Sakamoto's career, however.

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Brad Wheeler

Globe and Mail

Aug 2, 2018

3/4

Isn't a life story or a deep-dive character study. Rather it is a heartfelt mediation on the creative process, with elegantly presented ideas on nature, music, mortality and things out of tune.

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

Feb 11, 2022

Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA flows with the same haunting grace that latches itself on to one of Sakamoto's iconic scores or compositions.

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Morgan Rojas

Cinemacy

Dec 7, 2020

4.5/5

A sensational portrait of a legendary musical poet. I could watch this 100 times and still be fascinated by its beauty.

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Karen Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Nov 6, 2020

Stephen Schible's documentary biography of the great film composer is not only an interesting portrait of an artist but a sensitive and engrossing exploration of the act of creation itself.

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T M

@RT55749265 Sep 18, 2026

I like Sakamoto's music. I would have liked more of a retrospective. But this is what it is. Sakamoto comes across as a true artist. Music and sound is his life. This is a film of itself, not your usual music doc.

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Feb 27, 2026

A well done documentary about the film composer Sakamoto and his creative style.

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Dec 29, 2020

One would think that someone who has lived as an extraordinary life as Ryuichi Sakamoto would deserve a more engaging document of his career.

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Dec 7, 2020

At times violence for the sake of violence. The point could have been made without the all the violence. Disappointed.

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Dec 4, 2020

AWESOME! This movie takes lot's of twists and turns that really get you on the edge of your seat, definitley a must have!!!

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Nov 14, 2020

An intimate and poignant portrait of the greatest living composer. Sakamoto dialogues with Nature and lays himself bare by telling us about the disease that has struck him. Speaking of Bach he says that "his chorales were the voice of a people who were suffering, hungry, dying of the plague. The music inspired by Fukushima must be the choral of my times, with its tragedies". Masterpiece.

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Stephen Schible

Director

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Self

Stephen Schible

Producer

Tsuguhiko Kadokawa

Executive Producer

Neo Sora

Cinematographer

Hisayo Kushida

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Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A portrait of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Director: Stephen Schible
Producer: Stephen Schible
Distributor: MUBI
Production Co: NHK, AVROTROS
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 6, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 24, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $117.2K
Runtime: 1h 41m

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