Category: comedy

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama gendai-geki romance shomin-geki

The Road to True Love

The Yellow Handkerchief (Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi, 1977) is a film directed by Yamada Yoji. The lead male actor is Shima Yusaku, whose real name is Takakura Ken. Yamada had been working on episodes of the ultra-popular Tora-san series which shares many similarities with The Yellow Handkerchief. The film was later remade as a Western movie by producer Arthur Cohn. Yamada states that the original story is an American story, and he adopted it as Japan-based story (Michi Kaifu). It was also the winner of the first Best Picture award at the Japan Academy Prize. This film can be categorized into more than one genre, including comedy, romance and drama. However, in my view, its primary genre is romance. The film begins with a comic mood and the story gradually become heart-warming.

The film is about a road trip of three strangers who originally meet together out of loneliness. In the opening scene, Takeda Tetsuya is depressed because his girlfriend breaks up with him; therefore he quits his job and decides to go on a trip with his new car. He meets a girl Ogawa Akemi in Hokkaido and she decides to travel with Tetsuya. At the beach, Tetsuya and Akemi meet Yusaku, the lead male actor who was just released from prison. Flashback scenes are like puzzles that put together Yusaku’s memories. One of the flashback scenes shows that Yusaku writes his ex-wife Shima Mitsue a letter after he is released from prison. He wants to know the well-being of his ex-wife and asks her to tie a yellow handkerchief on the flagpole if she is still alone. If he does not see any yellow handkerchief, he will leave her forever. Tetsuya decides to offer Yusaku a ride. Yusaku is like a mysterious person since he always thinks before he speaks. His background and his purposes are unknown until later on. On the way home, Yusaku looks forward to seeing his wife, while he is afraid and anxious because he might see what he does not want to see in the end, and that would mean the collapse of his last hope in life.

This film captures the ideal lover of the traditional Japanese: a tall man whose true love is covered behind a serious and tough look, and who does not know how to express his love to his lover; a woman who is faithful to her lover and willing to suffer for her lover until he is back on her side, and forgives him for his wrong doing. In my view, the reason why this film is so popular is because it depicts the classic view on love: tolerance, forgiveness, sincerity. The director contrasts two male in this film: Yusaku and Tetsuya. Tetsuya is a young man who is hurt by love and who has become careless about love and women, whereas Yusaku is deeply affectionate to his ex-wife. In one film scene, Yusaku madly criticizes Tetsuya as the latter attempts to sexually harass Akemi, he says “Akemi is a lady and ladies are fragile like flowers, so we can’t harm them. As men, we should protect them, but you horndog, do you behave like a man?!” As the movie progresses, we learn that Yusaku is a coal miner who accidently killed a gangster and was put into jail. He missed his wife very much while he was in jail. However, he understands that his wrongdoing might hold up onto his wife’s future life, therefore, he divorces with his wife and hopes she can find a better man. In the movie, Yusaku acts more like a mature man compared to Tetsuya who does not show respect to women. This road trip symbolizes our lives which gradually change from absurd to sensible. In the end, Tetsuya gradually learns to take relationship more seriously and sincerely.

The director tells the story by using well-placed flashbacks as his directing technique. Instead of telling the whole story directly to his audience, the director puts Yusaku’s story into unconnected flashbacks and we gradually learn his past in flashbacks. This creates suspense. In the beginning of the film, I was confused by those sudden pieces of memories from Yusaku. At the end of film, all the flashbacks made sense to me. As Yusaku tells his story through flashbacks, we learn how much he loves Mitsue and we also learn how he ends up in prison, which turns a beautiful love story into a heartbreaking one. The audience is seeking the result as well as the heroine, as well as the two young people, throughout the story. This unique way of telling the story might be one of the features that make this film stand out from others.

This film is focusing on the popular need to love and to trust. The film starts with a comic atmosphere, but there is also a hidden sadness behind this humorous mood. Many of the humorous scenes are very common in daily life such as taking a leak beside the road. All three people in this film carry a great deal of pain which keeps them traveling together. The pain that each of them has is somehow related. Along the road trip, their relationships change in many ways, leading to the second chances in life and love. I like how Arthur Cohn uses this slogan to summarize the film: “A love lost in the past. A love struggling for a future.”  The ways that the director uses to film a romantic film are unusual but beautiful. Thus this film is one worth watching if you enjoy watching a love film or a multi-genre film, and for people in love or seeking the meaning of true love, or who have good or bad memories about love.

Bibliography
MichiKaifu. “Yoji Yamada’s “The Yellow Handkerchief” to Be Remade in Hollywood.” Hoga News. 12 Feb. 2007. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. <http://hogacentral.blogs.com/hoganews/2007/02/yoji_yamadas_th.html>.

Categories
anime comedy

Totoro: The Spiritual Guardian

The 1988 Studio Ghibli film, Tonari no Totoro (English title: My Neighbor Totoro), written and directed by Miyazaki Hayao, is a fantasy-filled anime well-known to most Japanese. The main characters are the Kusakabe sisters – Satsuki (Hidaka Noriko) and Mei (Sakamoto Chika), and Totoro (Takagi Hitoshi).

When Satsuki and Mei move to Matsugo, the countryside, with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother, they are thrilled by the discovery that the forest surrounding their rickety, “haunted house” is inhabited by magical creatures. They are left dubious upon finding acorns falling from the ceiling as they explore their new home. The girls first encounter makkuro-kuro-suke or susuwatari (black soot), when they open the back kitchen door. The grandma from next door explains that these creatures are only visible to children. When four-year old Mei finds a number of shiny acorns consecutively as she plays in the garden, she picks them up one by one until she spots a little half-invisible to solid white creature. As she follows the creature, it is joined by another medium-sized gray creature. They go into the forest, into the hole on the bottom of a huge camphor tree, where Mei meets an even larger creature of the same kind, named Totoro. She befriends Totoro and before long, she falls asleep on his tummy. She is awakened by Satsuki, who finds her younger sister sleeping on the forest ground. Though Mei tries to find Totoro to prove that she met him, she is left frustrated, unable to revisit her recent adventure.

Satsuki meets Totoro when she and Mei wait for their father to come home in the rain at the bus stop. Entertained by the sound of the raindrops falling on the umbrella, Totoro takes the black umbrella that Satsuki lends him on to the cat bus that picks him up. In return, he gives the girls tree seeds wrapped in bamboo leaves, which they plant in their garden. After the night they experience the magical workings of Totoro, the sisters are convinced that the magic was “a dream but not a dream” – that the magical creatures as portrayed in their picture book are real in their eyes. Finally, when Mei is disheartened by the news of her ill mother not being able to come home for the weekend, she gets into an argument with Satsuki that provokes her into running off on her own, determined to go to Shichikokuyama hospital. Satsuki, with the help of the villagers, search for the missing Mei. After long hours of searching and the villagers losing hope, Satsuki is struck with an idea that she believes is the last resort.

The family-friendly anime reflects the typical Japanese family lifestyle, as well as the culture and traditions embedded in the theme of spirituality. The ritual of taking a bath at night, especially parent-child bathing, is a common practice for Japanese families, and is a way of bonding. This is portrayed when Satsuki and Mei are bathing with their father. They are frightened by the strong wind blowing outside, but with good times and laughter, they weather all fear, even the makkuro-kuro-suke that are said to reside in dark, empty houses. Hanging laundry outside in the morning is also another standard custom, as the sun rays entail purification. These scenes imply the concept of driving evil or unwanted spirits away, only welcoming the good ones, like the “ghost” Totoro. The fact that Totoro is a favorable spirit is made apparent when the girls and their father greet the camphor tree to show respect as new residents in the village. The sweet corn that Mei picks from the vegetable farm of the grandma next door symbolizes a cure for her ill mother, as the grandma tells the girls that vegetables from her garden are healthy and can cure all diseases. Believing the corn would heal her mother, Mei takes it with her as she tries to find her way to the hospital after the quarrel with Satsuki. Other scenes suggesting Buddhist/Shinto values common in traditional Japan include one where Satsuki and Mei pray to Ojizôsama (stone statues of the Jizô) as they shelter the sisters from the pouring rain; and the scene where the grandma is found ardently praying with the one sandal in her hands that was found in the rice fields, believing it was Mei’s. Such scenes emphasize the conclusive theme of spirituality.

Satsuki, being the eldest, is characterized as a mature girl with a motherly role despite her still being in the early years of elementary school. She prepares breakfast and obentô (lunch boxes) for her family, and the way she interacts with Mei depicts the way mothers deal with their children. Satsuki carries Mei on her back when Mei is falling asleep as they wait for their father at the bus stop; and their quarrel indicates their level of maturity. She does however also have a childish side, which is displayed in cases when she and Mei scream when they are scared or nervous as they explore their new “haunted

house;” and also when they dance around the planted tree seeds and experience magic with Totoro and his friends. Mei on the other hand has more solid traits of being the spoiled but sweet and playful little girl. Her stubbornness is eventually what makes her run away, but the combination of her and Satsuki’s character is what allows the film to successfully portray the strong bond of the sisters that only tightens with the climax of the film.

Tonari no Totoro is an excellent fantasy-adventure film that illustrates modern-day rural Japan with a touch of creativity most enjoyable for families and children of all ages. It is a must-see for viewers hoping to get a gist of Japanese culture and traditions in anime form. Children will definitely come to adore Totoro, just as Satsuki and Mei grow to treasure their magical friend and spiritual guardian.

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama literary adaptations

Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score – Part I

Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score – Part I (のだめカンタービレ 最終楽章　前編) is a romantic comedy which was released in December of 2009. The movie was made as a sequel to the drama and released in two parts, the first part released in late 2009, and the second part released in early 2010. This is probably because the director wanted to give a full round up of the story instead of shortening and fitting everything into two hours. The story is originally a manga written by Ninomiya Tomoko. Followed by the popular response from a large fan base of josei (female) readers, it was made into an anime (2007) and also a live-action drama (2006). The director of the drama is Takeuchi Hideki, who is also the director for this movie. The live-action drama also had a huge fanbase and that was why Takeuchi decided to make a movie for it. Tamaki Hiroshi (Chiaki-senpai) and Ueno Juri (Nodame) are the lead characters in the drama and the movie. Their great compatibility with each other is shown through the screen since they have worked with each other before. Other big names in this movie also include popular talents like Eiji Wentz, Becky, and Yamadu Yuu. Since it is not the first time the cast has worked together, everything in the movie has a great flow.

While Chiaki has become the new permanent conductor for the Le Marlet Orchestra, he soon finds out what an unfortunate situation he has been drawn into. The Le Marlet orchestra used to be one of the most prestigious orchestras in Paris, but as conductors changed, the players in the orchestra also quit and changed around often. Having a lack of budget and fans, the orchestra is going downhill. Chiaki works hard to make his orchestra rise back up in status and he is one that does all he can in order to achieve a goal. On one of the upcoming performances, his only celesta (a piano-like instrument) player quit and he is once again in a crisis. He wants Nodame to play for him and Nodame is happy to be able to fulfill her wish to perform on stage with her Chiaki-senpai. But due to a misunderstanding, Rui (Nodame’s love rival) ends up taking her part. The performance ends with the audience laughing and applauding which is another big blow for Chiaki. He still has a long way to go to reach his goal. Nodame on the other hand is also practicing hard for her graduation exam. But of course Nodame does not function without always thinking about her Chiaki-senpai. She also works hard to help promote his orchestra so that people will once again go listen to them. This part one of the movie focuses mainly on Chiaki’s struggle to find his place in the orchestra and slightly hints about the troubles of Nodame trying to find her place in Chiaki’s life.

Lots of special effects are used in order to enhance the characters’ emotions. Tamaki Hiroshi and Ueno Juri uses lots of facial expressions and overreacts to things in order to portray the animated-like quality of the characters. Exessive use of facial expressions does not hinder the performance, but in my opinion it makes the movie even more comedic and enjoyable. The camera also works well with the acting, because there are many close-up shots of the facial expressions. This allows the audience to fully experience the emotions that are portrayed. Nodame’s character is very innocent and acts childlike at times. She always falls into her own little world when she is feeling a sense of happiness. This is when the director uses animated animals, rainbows and sparkles to surround Nodame in her fantasy world. Chiaki also has animated emotions, just like when he is shocked that he became the permanent conductor of a failing orchestra, he literally falls into an unending dark hole in space. This contrasts Chiaki who is serious and thinks a lot and Nodame who is very innocent and revolves life around Chiaki. But in a way, they balance each other by having what the other is lacking. The casts’ great acting skills plus the use of special effects really gives this movie a quality that no other has.

Nodame Cantabile is a story about young people who live in the world of classical music. So of course, this movie uses a lot of classical pieces from Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, and Beethoven to name a few. It is important that popular pieces were used so that the audience can recognize and feel the sense of closeness to it. Music is played almost non-stop in the movie, even if it is very quietly. The climax of each piece of song played also parallels the climax of something Nodame is doing. Like when she was about to fall into a fountain while getting a toy boat for a kid, the music playing is near the climax and increases in volume as she falls. Scenes changes a lot with the music too, like back and forth between what Chiaki is doing and what is happening to Nodame.

One thing I dislike about this movie was the flashbacks from the drama being too long. It is great for those who did not watch the drama because it tells you a bit about where the story is at, but for fans who have watched the drama, it was really boring and long. Overall I enjoyed this movie a lot because I am a huge fan of the drama. Vivid colours, good music, decent camera work, great scenery and a great cast. I would recommend this movie for those who enjoy classical music or just want a comedy to watch.

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama gendai-geki shomin-geki

Let’s Dansu and Not Tell

A man is taking the train home after a night out with his co-workers. He looks up out the window and spies a beautiful woman in a building across the street, staring out of her window with an expression of longing like Gatsby imploring his green light. The man, stuck in a stolid home life and in a rut at work, becomes immediately fascinated by her: what does that melancholy look on her face mean? He has to meet her.

Suo Masayuki’s Shall We Dansu?(1996) is a not-so-light shomin-geki drama/comedy hybrid that contains an serious undercurrent of criticism of Japanese social norms. This is nicely established in the films’s introductory scene. There is an overhead crane shot of couples in a dance hall, gracefully gliding across the floor. This imagery of personal closeness and connection is subverted by an ironical voice-over narration: we are told that “in Japan, ballroom dance is is regarded with much suspicion. Married couples don’t go arm in arm, much less say ‘I love you’ out loud”. We learn that dancing in front of others is embarrassing, and dancing with strangers would “prove most shameful”. This conceit is what drives the film: if a person is not to truthfully express themselves with their own family in their own home, must he turn to strangers to do so? The man, Sugiyama Shohei (Yakusho Koji) seems to be going through a mid-life crisis. He has a wife, a daughter, and he’s just bought a house. He realizes that he is going to to work as an accountant the rest of his life to pay off his debts. A fine sequence early in

the film telescopes his plight: he comes home after work exhausted, says “Hello” to his wife, and then goes directly to bed. The next thing we see is his waking to his alarm clock, having to get up and do it all over again. Is this a life?

Sugiyama realizes that the woman in the window is a dance instructor. He decides to take dance lessons at her studio as a pretense to get to know her. In the class he meets a few other students, all men, all misfits. The instructors are the brash, robust Toyoko (the wonderful Watanabe Eriko), Tamura Tamako (Kusamura Reiko), a mature lady who runs the school, and Mai (Kusakari Tamiya), the beautiful object of his desire. Sugiyama begins group lessons with Tamako-sensei while keeping his eyes on Mai. Sugiyama finds out the Mai is a great competive dancer, and that she’s competed at Blackpool. Something happened with her dancing partner, however, and she won’t publicly dance any more. Sugiyama continues to take classes while telling his wife that he is blowing off steam with his office co-workers after hours. His wife, becoming suspicious yet not wanting confront her husband directly, hires private detectives to follow him. She is told what he has been up to. Then one night after classes, Sugiyama asks Mai to dinner. She refuses, informing him that if he is taking the classes to get to her, he is seriously misguided. One studies dance for the sole reason to learn dance. Sugiyama begins to find that he does indeed love the art of ballroom dancing, leading to Mai’s rediscovery of what dance means to her.

Most of the scenes take place in the dance studio itself. The studio is portrayed in a brown hue, very comforting and warm. It is like a second home for these characters-a place where they can be themselves. There is a hilarious scene in which Sugiyama realizes that a somewhat obnoxious Latin-dance loving student is in reality his co-worker, Mr. Aoki (Takenaka Naoto). Aoki tells Sugiyama that when he’s dancing he’s “…so happy, I’m completely free! You know how it is for me at work.” Sugiyama knows. We come to see Mai’s constant searching gaze out of the window as being symbolic of the emptiness that all the characters share. It is significant that many scenes feature Tamako-sensei seen in a one-shot, talking directly to the camera as she instructs her class. Every one of her students and teachers is longing for something. Tamako becomes the guiding force that directs all under her roof to their full potential. There is a wonderful scene of she, Sugiyama and Mai gazing in genuine awe at couples waltzing in a dance hall. Sugiyama and Mai see the wholeness they are lacking in the art and beauty of the dance.

This film could be seen a a fairy tale: all of these people, students and instructors alike,are put together under one roof to achieve self-discovery through Tamako-sensei’s wisdom. We get a hint that we are being told a “tale” through the use of a Shakespeare quote in the opening scene. The movie was a great success in Japan and the US (even being remade in the latter as Shall We Dance? in 2004 directed by Peter Chelsom). The film begs an interesting question: how far is one allowed to go to find self-expression? Sugiyama is happiest when he is dancing, but as he doesn’t tell his wife his family suffers. He’s obeying cultural expectations and rules, but he is being dishonest to his wife. Sugiyama follows the social code that has been established for him. He works hard to provide for his family (“Not a matter of like or dislike; it’s my job”) but he has no closeness with them. It would be improper for he and his wife to communicate real feelings with each other. Early in the film we see Sugiyama’s wife, Masako (Hara Hideko) say to their daughter, “It is good that your Dad goes out now and then. He works so hard” yet later scenes will show her alone at the dinner table, her husband’s food cooling. Sugiyama deserves some happiness, but is he being fair in making it so that his family can’t participate with him?

Sugiyama’s involvment in the class is the catalyst that enables everyone in it to realize themselves. However, he still has to rebuild his family dynamic. Like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day (Ramis, 1993), he must accept that active involvement in all parts of his life, even the mundane, is essential in being. The most beautiful moment in the film is the second-to- last dance Sugiyama performs, which quietly refutes the social conventions conveyed to us at the top of the film.

Shall We Dansu? is an entertaining, often charming film that is quite funny at times. You will be rooting for every character in that dance studio to excel. You will cheer them on as they strive to be the best that they can be on the ballroom floor. Let your partner lead, though: this film has a footstep as light as a feather but a very heavy heart.

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama gendai-geki shomin-geki

Dance with the “Hula Girls”

Hula Girls was a film made by Sang-il Lee and produced in 2006. This film was based on a true story about how a group of girls take up hula dancing to save their village. The main actresses are Matsuyuki Yasuko and Aoi Yu. Hula Girls won several awards upon release, and it was also a very well known gendai-geki and shomin-geki style of film.

The story happens in the Northeastern Japan of Iwaki city in 1965, where the country has started to shift from coal to oil. The small town is facing unemployment due to the long slow decline of the old mining town. The leaders and mining company officials come up with an idea to develop Japan’s first Hawaiian Village called “Joban Hawaii Center”. Hirayama Madoka is a professional hula dance teacher from Tokyo; she is a very important character in this film, as will be discussed later. Sanae convinces her best friend Kimiko to join the dance school with her, and these two girls are the first two students in school. However, things aren’t easy for them in the beginning, as the girls don’t know any basic skills from dancing. But as training continues, more girls join the school even though their family members are against it. Sang-il does great work portraying each character, and it is very interesting to see each character change throughout the film.

One of the most touching scene for me, and I believe it was also the climax of the film was when Kimiko’s mom watches her daughter dancing in the dance room. Kimiko wants to show her mom what she has gained in the past during her dance training, as well as wanting to prove she made the correct choice. In the first part of the film, Kimiko has an argument with her mom about joining the dance school. She disagrees with her and claims, “If I turn pro, I’d learn more than working at the mine.” She determines that “women can be anything they want, they can choose what kind of life they want.” In fact, this is also the reason that Kimiko leaves home. Their relationship has a dramatic change later in the film, especially the part where her mom saw her dance. In this scene, Sang-il also does great camerawork. He establishes slow motion on Kimiko’s movement and her mom’s facial expression. Mom doesn’t say anything after seeing the dance; instead, she begins to collect stoves to save the palm tree. Her personal view has now changed and she is determined to give her daughter a chance to live her dream.

Another important character, which is also the lead character throughout the film, is Ms. Hirayama Madoka. She doesn’t really want to teach them dance because the girls lack basic skills. She didn’t even want to come to this small town. However, as they accomplish the first tour, the relationship between them gradually builds up. Later in the movie, when Ms. Hirayama wants to take the responsibly for not returning to the town immediately after the death of Sayuri’s father, she is also forced to leave Iwaki. The girls, however, persuade her to stay and continue teaching them. There was a scene where Ms. Hirayama is sitting in the train, and the girls are shouting at her outside. She turns her head towards the opposite side because she knows that she won’t leave if she sees them. Kimiko and other girls start to use the hula hand signal, as Ms. Hirayama had taught them “Every hula move has a meaning behind it.” This was also my favorite scene in the film and matched up with a very soft background music.

In conclusion, Hula girls is a very well-known Japanese film. As a teenager, I would like to highly recommend it because this film tells us to live in our dreams. People shouldn’t give up their dreams easily, and we have to make our life fulfilled so that we won’t regret as life goes on.

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama shomin-geki

Positivity Breeds Happiness

Tokyo Chorus (Tōkyō no kōrasu) is a silent film made in 1931 by director Ozu Yasujirô.  It deals with the realities of family life with economic struggles, combined with a comedic spin that Ozu used to present these issues in a more light-hearted manner.  This satirical shomin-geki follows the daily life of the working-class, insurance company clerk, Okajima Shinji Okajima (Okada Tokihiko), who loses his job as a result of standing up for an elderly colleague who he feels was unjustly dismissed from his job.  Okajima takes it with pride and deals with the struggles of supporting his family while trying to keep his dignity and positivity high.

The story begins in a schoolyard setting with the teacher, Mr. Omura (Saito Tatsuo), directing some outdoor drills with the students, and Okajima is introduced as the foolish student who always shows up late and mocks the teacher behind his back.  The film then flashes forward to show Okajima all grown up with a wife (played by Yagumo Emiko) and three young kids.  While preparing for work, his son asks him for a bicycle and – being the loving and caring family-man that he is – he promises to buy his son the bicycle after work since he was getting his annual bonus that day.  Unfortunately, things do not go as planned because after protesting his colleague’s unfair dismissal (leading to a rather comedic fight with his boss that involves poking each other with folded fans), Okajima, too, was dismissed from working there anymore.  Returning home with a scooter instead of a bike immediately provokes disappointment from his son and a temper tantrum ensues.  After notifying his wife of his recent unemployment, his daughter soon falls ill and needs to be taken to the hospital, but he reassures his wife that he will find a way to make money.  He ends up finding a quick source of income and manages to pay the hospital bills so that his daughter can return home healthy again.  He remains positive and makes the most out of the time he spends with his family.  With hopes of finding a job, he goes to the employment agency but has no luck.  However, upon leaving the agency, Okajima bumps into his former teacher, Mr. Omura, who offers him temporary employment helping out with his newly opened restaurant for a while. Okajima agrees to take Mr. Omura’s offer only after determining that it was out of friendship – not pity, stating that being poor makes a man sensitive.  Mrs. Okajima is humiliated after discovering that her husband had resorted to taking on a very lowly task, however, she eventually accepts how hard he is trying to earn money for his family so she offers to help out in Mr. Omura’s restaurant.  The film ends on a bittersweet note as there is a class reunion at Mr. Omura’s restaurant and Okajima receives life-changing news.

Ozu has a distinguishable form of filming, in that the camera is placed at a very low level, about one to two feet off the ground, and remains stable no matter where the actors are moving within the shot.  This is what he called the “tatami shot” because the height is similar to the eye level of a person kneeling on a tatami mat, or even lower.  Because of this low angle, however, the tops of actors’ heads are sometimes out of the frame and there are shots of only their bodies, although this could have been done on purpose.  There tend to be a lot more long shots than closeups, showing all the characters at once instead of closing in on one character at a time.  There were also other interesting shots such as when one employee at the insurance company is peering through the keyhole of the washroom to see what his colleague was up to.  This shot really makes it look as through the viewer was in his position looking through the keyhole.  Instead of using fading techniques to transition from one scene to another, Ozu tends to cut straight to the next scene and usually introducea it with a stable shot of scenery (such as trees swaying in the wind outside the school), or to static objects (such as a table in the home that sets up his family life) to set up where the next scene will take place.

The use of titles (to explain the situation) is applied sparingly throughout the film because the expressive emotions conveyed though the actors’ performances speak for themselves.  Okada Tokihiko’s character sustains genuine positivity and determination that reigns throughout the film, which is what makes it so uplifting.  A major theme in this film is dignity.  The family values their pride and dignity very much.  Okajima stands up to his boss for what he feels is the right thing to do in order to defend his colleague’s unjust dismissal.  He has no regrets about what he does and does not blame anyone for the unfortunate result of his protest.  The title, Tokyo Chorus, relates to the theme of this film because it seems that no matter what negative things happen in his life (losing his job, disappointing his son, his daughter falling ill, etc.), Okajima is able to still smile and positively get through things without accepting pity from anyone.  This is further exemplified when Mr. Omura is offering the job to Okajima and the desperate hope that his teacher will not withdraw the offer is written all over Okajima’s face as he awaits the reassuring nod from Omura, accepting that he wants to save his dignity.  Ozu’s attention to detail and mastering these emotion-focused shots allows viewers to really take in the beautiful essence of this film, as well as other films that he creates.

The cohesiveness of this film in the way that it flows along so brilliantly is what makes this simple story so captivating.  It may be categorized as a satirical portrayal of family life, but, all laughs aside, it also deals seriously with the hardships of getting through the tough times in life.  It has a good balance of mood for both of these elements and is definitely a heart-warming film.  If you enjoy these types of light-hearted films that do not contain a lot of drama in it and will provide you with lots of laughs, then Tokyo Chorus is an uplifting film for the whole family to enjoy.

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama

Ozu Yasujirō’s “The End of Summer”/ “Kohayagawake no aki” (1961)

One of many characteristics of Ozu’s films is that many of them are shot in a family background, which enables him to discuss just about every aspect of human life and so is his penultimate film, The End of Summer. Yasujirō Ozu’s The End of Summer/ Kohayagawake no aki (1961) is a combination of drama and comedy. In the film, Hara Setsuko, Tsukasa Yoko, and Aratama Michiyo play the three daughters of the Kohayagawa family and Nakamura Ganjiro plays the father Kohayagawa, who runs a sake brewery company at Kyoto.

Unlike the three daughters, who are all discreet in their behaviors, their father Kohayagawa Manbei is a carefree man who frequently goes out of house to meet his former mistress called Tsune Sasaki. Despite the fact that his company is on the verge of merger due to economic hardship, he leaves the company matters to his second daughter, Fumiko (Aratama Michiyo) and her husband who helps running the brewery. In the meantime, both Kohayagawa’s widowed daughter, Akiko, and the youngest daughter, Noriko, are asked to consider having a marriage soon but they are hesitant to reply to the matter just yet. Now back to Kohayagawa, Fumiko, who lives with him, is frustrated when she finds out that her father is still meeting Sasaki even after having gone through all that troubled past when her mother was alive. The tension between Kohayagawa and Fumiko builds up until Kohayagawa collapses from a heart attack after returning from his late wife’s memorial service. Fumiko apologizes to her father for being too hard on him. Even after the life-threatening incident, however, Kohayagawa manages to meet Sasaki again after his recovery.

A striking pattern of lighting that is explicitly used in the film is that all women, especially the three daughters, are shot in an extremely bright light to the point where their faces glow like pure-white snow. This lighting method seems to be used throughout the whole film, which causes the male actors’ faces darker than it should be. The method favors the actresses to stand out more than the actors because clearly, the actresses’ beautified faces help to attract more attention from audiences.

A second distinctive aspect of the film is the use of music between transitioning shots. Whenever a scene switches to different setting or moves on to shoot other group of characters as the story further develops, it is notable that a piece of Western music is played during the transitioning shot being introduced. Although such particular shots remain not more than a couple of seconds, I think the technique is quite an eye-opening method, which suits very well with one of several themes in the film.

One of the prominent themes throughout the film is the Western influence in the process of modernization. The bar, which appears a number of times as a meeting place for Akiko and her arranged meeting partner set by her family member, is highly decorated with a Western-style bar and the restaurant where Noriko and her co-workers have a farewell party for one of her male co- workers. Besides the set design, most of all males wear Western clothing except Kohayagawa. More importantly, however, Sasaki’s daughter, Yuriko, seems to represent the younger Japanese generation (including Noriko) with substantial Western influence through their Western clothing.

Overall, The End of Summer as a film itself has an appealing storyline of an ordinary Japanese family who faces what families in real life also face; love and hate relationship between family members that is portrayed between Fumiko and her father, Kohayagawa. I must say that I chose this film because of the familiarity of the topic instead of a film that is based on a wartime story, which I would have found very hard to associate on a topic that I have never experienced in my life.  Although it was a little confusing for me to figure out the roles of all the cast who appear onscreen, it made me watch the film more than twice and hence allowed me to comprehend all the better.

Lastly, please be advised that this film contains a disturbing crematorium scene that might not be suitable for children or anyone with heart problems.

Categories
action comedy drama, melodrama jidai-geki

“The Hidden Fortress”: Hidden Messages, Secrets and Fortunes

The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi toride no san akunin, 1958) is a jidai-geki directed by Kurosawa Akira. It stars Mifune Toshirō as General Rokurota Makabe and Uehara Misa as Princess Yuki. Set in war-torn feudal Japan, the film follows the pair’s long and dangerous journey across enemy territory. Along the way, they are accompanied by two peasants, Tahei (Chiaki Minoru) and Matashichi (Fujiwara Kamatari). Since its release, the movie has become an inspiration for many directors, including George Lucas who has acknowledged its influence on his worldwide phenomenon, Star Wars.

At the start of the film, the battle between Yamana and Akizuki has just ended, with Yamana emerging as the victor. Princess Yuki is forced to flee to the neighbouring territory of Hayakawa, with whom the defeated Akizuki faction has secured a deal. She must also smuggle out her family’s remaining fortune (gold pieces carefully hidden within sticks of wood), which will enable her to reclaim her land and rebuild Akizuki in the future. Just before setting off for Hayakawa, the travellers take refuge at a hidden fortress. While abiding for time, they formulate an escape plan. Yet even with their best efforts, the journey is far from easy, and the group repeatedly encounters multiple setbacks. Not only do they have to avoid being discovered by Yamana soldiers, but the princess and the general have an additional problem – Tahei and Matashichi do not have the best intentions. Greedy and shallow, they will take any opportunity to run off with the Princess’ gold.

The powerful storytelling of The Hidden Fortress is only one element Kurosawa wanted to display through the movie. He also addresses the issue of class distinctions, which is a subtle but prevalent theme throughout. The social commentary is most apparent through the decisions and actions of the characters. Princess Yuki and General Makabe are educated and of high social status. Their behaviour is refined, their presence commands attention, and they make rational, thought-out decisions. In contrast, Tahei and Matashichi are unintelligent and immature. Their actions indicate little pride, and at times they appear barbaric, as seen when they fight each another for the gold. Additionally, there is one scene where class distinctions become very obvious. It is when Princess Yuki sheds her high status persona and disguises herself as a mute peasant girl. Because her manner of speech is harsh and authoritative, she can be easily identified by the enemy as the Princess of Akizuki. To decrease the likelihood of being captured, she promises General Makabe that she will keep silent until they reach Hayakawa. This issue of class distinctions would have been very obvious to the viewers at the time of the movie’s release.

Aside from creating an interesting plot, the events of the film allow for character development to occur, with the most significant change occurring in Princess Yuki. Having been raised in the castle, her best interests were always placed first. This likely led her to develop the proud and stubborn personality she exhibits at the start of the film. The Princess’ limited experience in the outside world may have also contributed to the spoiled and demanding behaviour that she occasionally displays. However, despite her privileged upbringing, she understands the importance of her position and does not neglect her responsibilities to her country and to her people. As the journey continues, Princess Yuki begins to see the terrible effects of the war. It has brought bloodshed and despair, and many people are left with nothing. Akizuki women are also being bought and sold for the pleasures of men. When the Princess overhears Yamana men criticizing an inadequate slave girl at the inn where she is staying, she demands General Makabe to buy her from the innkeeper. He objects, but she is resolute. She may have no choice but to remain silent during their journey, but “[he] cannot make [her] heart mute too.” Living like a peasant awakens in her a strong resolve to protect her people and to take back her country. At the end of the film, she expresses to the General that she is grateful for the experience she would not have had otherwise, had she been living in the castle: “I saw people as they really are… I saw their beauty and their ugliness with my own eyes.”

Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is a captivating adventure story about the perilous journey of a princess and her general as they escape from enemy territory. Filled with action and humour, audiences will find little to be unsatisfied with. But beneath this basic exterior lies a story imbued with many lessons and messages. It is a story about courage and morality, about change, and ultimately about the sacrifices people make for change to occur. Highly enjoyable and thought-provoking, this movie can be appreciated by anyone, and it would serve as an excellent introduction to those interested in Japanese cinema.

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama shomin-geki

The Autumn or the Fall: A slice of life with a simple twist

Ozu Yasujirō’s 1961 film Kohayagawake no Aki (or literally The Autumn of the Kohayagawa Family) later translated to English as The End of Summer is a considerate piece of work shot in colour, like his other films, The Equinox Flower (Higanbana, 1958) and Good Morning (Ohayo, 1959). The prominent cast members of this penultimate film are Nakamura Ganjiro who stars the father Kohayagawa Banpei, Koyahagawa Fumiko (Aratama Michiyo)as the eldest daughter of the family, Kohayagawa Akiko (Hara Setsuko)as a widowed wife of the eldest son in the family, and Yoko Tsukasa as Kohayagawa Noriko, the second daughter of Kohayagawa family. The classic Ozu style’s camera work of this shomin-geki film focuses on the daily life of a small Japanese family in the 1950s.

The film wheels around the new and the old generation of the Kohayagawa family. The story starts off with Kitagawa (by Kato Daisuki), uncle of the Kohayagawa family, introducing Isomura (by Morishige Hisaya) to Akiko as a future husband candidate. The early part of the film centers on the suspicion of the whereabouts of the father Banpei, which is later discovered that he has once again started seeing his former mistress. Fumiko accuses Banpei of giving more care towards his old flame than their financially troubled brewery. This event might be the trigger for Banpei’s sudden illness. On the other hand, Noriko and Akiko’s relationship with men has them troubled about whether they should do as they desire, or fulfill the needs of the family. Akiko feels unsettled at the fact that her family members are worried about her widowed life and are trying hard to get her remarried. Meanwhile Noriko has just sent off Teramoto, a co-worker whom she is fond of, to work out of town for a long period of time. Afterwards, the family goes to Ayashiyama in Tokyo for a memorial service for their deceased mother. During that time, Noriko talks to Akiko about her interaction with a man arranged the other day. It is also at this time that Banpei has his first major sign of illness. Afterwards, the family feels relieved that Banpei is healthy once again, and Fumiko feels sorry for her furious action towards her father regarding the Sasaki Tsune (his mistress) incident. The plot climaxes to a point where every one of the Kohayagawa family’s problem are solved by themselves due to a crisis that occurred in the family.

This story is mainly filmed by Ozu’s characteristic trademark, the sequenced “tatami shot”, which is a focus on seated people with close-up shots. The majority of the camera position is fixed and at a relatively low placement just under the eyes of the casts. Ozu tries his best to fit the whole bodies of the cast on screen when it is not a close-up shot but with similar angles. In between conversational scenes, scenes of the surroundings, like the street, the hallway, the garden are filmed. It is interesting to note how all these scenery scenes are always shot from an interior space out, to let the natural sunlight be at the background of the set. Camera work and lighting plays a huge role in emphasizing the mood of the film. For example, when Banpei has his first dangerous health incident, the interior scenes, which are usually bright and lively looking, are filmed as though the sunlight at the back has penetrating into the house. The mise-en-scene with the cast is not lit by natural sunlight, but instead with lamps. The moment Banpei recovers from the traumatizing condition, the interior setting is lit by the sunbeam again. Near the end of the film, when the light from the light bulb brightens the outside, one can suggest something horrible has happened to the family. Ozu’s choice of filming the surroundings and landscapes allows the reader to take short breaks from the storyline which in return is beneficial for the viewer’s attention.

Ozu is known for his shomin-geki themed films, and Kohayagawake no Aki is not an exception from this genre. The inevitable shifts of time and generation have the family members of the Kohayagawa family troubled to stay together as a big family. The conflict between traditional and westernized ideas is highlighted by the yōfuku (western-styled clothes) worn by the family members. The close-up tatami shots and the long shots pull the viewer’s attention not only to the scenery behind, but also to the clothing the cast wears. The more traditional-thinking members, Banpei and Akiko, are shown only in kimono. Banpei refuses to merge his brewery with the other company in the hope of keeping the family business going. Akiko is indecisive about getting a new marriage, which is less usual in the traditional custom. The ones that wear both traditional Japanese clothes and yōfuku are stuck between the changing gaps. Banpei’s son Hisao has thoughts of merging the company, but delays his action due to the traditional-orientated father. The younger generation wears t-shirts and short pants only. Noriko only wears yōfuku (with the exception of traditional situations) and allows herself to go for what she believes will not be a regret, with no concern about her family’s wellbeing. The characters dressed in yōfuku are filmed with more dramatic movements such as running, sudden turning and waving, hinting that the physical alterations of the family members slowly influence their mental changes of the customs.

Through the lighting of the camera work, Ozu captures the essence of the interaction of the Kohayagawa family’s everyday life with a blend of comedy and tragedy. The End of Summer by Ozu Yasujirō is a great film to watch for those who are new to the Japanese cinema. This film is filmed with straightforward camera techniques, which only requires the viewer’s full attention in order to appreciate and enjoy the plot of the movie.

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