For My Film Class

Cameron Curl

[formyfilmclass]

Spirited Away

I love this movie so much. It’s the first Studio Ghibli film I’ve ever watched, and it had haunted me until I rewatched it in high school (Yubaba is a scary lady for a three-year-old, don’t judge me).

I think it wasn’t until rewatching it a few more times and hearing snippets of Miyazaki talking about this film that I truly understood the importance of this story. Now, as an adult, I think I understand why it resonates with so many people and has such a strong nostalgia for many. It really is a coming-of-age story, focusing on a girl who—at the beginning—is shy and nervous and not very sure of herself. She is somewhat forcefully pushed to face demanding tasks head on, which in itself is tough for a young kid to do all on their own. But on top of that, she has to hold onto her name (Chihiro) and her yet-to-be-established identity in order to return to her real life. Her character development into a strong individual who still remains her childish self is awesome and I think very effectively pulls you into the story.

An interesting thing about this movie is how the characters (mainly Chihiro and her family) are motivated. In the “real world,” the character’s motivation stems from very mundane reasons, and those reasons are easily identifiable. The family moves to a new place and the parents are eager to explore and learn about the surrounding area, as many parents tend to do. Chihiro herself is apprehensive of new things and unfamiliar places in a way that is very common for children.

But once they enter the train station/clock tower and exit through the other side (a very obvious liminal space) the parents are motivated by some obsessive or unhealthy desire to explore. Their dismissal of social etiquette when they arrive at the only open restaurant is greedy and obnoxious. Meanwhile Chihiro feels uncomfortable by her parents’ behavior and has a strong urge to leave.

I think there are many ways to interpret this situation, but one I like is that children are still transitioning from relying mainly on instinct or vague ideas to making decisions based on what is considered appropriate or logical, a skill often learned from one’s parents. Therefore, in this situation where her parents are acting our of pure gluttony and greed, she feels this strong cognitive dissonance and confusion. I mean in the beginning, we see her mom scolding her for small things constantly, so she knows her mom to be a strict person with clear ideas of appropriateness. She clearly did not think eating food that they hadn’t had permission to eat was a smart decision, so it must have been shocking to see her mom abandon those ideas and pig out.

Yubaba also provides Chihiro with a plethora of arbitrary rules for right and wrong behavior, and seeing Chihiro be self-motivated and—politely—break those rules to help those she loves is very heartwarming and admirable. Navigating growing up can be very difficult for children, and I think this film does an effective job representing that difficulty.

[nanafilmclass]

Sukiyaki Western Django [Miike Takashi]

Initial Thoughts

This movie was such an interesting watch. I was expecting something silly but not this silly. I did enjoy this film, but it was very confusing at parts. The balance between being serious and comedic wasn’t done well. I really enjoyed the comedic parts and I felt that the serious parts didn’t fit as well with the tone. There are some movies that can balance this well, but I felt this one didn’t do it as well as others. Still, it was enjoyable. This film reminded me of Blazing Saddles, another comedy Western film. That film also has an overarching, serious plot, but that film felt more cohesive to me than this one. Some of the shots in this movie were gorgeous too. However, some felt way too saturated and hurt my eyes.

My Interpretation

This film has a comedic take on the classic one family versus another story. Watching this film, it reminded me a lot of the Hatfields and McCoys, which was a real event. They even mentioned War of the Roses, which was a historical event of feuding families. I thought this movie showed the absurdity of these family feuds well by making all the violence exaggerated. The comedic aspect pokes fun at this old story trope, even mentioning Shakespeare who was known to use this trope often in plays.

One thing I noticed when watching this film is the choice of costuming. Some characters are in classic western attire, and some are in modern clothes. Heihachi wears a hoodie which is definitely not period accurate. This didn’t take me out of the film though, but rather added to the absurdity of it. We are left unsure of the time period, which makes the comedic aspect even better. To add to it, they rarely used Japanese and the first time we ever hear any is from the American guy, which made the film even more silly.

To touch back on the balance of serious and comedic, I think the serious moments really took me out of the film. The part where Shisuka’s husband dies and then she is chased and almost raped was gut-wrenching to watch. The actress did a fantastic job at acting and her screams were painful to hear. This scene contrasted with all the comedic scenes is just odd. It feels like there were two different movies happening, a serious western and a comedic western. I wish the two had blended together better, because overall I did enjoy the film.

[formyfilmclass]

I would agree with you, the serious parts of the movie and the comedic parts did not blend together as well as they could, especially since I think it was hard to differentiate the two from each other. I still don't feel confident that there were any "serious" parts because the film was just so over the top and the aesthetics of the film overwhelmed every scene. I still like the film, there just feels like a lack of acknowledgement that there are some messed up things that have happened to the characters.

[formyfilmclass]

Sukiyaki Western Django

Nothing could be better than ending the semester with the most 2007 movie I have ever witnessed. Honestly I'm so glad I stayed to watch that with the class because, had I not, I don't think I would have believed I had really seen any of it. It's just so absurd... but so cohesively absurd that I very much enjoyed it.

I think one of my favorite things about this film is the fact that it so obviously draws from different stories and historical material and then 2000-ifies it all, if you will. I immediately understood the basis of the plot as that of Yojimbo (a Kurasawa film) or Fist Full of Dollars (basically the American rip off of Yojimbo starring Clint Eastwood), but the two clashing groups were replaced with the Genji and Heike clans. Then the two groups were yassified--for lack of a better word--wearing all white or all red and just exuding coolness and manliness. It was incredibly campy and there were some moments where the characters looked so badass and some where they looked goofy... I was highly entertained.

Also, we always compare samurai films and westerns, but this really is the coolest visual mashup of the two genres I’ve probably ever seen. They have guns and swords, all the buildings are Japanese style but in a desert, and the dialogue is in English. For some reason. I think that probably boggles my mind the most: an almost entirely Japanese cast—save for Tarantino—has all English lines. I really don’t understand the reason for that, but I think the fact that they kept using expressions that consistently confused me as they are not actual English phrases added to the wonder of the film.

One thing that really bugged me, however, was the sexualization of the women. In Yojimbo, for instance, the woman who is separated from her child is never seen in lingerie, never raped or shown to perform a dance in a pub surrounded by men, nor do I remember her showing interest in the samurai who shows up to the town. I really wish they hadn't gone the sexual route in this film. In Sukiyaki Western Django, they presented her in a way that satisfied a hypersexual male fantasy rather than focused on establishing that her situation is tragic and horribly traumatizing for someone to go through. I can see how explicitly showing these sort of things allows us to hate the leader of the Genji more than simply if they were implied. And maybe they tried to take it more seriously, it’s just that the genre or aesthetic of the film twisted how I interpreted the character’s depiction. But I mean the camera was literally zoomed in on her in panties and thigh-highs for an amount of time I can only describe as unnecessary. I don’t have an aversion to making sure the audience knows how hot your female cast is, but in the context of this story, it just feels wrong. (Don’t even get me started on Tarantino caressing BenTen.)

[formyfilmclass]

Sweet Bean

Off the bat… I got Hallmark Movie vibes and was not feeling very attached to the characters or the story for a good hour of the film. But as the second half started and continued on I got pretty invested. Despite my misgivings at the beginning, I feel that the societal issues (elderly working, discrimination, etc.) were handled in a realistic and effective way.

I first thought this film was going to focus on the difficulties older people in Japan have for finding work that they are capable of doing, or even how potentially older women in Japan feel some sort of regret for having neglected their own dreams to support a family or provided for themselves. Tokue says that she has always wanted to work in a place like Sentaro’s dorayaki stand, which I had interpreted to mean that she felt she finally had the time to make good on one of her dreams. I did not really attribute her comment on her hands being crippled to anything other than being an ailment of old age… but I should have. Once Sentaro’s boss made comments about Tokue being a Leper, I started to rethink my initial interpretation of this film.

The Hallmark-feeling of the film kind of breaks at around the halfway point when Tokue is told to go home for the day. She has this look on her face that conveys a mix of heartbreak and understanding that alludes to something coming to an end (her employment or maybe something else). The crispness of the film quality is juxtaposed with the shadows of the uncharacteristically quiet dorayaki stand, and it no longer feels like this is a heartwarming story about an older woman working her dream job. I was very moved by this scene, and the fact that the next time we see Tokue is in her home looking worse than better just doubles down on that feeling that things will only continue downhill.

One of the most important elements in this film were the trees. There is a lot of focus on the cherry blossom trees near the dorayaki stand, as well as at the end the focus on the trees on the land surrounding the apartments where the Lepers live. These trees signify a few things, the first being the passage of time. We see the cherry blossom trees change with the seasons, letting the audience know how long it is between scenes and events within the film without having to explicitly state it.

They also signify the beauty of life and emphasize that life is a cycle. The film has moments when characters talk about how unsightly Lepers are and how they scare away children, but at the end Tokue—instead of being buried in a cemetery—has a tree planted for her will one day be as beautiful and grand as those around it. Also, at the end when Sentaro opens his own dorayaki stand, the cherry blossoms are again in bloom (just like at the beginning of the film), signifying new beginnings. I really like how nature is used in the film, and while it is not used in the most original of ways, it is very effective.

[nanafilmclass]

Pulse [Kurosawa Kiyoshi]

Initial Thoughts

Once again I was not excited to watch this movie because I really dislike horror; however, this one didn’t effect me as much as Ringu did. There was a lot of tension and build up in this film and not a lot of pay off. In short, it was boring. The plot felt like it was all over the place and the message I assume the movie was trying to convey was very muddled. All of the potential scares weren’t as satisfying as Ringu. I kept hiding my face while watching because I thought there would be a big scare only for nothing to really happen. They had a lot of good set up, but I feel it just stayed at the same level of scary instead of slowly building and getting scarier as the movie goes on. I thought that the markings on the wall were interesting, as well as the red-taped doors. However, we get very little exposition on what is happening and so the movie is quite confusing. Many scenes felt random or out of place with no purpose. Characters were introduced then never seen again. I would have liked more explanation because the apocalyptic ending they went with was really jarring and honestly quite silly.

My Interpretation

I think part of the message this movie wanted to get at was something about how technology separates us and how we aren’t really connected to each other. Which, in my honest opinion, is a take I’m not fond of. I think it can be explored in an interesting was but this movie didn’t do that. It threw out the technology bit pretty quickly actually. I thought the end of the movie would result in a large climax incorporating the computers, but instead of being a focal point they were pushed more to the side close to the end. The red-taped doors became more of a focal point for the ghosts with the computers being a side source. It seemed like the whole message of the film was lost because they didn’t hold onto plot points that they started with.

One thing that could have been interesting was the computer program that was meant to simulate the world. In the program, whenever two dots get to close together they die. This is reflected throughout the movie as we only ever see people die when they are around others. However, I feel like this contradicts the movie’s message of being lonely in both life and death. We see people succumb to loneliness even when surrounded by others. This could be to show that the connections in this film re fake, and only surface level, but I feel that the movie didn’t achieve this message well. Throughout the film we see Michi care deeply about her friends and worry about them, even to the point that she hand feeds Junko and helps a complete stranger. I think this message of “we think we are connected when we actually aren’t” doesn’t come off the way the filmmakers intended it too. Instead, it makes it feel pointless that the people are overcome with loneliness even when they have friends. I was most disappointed with Kawashima’s death because it felt meaningless. It would have been more impactful if the ghost he saw was Harue, and he gave in to be with her ultimately. However, the movie seems to state that even the most headstrong people can succumb to this feeling of loneliness.

This film offers not remedy for this loneliness which I thin frustrated me most. The message I got from the film was that people are disconnected and lonely in this society it’s practically like we’re dead. This completely leaves out the real connections and bonds people make in daily lives to one another. While people do suffer from loneliness and depression and other things of that nature, I find it rude say that these people are practically just dead. People really struggle with these things, and to make and keep lasting connections, so to just brush it off and turn loneliness into an apologetic scenario felt almost insulting to me. Even though this movie calls it loneliness, it felt more adjacent to depression for me. So, it comes off to me as the movie trying to say that people suffering from depression can’t keep or make meaningful connections, and it is an issue that is spreading. I don’t know if that was the intended message, but that’s how it came off to me. As someone who knows people who suffer from depression, and have experienced it myself it was rather insulting to see how it was portrayed in this film. Depression can make you feel isolated, but that does not mean that you cannot make meaningful connections if you suffer from it.

Overall, I really disliked this film. The horror element had potential but it fell flat a lot of the time. The only really scary scene was the part where Junko encountered the ghost. The reveal of the ghosts face was also just as anticlimactic and boring. Lastly, the message of the film was confusing and got very muddled with the confusing plot-lines.

[formyfilmclass]

I think you are spot on in regards to the movie being all build-up and no payoff. It was not very scary and was more like a thriller movie than a horror, but it wasn't clear what anyone's goal was or how different characters connected to each other (except like being next to each other in physical space).

I also wish they developed the computer simulation of the real world more. There was one scene where a zombie-like man on a computer flashed in and out like the dots that touched each other... but I am still unsure how that connect to the bigger story. I like your interpretation of it, and I think that's something they were trying to represent (they just did it poorly).

[formyfilmclass]

Pulse

Watching Pulse was such an interesting and strange experience because I really liked it but also thought it made no sense. I loved the creepy energy and the execution of the scares (except for the CGI ashes… there’s honestly nothing more disappointing than when a stunning movie uses unnatural CGI during a climactic moment). I did however think that all of the different plot points didn't fit together as nicely as they could have.

Color

The use of color in this film stood out to me the most. The three characters who work at the plant store all coordinate through color (for example they start of wearing yellow clothes, then collectively move onto orange). This audience eventually expects the three to continue to coordinate, so when they don’t it hints that they are separating from each other in some way. It’s very smart and very visually appealing.

I think that the meaning of colors is as follows: yellow and green signify that a character has yet to learn about whatever paranormal virus is infecting people, orange signifies that someone has been/is about to be exposed to the virus, red signifies that someone has been infected, black signifies that the person is about to die from the virus, and purple or maroon signifies that someone has been infected for a prolonged period of time but is fighting it off in some way.

My favorite use of this color symbolism is Kawashima’s final outfit. He has on a yellow and green button up over a dark red shirt. I immediately knew that he was going to die, but that he was pretending that everything was fine. I think it fit his relaxed but shy character and it was no surprise when he turned into a mere stain on the wall.

The only color that I feel is used for different reasons is white. After Junko is infected (wearing all red), we see her in only white until her final moment (in which she wears all black). White is used to represent a survivor in this instance. Harue also at one point wears all white. She’s stumbling around in her apartment building in a zombie like state, which makes me think that she also was infected but had somehow escaped. From this moment on, she wears grey and black, then red, and finally purple, making her the most confusing but interesting of characters in regards to color symbolism. However, when Michi initially saves Junko, she has on a white shirt with red patterns on it. In this case, white represents a savior figure.

Given the simple nature of the film’s plot this use of color really helps to add content and advance the story along. I also thought it made for an enjoyable watch as I found myself trying to predict what would happen next. Also Willow had an interesting thought that the colors changing from green and yellow to red and purple is like that of leaves in fall. I really like this idea and I think it makes a lot of sense (and can be connected to the plant store that connects many of the main characters).

The Scares

I can’t not comment on the scares. I personally found this movie to not be scary at all, but I am in awe at the smoothness of the editing between shots of a stain on the wall and an actual person. It was so well done and the first time it happened I had thought I had imagined a person to be there, just like the characters on screen. The use of light and shadow was also very interesting in this film. I kept thinking that it was just so dark and I couldn’t see anything, but I honestly kind of liked it. It really added to the atmosphere and made me squint and try to look closer into the screen… the anticipation of something popping out of the dark was very entertaining (I think it’s funny that they didn’t really do that).

[nohkabukihere]

Ringu - Nakata

Ringu is a horror/thriller film from 1998 directed by Hideo Nakata. From what I’ve heard about it before watching it’s one of the big horror movies, and is generally regarded as a must see. I’m not a huge fan of horror movies myself, I tend to find them a bit silly and the protagonists tend to always make really stupid choices. Wow was this movie no exception. 

I was bored for the majority of the runtime of Ringu. I couldn’t get very invested in the story for some reason. This may be because it is such a famous movie I already knew the general plot or it may be because I hate the characters. For real, Asakawa really made me hate her so early on and so easily. I get it, she’s a journalist and she wants to find out about this mysterious tape that killed her niece. So what does she, the single mother do? She watches the tape that killed her niece. How dumb are you? In my opinion, even if you don’t believe in superstition, that’s dumb as hell. After that, what does she do? Shows it to Takayama. Why? They want to solve the case, but I just can’t get over how dumb this is. The final nail in the coffin was the fact that she just left his tape lying around the house apparently? Like, dude, you have a CHILD. I’m starting an Asakawa hate group, you’re all welcome to join. 

I thought the flashbacks and Takayama having some weird PSI powers was strange, but it didn’t take me out of the movie. If there’s a killer tape with someone’s rage trapped in it, I guess I can believe that people can have psychic powers. After all, that’s kinda what got the Shizuko and Sadako in their situation to begin with. The flashbacks themselves felt kind of weird, especially since Asakawa seemed to get transported into them instead of them just seeing them, but this wasn’t a major issue for me. 

One thing I really didn’t get was the point of the whole “storm keeping them on the island” plot line that lasted for a total of 3 minutes, had no real impact, and just kinda felt like a filler bit. Yeah, I guess it showed the old mans change to be willing to help them, but like, ultimately it did nothing different then if they had just left easily. 

I do want to say that the scene with Sadako coming out of the TV was actually pretty good. It looked pretty good and was definitely creepy. But this also leads me to what I think was the ost annoying and frustrating thing about this movie as a viewer. Earlier in the film Asakawa interviewed a few young girls about the tape. We get some basic information about what happened and that’s it, not much we as an audience didn’t already know. HOWEVER, apparently there as more information that she got that we just didn’t, and it plays as voice over at the end when Tamayaka dies. It mentions that the only way to get rid of the curse is to copy the film and have someone else watch it. So it’s implied that ASAKAWA KNEW THIS? One, wtf, that feels like such a stupid copout. Two, Asakawa is an idiot. Three, now she’s gonna go kill her dad, so that’s fun. 

Ultimately, I think if I didn’t hate the main character I would have enjoyed this movie. I just felt it was boring and since I didn’t care about Asakawa I couldn’t really get invested. The very beginning of the film was good, so I’m really thinking the character issue is what killed it for me. At least the movie looked nice from a cinematography standpoint.

[formyfilmclass]

I love that you brought up all of the stupid or silly plot points/holes in this film. Another one I couldn't wrap my head around was them trying to get all of the water out of the well. I just couldn't figure out why they thought they needed to get all of the water out to check for a dead body... like just feel around for her, it's a lot easier. So I can totally understand how stuff like that is not very engaging.

I personally really enjoyed the film but I am also very easy to take things as they are in the moment. Despite the goofiness of it all there were a few really well done scenes that were very enjoyable and genuinely spooked me.

Also--I'm sure you already would have assumed this--but you would hate the sequel. It was not good lol.

[formyfilmclass]

Ringu

I absolutely love horror films but surprisingly had not seen Ringu until we watched it together as a class. It was really enjoyable and I wanted to see how the story ended so badly that I watched the sequel the next day… spoiler: it was not nearly as good and I was incredibly disappointed (but I expected to be, unfortunately). I will be watching the other related movies at some point though because the vibes are immaculate, as they say.

Anyway, Ringu used visual effects and music to a very effective degree. I think the two greatest scares were when the audience is shown the messed-up photo of Asakawa and the final scare where Asakawa sees her ex-husband—with a white cloth on his head pointing at her bag—reflected in the TV screen. These effects of these scares are also very different (and both made me jump).

The first one with the photo uses visual and sudden music affects to make the audience incredibly uncomfortable. However, the jump-scare is built up to. Moments before we see the picture, every motion is very tense and quiet (not silent), and we know that something about the photo is strange. We’re expecting to see a photo not unlike the one of the four kids who died at the beginning of the movie. We see the apprehension and concern on Takayama and Asakawa’s faces in response to the photo before we get to see it. And then, after the initial cut to the photo and violent strings begin screeching in our ears, we are forced even closer to it (through a zoom). It just made me feel overwhelmed and like I wanted to run away.

The second one with the TV and the ghost ex-husband was also really effective. This one also uses sudden music, but it’s not quite as loud and startles you just enough to bring up your adrenaline and make the reflection of Takayama in the TV a little frightening. It also forces you to look closer through editing, but this zoom is not meant to make you uncomfortable, but bring you comfort and more understanding. He is giving Asakawa a hint as to why she is still alive, and we realize that Takayama is still supporting his ex-wife from the grave.

The juxtaposing effects of these two scenes is fascinating, especially since they employ very similar cinematic devices. I know the jump-scare is considered a controversial element in horror films, but I think this movie does it really well and the director Nakata knew what he was doing.

The other thing that fascinated me about this movie was the dynamic between Takayama and Asakawa. It was very clear from their first interaction that they were on intimate terms with one another in the past, but the intensity and purity of their support for one another made their separation feel tragic. But none of the specifics of there relationship or past were explicitly explained to the viewer. On the one hand, I love that Nakata trusts the audience enough to fill in the blanks (seemed like both of them were workaholics with their own priorities) and that no time was wasted on explaining a backstory that wasn’t relevant to the plot. But I also think it made their relationship and characters feel a little shallow. Regardless, it was an interesting way to handle this element of the story and it didn’t take too much away from the immersion.

[formyfilmclass]

Swallowtail Butterfly

This movie was very interesting although not one of my favorites that we have watched. I also enjoyed the music in it (especially the songs Grico sings with the Yen Town Band… but I wish those parts were a bit shorter).

I really liked the mixing of languages and cultures in this film. Through the interactions of these different cultures in the film, I think it was able to capture how foreign (or those who are perceived to be foreign) people living in Japan actually feel about being branded as outcasts, as well as how language barriers affect communication. For instance, the white man who advertised “Third Culture Kids” passionately challenged the Japanese idea of “foreigner” through explaining that he was born in Japan and can’t go back to any home country because he was in his home country, yet he is treated like a foreigner. He even asks Ageha if she feels like a Yentown or a Japanese (to which she responds Yentown, despite also being born in Japan). It’s addressing a similar problem to that of “Go!” in this case, but doing it more in an offhanded, sarcastic way. It feels almost comical. Also, Fei-Hong could not understand anything this man was saying, showing how Yentowns are not one homogenous group who share the same language or understanding.

In relation to this, I think Ageha bettering her English and learning Chinese from Fei-Hong represent her innocence and goodness, as well as her desire to fit in and make meaningful, direct connections with those around her. Conversely Fei-Hong does not attempt to learn Japanese as he does not have any interest in fitting in with larger Japanese society.

Other examples of Ageha trying to form these meaningful connections with others is getting a butterfly tattoo to match Grico, giving Ranki the tape and strongly suggesting that his Grico is also her Grico, and fundraising a ridiculous amount of money in order to buy the club back. She is motivated to do all of these things for herself and her happiness, but her happiness comes from the people around her rather than her own dreams and desires.

Something that really stuck out to me was the importance of money. The opening monologue explains that money motivated a substantial number of foreigners to flood into Tokyo—to the point where locals were upset by it—therefore it is assumed that all of the Yentowns highly value money. But it’s very clear that this isn’t always the case. The doctor who helps Ageha recover after taking drugs and gives her the tattoo does not want to take her money. The father who owns the junkyard seems pretty disinterested towards the counterfeit money the main group happen across, and is more concerned with supporting his friend’s dream and protecting his kids. Fei-Hong didn’t want to keep making money but instead wanted to build a place where Grico can sing and be enjoyed through music, not prostitution. The group of boys who help fundraise for Ageha rip and cut holes in some of the bills, despite previously hoarding it and showing they understand it’s value.

The characters support the idea that the Yentowns are not greedy people who simply want to capitalize on the booming wealth of Tokyo, but instead they have other concerns and desires that can be addressed or supported through money (which is very reflective of reality). Also, the fact that the Yentowns are all low-class with limited job options and poor living conditions makes a good case that the majority of the “greedy foreigners” who immigrated into Tokyo unfortunately aren’t really capitalizing on anything.

[cjloogy]

HANA-BI – はなび

Those damn shades, pretty cool.

I really enjoyed viewing this one, and I think it’s the actual viewing experience that’s key here, rather than the narrative itself which felt mostly peripheral. What was really keeping my attention throughout the film was the atmosphere that was being established, very melancholic and almost surreal at times, certainly in its depiction of violence with the amount of blood getting thrown around. Some of the violence does feel a little absurd, like the amount of blood a guy spits up after a single kick to the face with no other visible bruising or scarring from it, or the jarring cuts from a lunge with chopsticks to the guy being stabbed with them in his eye. While I think it was a bit heavy handed, I’m thinking now that it may have been an intentional effect meant to really draw attention to the moments of violence and death, and these moments felt like they were mirrored by the splash of red paint on Horibe’s suicide painting, showing what all these moments of violence were building up towards. The violence stands in stark contrast to the moments of care and tenderness. Nishi is a main who is haunted by his past, but still feels no greater desire than to see his sick wife happy in her final days. The ways scenes are depicted show his mentality and resolve perfectly, minimal dialogue and obscurity, and all of the motivations are shown through actions rather than words.

As for the ending, I think this was the least ambiguous part of the film, and it’s obvious what actually happened here: Nishi and his wife end their own lives on their own terms. It’s heavily symbolized by Horibe’s last painting at the end of the film, which on one hand shows his abandonment of the desire to kill himself with the splashing of the red paint, while also showing what Nishi and Miyuki are about to do. There’s no point in Nishi continuing his struggles since his wife is already on death’s door, and the Yakuza are set on tracking him down while the police have him pinned for the robbery he committed. He was able to enjoy one last trip with the woman he loves, and the last thing he’s going to do is kill 2 people that still clearly care for his well being and have done nothing to wrong him or the people he cares for. It’s a somber ending, but ultimately one that left me at peace knowing that him and his wife could both see the end together in mutual happiness. I have to admit, the 2 lines from Miyuki really hit me like a truck, and my eyes got a bit misty in it all. I also want to mention that I think it’s pretty clever that a man who was painting surrealist art has his final painting of the film directly foreshadow the reality of the ending.

The film itself had a distinct rhythm that helped everything flow together, and this was all punctuated with a fantastic score, making what could have been otherwise dull scenes really mesmerizing for myself. A couple of things I read up on that I thought made this film much more personal for the director was that the pointillist paintings that Horibe made were made by Kitano himself in reality, in particular while he was recovering from a motorcycle accident that left his face partially paralyzed, and that Kitano’s own daughter shows up in the film as the girl flying the kite at the end.

All in all, this film was really solid, not quite at the top of my list compared to some of the others I’ve seen up until now, but there are aspects here that certainly make me want to dive into the rest of Kitano’s filmography.

[formyfilmclass]

I agree that the atmosphere or viewing experience is more important than what happens. I loved the music and also how silence was prioritized over dialogue. It made you sit with what was happening on the screen and feel the effects of the visuals a lot deeper compared to if it was constant dialogue. It was a super enjoyable movie.

[formyfilmclass]

Hana-bi

That was amazing. Like I have no words to fully describe how awesome that movie was.

Just kidding, I have some words (… that was cringey, I’m aware). But in all seriousness this movie is so well done. I really love Nishi as a character and I love Beat Takeshi’s acting and direction. He regularly employs silence but not as a means to create mystery or suspense. I felt that regardless of whether Nishi was speaking or just sitting in silence with a colleague or his wife, I knew exactly what he was thinking or what he would be saying due to his actions or the way in which other characters would respond or react. He was not a mystery the audience had to figure out but instead a person with motivations that are tragically relatable. For me, the selectiveness of his speech also did not give importance to the words he did speak. If he said something out loud, it was often a simple “Who (are you getting married) to?” or maybe reading out which card his wife was holding up. He was simply a quiet man whose greatest loyalty was to his wife.

I also think the way in which information was revealed was a little confusing but overall had a very powerful effect. At first, I could not tell who was killed after the stakeout, or even if anyone had died. Soon after he was shot, we see Horibe in a wheelchair talking with Nishi. It’s likely that some time has passed, but there is still a lot of missing information about what the entirety of the outcome was. Little by little—either through Nishi visiting people with some relation to the stakeout or his flashbacks—more information is revealed to the audience. I feel that this is done in this way to emphasize the traumatic nature of the event and how it’s not something these men can just talk about or remember. Horibe and Nishi no longer work as investigators either, so they are not just dealing with the event itself, but also are grappling with their new lives and situations.

Lastly, it’s seems important to talk about Horibe and his artwork. I love that he was actually creating these works, and I think the “amateur” nature of them makes them feel more expressive. Almost like his desperation to find a purpose now that he is disabled and out of work is more aptly shown through child-like paintings. The substitution of faces, heads, and fur with flowers maybe represents his isolation from others (they are beautiful flowers often found in groups, whereas his wife and child have left him and he must continue on alone). His later artworks where he draws his family more plainly show his desire to have his family back, maybe representing his acceptance of his circumstances. The snowy scene where he writes 自決 (which not only means suicide, but self-determination) could be him accepting his isolation more and getting out his frustration or sadness with having to suffer in a way that does not bring physical harm to himself. I do not know if this progression is good or bad for his mental health, but I like to hope that he is benefitting from expressing himself without restriction through art...

There are so many other things to talk about, but those are what I pondered the most while watching lol. Can’t wait to hear what people have to say about Nishi’s morality.

[bigsconesjones]

GO!

Yukisada’s GO! is an interesting look into the discrimination Korean-Japanese citizens experienced stemming back to post-war Japan, but felt like a generic coming-of-age story. Despite all the fun action scenes, I still felt the runtime of just over 2 hours was a bit too long, and the story could have progressed a bit quicker. It’s a good movie, but I don’t think it’s necessary in the great pantheon of impactful Japanese movies if we look at it from a thematic standpoint.

Initial Reactions

For starters, I think the parallelism with Romeo and Juliet was neat. In fact, this movie reminded me of my favorite rendition of this tale: Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Romeo + Juliet. The jumpy shots and the goofy action scenes, as well as the lighting gave this movie a very campy feel, and it was much appreciated. Also, the “rose by any other name would smell as sweet” motif was very appropriate, as it really harked back to this general idea that discrimination primarily runs through labels, especially since Sakurai had no idea Sugihara was Korean until he said so.

However, I do feel that this movie was a bit long outside of the action scenes. I can’t pinpoint a specific scene that made me feel this way, but I think it’s because Sugihara always talked in this dull, bored tone that made me feel the same way. I understand the reasoning behind this narrative choice, but that doesn’t discount the fact that if there weren’t punches being thrown, this movie was kind of a slog.

Themes/Critiques

A major theme in this film is identity and overcoming discrimination. Throughout the story, Sugihara has to overcome the discrimination hurled toward him as a Zainichi, from the tension brought on by his girlfriend, to the insults of “selling his soul” from his own Korean acquaintances. The way he rejects both these identities to forge his own really speaks to this idea that identity is much more than just a label, that a “rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

However, hot take incoming: I think this theme is a bit overplayed, making this movie kind of a non-factor. It’s an incredibly important message, that you aren’t your label, but there are so many of these films that you can watch with this exact theme that I don’t think this one was needed. I will concede however, that many of these movies that I think about were made after GO!, so this might have been a pioneer in that sense. All in all, I think it’s just that I feel a bit fatigued watching movies like this, so it didn’t feel fresh in that sense.

Final Thoughts

GO! was a good movie, don’t get me wrong, but I think it was because of the atmosphere of the film and not actually the message it was sending, which I found boring. Because of this, I would only recommend this movie in the context of the composition, but if you want a good movie about identity, I would instead recommend something like “Funeral Parade of Roses”.

NOTE: I made some tweaks to this post, specifically that I changed my recommendation from “Moonlight” to “Funeral Parade of Roses” because I feel it’s more relevant to the class. Somebody already reblogged my post and commented on the choice of “Moonlight”, however, so this note is just to make sure context is not lost in their post.

[formyfilmclass]

That's very interesting that you were not a fan of the movie. I think it's definitely fair, the movie is pretty long, and there really are a lot of movies that have similar vibes or content. For me, it kind of reminded me of Fight Club... even though I don't think the content of either movies is comparable. I also think the idea that labels are just simply words is a good thing to bring up. It's probably what stood out to me the most in regards to the film's message.

[formyfilmclass]

Go

­­­­­­­I loved this movie!! It was such a fun watch and I also felt it presented the absurdity of the discrimination that “non-Japanese” populations face in Japan, and did not really hold back in making its message clear. I thought it was going to be a Romeo and Juliet adaptation, but was very pleased with what it was actually about.

Being a Zainichi

The issue of identity and nationality are the main focus of this film, despite Sugihara occasionally reminding us that this is a love story. Sugihara’s status as a Zainichi affects everything he does and almost places limits on what he can and can’t do. He says he has dreams of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but he also immediately says those are impossible when talking with Sakurai. He and Jong-Il talk about college and reaching high places in the workforce, but Sugihara just simply doesn’t believe in it because he feels he’s not in a position where those dreams are attainable. He also attributes his inclination to fight and to be a delinquent as attributes of being a Zainichi.

However, Sugihara eventually realizes that his status within Japanese society does not represent something tangible, or rather, that the box he has been put into doesn’t define him or have any real meaning in the grand scheme of things. He breaks himself out of this box in many different ways, sometimes without realizing it. For example, when his old classmate asks him to help get revenge for Jong-Il, Sugihara refuses because violence (something he associates with being Zainichi) is not necessary and is just a mindless, unnecessary choice to make. He also decides to go to college, which he previously saw no point in. The only thing holding him back from doing all of these things was the internal prejudices he had towards himself, and by the end of the film, he was able to overcome these obstacles.

I also liked that he had a lot of other characteristics than just being violent and boisterous. He was so focused on being a Zainichi that he didn’t really focus on how he enjoyed reading and learning, or how he liked music and was really excited to go to the opera. Considering how he was reading at a club, these characteristics were pretty obvious to the audience, so it was really nice to see him decide to go to college. (It was also nice to see him decide to pursue higher education because Jong-Il believed that he could… This is slightly off topic, but I gasped when he was stabbed and was very upset.)

Being a Boxing Referee

My favorite scene is probably when Sugihara gets horribly beaten up by his father near the end of the film. However it is not because of the beating, but instead the pure enthusiasm of the taxi driver going above and beyond to celebrate the father’s win.

It’s just so funny, I mean look at him. I love how excited he is that his generation’s representative was able to just overpower the younger generation.

To be more analytical, if we look at it from a modern perspective, the normalcy of physical abuse towards children as punishment really stands out. However, from the point of view of these particular characters, boxing and fighting have been how they come to an understanding. Even though the father beats his son—and makes the point that you have to do whatever you can to win—he understands that Sugihara may have a point in regards to the discrimination they face. They both consider each other’s perspectives and recognize the importance of both, bringing them closer together. It was a nice moment if you overlook the blood.

[formyfilmclass]

Tampopo

This movie, like Family Game, has a strong fixation on eating sounds. Although because the whole movie was about food, it was not nearly as uncomfortable. Save for the oyster and sex scenes.

In this film, Itami uses food very symbolically, making the point that although everyone—from truck driving cowboys to newborn babies—eats, everyone’s relationship with food is very individual and representative of their values. For instance, the truck drivers see food (namely ramen) as a treat they can partake in during a long drive. Tampopo saw ramen as an achievement and a means to gain strength and independence. The newlywed mafia-man and his trophy wife see food as a toy or fetish. The homeless men saw food as a work of art. The group of young women at the Western restaurant saw eating as a means to showcase etiquette and sophistication. The older woman who squished foods in the grocery store… I’m not sure about her but she definitely did not see food as a thing that you eat. Everyone’s purpose for eating is something other than purely sustenance, and this creativity and strangeness established by this was very entertaining.

This film also reminded me of a lot of other movies. Tampopo endures some grueling fitness training to prepare for making the best ramen ever, running in a tracksuit that is very Rocky-esque. But as the movie continues, a rag-tag group of men with different specialties comes together to help Tampopo, which is very much like Seven Samurai. However, it does not feel as though they are helping a weak person become strong, but rather helping a strong person to show that strength through cooking, which I really enjoyed. Also, the tracking shots on Goro really captured the same aesthetic as every John Wayne film in existence, which was also very fun.

The cinematography in general was awesome. I love the shot where Goro and Pis-Ken are looking at the sky through the grass, and the opening scene where the mafia-man talks to the audience—insinuating that we were eating too (and I was)—really worked well with the movie.

This film also has an obsession with aesthetics in general. Westerns are one of the biggest style and cinematographic influences I noticed in the film, but also Tampopo’s French-style makeover and kitchen remodel have a sense of classiness, cleanliness, and beauty that makes it very clear that she’s “made it.” The mafia movie aesthetic is used to showcase human lust and passion, and I feel the city glam look Tampopo has for a brief night out achieves a similar effect but without intimacy. The conglomeration of very different aesthetics does not take away from the cohesion of the film, but actually kind of makes the compartmentalization of the stories within it clearer and emphasizes that point of “food is universal but individual.”

[nohkabukihere]

The Family Game

The Family Game (1983), which was directed by Yoshimoto Morita, is definitely a movie that I found very strange and had a hard time following in terms of themes. The general plot was simple enough to follow, The father of the Numata family hires a tutor (Yoshimoto) to help his youngest son (Shigeyuki) get better grades in order to get into a good high school. During the film we see this happen despite Yoshimoto’s strange methods and behavior, and eventually Shigeyuki gets into the top school. However, the movie itself is anything but simple. 

The only thing I could come up with theme wise is the lack of true connection between the family. It seems that the only thing they ever talked about amongst each other was school, whether it be parent to child talking about grades and class, the parents talking about their kids going to good schools and having poor grades, or briefly the two brothers discussing high school. This is practically the only topic ever covered. We also see a sort of stereotype in Shinichi (the older brother) being a star student and Shigeyuki failing to live up to the expectations set for him by his older brother. The father is mostly absent and when we do see him he is either alone, drunk and/or drinking, or talking to his family about school. The mother seems to just be doing her motherly duty and rarely does anything else. 

The only time any of the family members have any kind of meaningful conversation is with someone outside of the family. Yoshimoto seems to be a sort of outlet for the family in some aspects. Shigeyuki and him talk about hobbies, relationships, interests, and other things not related solely to school. Yoshimoto and Shinuchi also have a conversation not related to the topic of school. We see that the mother struggles when she is presented with a topic of conversation outside of her standard life (granted, dealing with her distraught neighbor about the death of her in-law isn’t exactly an easy topic to approach). I did find that scene very interesting because we get assaulted with numerous sounds such as the phone, her son, the neighbor, and the tea kettle all rising until it cuts to silence. 

Another theme that might be present is the Numata family being stuck in the past. As I mentioned there is this idea of the family only existing through their family status as mother, father, brother, etc. I guess the best way to describe it would be like the idea of the nuclear family. We see them eat dinner in relative silence with maybe a bit of conversation. However, when we look at the family of the girl that Shinicchi starts to date/hang out with, they sit around in a circle and also watch TV at dinner. The entire feel and setting of their house was so much different than the Numata household. 

There are so many things about this film that confused me. Why did Yoshimoto occasionally act like a creep? The kiss was weird and him putting his hand on the thigh of a mostly naked child was unsettling, but then it never seemed like anything was off other than that. Why did he chug literally every beverage he was handed? I really wasn’t sure about the ending dinner scene where Yoshiomoto starts throwing food everywhere. It was like no one noticed until it got to a certain point of chaos, which I’m assuming is commenting on the families lack of awareness, but it was very strange. I also don’t know what the ending with the extra loud helicopter and the boys passed out, followed by the mom sleeping at the table was. My brain wants to tell me that there was a gas leak and they died, because I can’t make sense of it. 

In terms of the cinematography I did really like the use of sound building up to cut into silence. This was done multiple times throughout the film and I think it worked well each time. I also really like the shot of Yoshimoto chasing Shigeyuki down the stairs from a distance with Yoshimoto one flight behind. 

Overall, I thought the movie was alright. Definitely not in my top, but I liked it more than a few of the others we’ve watched in class. I’m sure once we discuss it I will understand it a bit better and maybe grow more appreciation for it.

[formyfilmclass]

I think you make good points in regards to the lack of awareness the family has, as well as there being some subverting of tropes. They are clearly a family and their space forces them together, but at the same time, they are very individualistic and not really interacting with each other in a deep level. I also liked the big brother having a fall down the academic hierarchy. It was almost like there was only one family member who could be academically skilled at a time. Once the younger brother was getting good grades, the older brother no longer was "able" to.

[formyfilmclass]

Family Game

I guess I’ll just get it out of the way: the intimacy between the characters of this film was so strange. It seemed to be very intentional and meant to kind of draw the viewer’s attention. I think to most of us, it gave homoerotic vibes, but maybe it was more supposed to represent the tutor “invading” this family. This closeness is not really seen as strange by the characters, and they never try to push him away or ask him to stop. In fact, at the dinner table, the characters are squished together just to fit on one side. The tutor—who gets to experience this kind of dining situation after his first day of work—also does not seem put off by it.

On the other hand, the woman who the mother invites over asks to move her chair to the other side of the table, as sitting side-by-side makes for an uncomfortable situation. The tutor’s comments are clearly inappropriate (along with his violent responses to Shigeyuki) but he may be trying to insert himself. The result of this is him being able to influence family members’ behaviors and wield power in their decision-making processes. I would assume he does all of this to improve his chances of earning a large sum of money, but I also wonder if he had any other motivations.

I also found the mother to be a very interesting character. She seems to be very nice and love her boys and husband very much, but it becomes very clear that her life is not ideal and she lacks deciding power and self-motivation. When the woman she invites over starts bawling, the tea kettle starts shrieking and her son undresses himself in the living room while demanding she put out his futon. Her husband does not support her managing of the house or her sons (he actually says he would resolve many of the home issues with a baseball bat, if I remember correctly) and so when her sons fail or things need to be resolved with the school, she is expected to take the blame for it. Therefore, her daily motivation is to ensure that everything is running smoothly to avoid the criticism of her husband. The woman she invites also shames her for only caring about her family and not the community… which isn’t overwhelming or unreasonable in any sense. The idea that she is so strung thin with all of her responsibilities—and even piecework—is very in-your-face, and not only does it comment on the stresses women face in a typical Japanese home, but also shows just how easy it is for the tutor to make his place in the family.

Lastly the camera work in this film was super interesting. The overhead shots of the artificially green playground, the shots “through” the desk in Shigeyuki’s room, and the stilted zoom on Shigeyuki as he happily runs home are all very different and I think build a sense of objectiveness within the film. It also stresses the cramped nature of the home compared to the wide and empty nature of the outside.

[willow-the-wisp-13]

Funeral Parade of Roses

This movie has definitely stumped me. After watching it two days ago, I still don’t quite know what to say about it.

One thing that I wish I had while watching this movie is more knowledge about the use of any gender signifiers in Japanese speech. I could here some of the different types of speech expression when individuals were speaking, but I was very curious as to how people throughout the film referred to each other.

One term that comes up throughout the film that makes me wonder about the perception of LGBT+ individuals in the film is the term ゲイボーイ(Gei Boi / Gay Boy. From an American perspective, I took character’s self presentations at a very face value and made the assumption that characters such as Eddie and Leda were identifying as women or trans women rather than as gay men. Because of this, I wondered if the term meant something more along the lines of “assigned male at birth but sexually attracted towards men” or if it is a strict indicatory that individuals such as Eddie and Leda are viewed by society (and possibly themselves too) as men and they simply dress out of the societal norms for their gender. While I am not sure about Eddie, I believe Leda at least, is the character who views their self the most feminine if not as a woman due to the inclusion of the emphasis on fake roses.

At the funeral, it is mentioned that Leda loved roses but specifically only fake roses. I definitely think that this is used as a reference to the perceived split between people who are assigned female at birth and those who are trans women. Leda loves fake roses since they are beautiful without being natural. Whereas, I believe real roses would make her feel jealous. Out of all the characters, I saw Leda as the character who was soaked the most in traditional femininity and feminine roles and expectations. It seems as if Leda’s lifelong goal was to become the most feminine as one can possibly be. 

The references to Snow White support this reading of the film, adding in scenes with the mirror to show how each character perceives themselves in relation to “who is the fairest.” When Leda looks in the mirror, Eddie appears behind her. Likewise, after Leda’s death, when Eddie looks in the mirror Leda’s fake roses are present in the background.

Overall, this film was very experimental. While it was Avant Garde, I am not sure that I would consider it’s eccentricities to add to the film since they sometimes seemed to detract from the messages and meanings. One thing that I did enjoy in the film was the breaking of the fourth wall with the actors being interviewed as actors after sex scenes. I felt that this added to the message about the masks people wear.

Continuing with the mask motif. I wonder if Eddie getting stabbed in the eyes was supposed to mimic how masks have eye holes? … Just a thought…

[formyfilmclass]

Same thing here, I had trouble figuring out the best way to refer to them or which pronouns to use. I know we've talked about in class that the ideas about gender and sexuality are not the same across cultures, so I'm very interested to talk about this movie in class.