Asian Studies - Japan
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 | Memoirs
of a Geisha: Readers begin to get a sense of the complexity in the Gion. We
read, like some Harlequin romance, about the obstacles and triumphs of a highly
successful geisha known as Sayuri. We follow Sayuri's story from the time she
was sold by her parents to the okiya (by way of a middle-man) all the way to her
defeat of Hatsomomo in the auction of her "mizuage" and her contemplative
old age in Manhattan. Most of the story focuses on the geisha's coming of age in the Gion kobu in Kyoto, the struggles with her rivals and her search for true love during the 1930s and 1940s. We see her struggle from maid, to apprentice geisha and finally an actual geisha. We read Golden's rendition of what it was like to live solely to entertain and be perfect. Arthur Golden portrays the story through the eyes of a young girl, making us experience the thoughts and feelings of a woman as he saw it and get a westerner's perspective of Japanese culture. In an odd sort of way, the book was better than the movie. Not that either was redeeming in a classic sense but at least there was more character development. Although the book added a bit of spice in the attempt to understand the complexity of the Gion kobu, Mineko Iwasaki's rendition (in her collaboration with Rande Brown) is delectably more straightforward throughout. For those looking for invention and not accuracy - Memoirs of a Geisha might be for you. You know, there are those who read The Da Vinci Code and are still convinced of a parallel Christology in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary - could the same be happening with Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha? I found this book replete with pathos but fraught with inaccuracy and invention. |
 | Geisha,
A Life: At the age of five, Masako Tanaka parts ways with her family to be
trained as geiko, at the distinguished Iwasaki okiya in the Gion Kobu district
of Kyoto. Renamed Mineko Iwasaki she trained to be a geiko, learning the intricacies
of a world that is for the most part a figment of the past and a re-invention
by authors like Arthur Golden. This book is an integral part of the preservation
of that world. Before the likes of Golden can relegate accuracy to the trash bin of history and invent a simulacrum to replace it. Not only would Mineko Iwasaki one day become a geiko, but eventually she would inherit the okiya - she became, at a really early age, its atatori. The young Masako Tanaka, her name changed to Mineko Iwasaki, is taken in by the current proprietress of the Iwasaki okiya, Madame Oima. Though she's inconsolable at being estranged from her family, Mineko has a genuine passion for dance, and plunges into her lessons with a dedication that rivals any prima ballerina. At around time she is equipped to become a maiko-an apprentice geiko-she is already accomplished, and to her chagrin the envy of her peers. She develops into the most successful geiko of her day. Anyone who was hoodwinked by Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha (1997) will enjoy this more accurate and representative account by a real-life former geisha. With this short and elegant, one could argue, almost elegant eulogy, Mineko Iwasaki is the first geisha to truly lift the veil of secrecy concerning the geiko. Iwasaki writes of her departure from home - so young and vulnerable. She details undergoing painstaking training in the dances and other arts - the koto and shamisen - and rising to stardom in her profession. What I really appreciated in Geisha, A Life over Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha was the detailed description of the origins of Kyoto's famous Gion Kobu district as well as the geiko system's political and social ins and outs from the `60s through to the '70s. Unlike the Golden rendition we get a sense of the complexity that is the world of the Geiko - that they were not simple ladies of the night but trained artists and very intelligent and accomplished players. Some would argue that Iwasaki's work suffers in comparison - I disagree. Mineko Iwasaki's rendition (along with her collaboration with Rande Brown) is delectably straightforward throughout. For those looking for invention and not accuracy - this might not be for you. You know, there are those who read The Da Vinci Code and are still convinced of a parallel Christology in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary - could the same be happening with Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha? I found the both replete with pathos as a stunning and complex woman - who retired at a ripe age of 29 had to maneuver her way through the labyrinth of the Gion Kobu - I cannot sing its praises enough - Domo arigato gozaimasu Iwasaki san. |
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The Modern History of Japan:
From Tokugawa Times to the Present by Andrew Gordon: In
A Modern History of Japan, Andrew Gordon sets to do the ambitious - to give a
bottom up approach to writing a historical narrative - without ignoring the big
picture. Gordon intertwines several interrelated events in Japan's continuing
history pertaining to social markers - from the Tokugawa era to the present. By
doing this he brings to presence a myriad of themes. Gordon's book is a traditional chronological examination of the history of Japan. However, Gordon takes history to a different level by adding complexity. Gordon takes the time to examines, in some detail the issue of women in Japan's fast changing society, the ever changing identity markers of the Japanese youth with reference to their role in society, from the Tokugawa to the post-war era. Lets face it, modernization and democratization in Japan has been turbulent to say the least, and as examined in this sweeping book by Gordon, the causes and effects are many and as discussed previously - complicated. Gordon has a wonderful handle on the complexity despite his position as an outsider to the culture. Deftly opening with the fall of the shogunate, Gordon deftly untangles and presents the interior and exterior pressures that form the impetus for the civil strife and the eventual Meiji "restoration." The "restorers" according to Gordon were alarmed by and reacted to European colonization. Gordon explains that the rejoinder to change, by all classes is intertwined with nationalism. Gordon navigates us through the postwar Japan were the national polity was more worried with reconstruction than with "history," setting the stage for the so-called Japanese economic miracle up to 1990 - which is really a result of Realpolitik and historical luck. The book is nothing less than a comprehensive look into two centuries of Japanese history. The eclectic but solid mix of topics/themes includes landlord-tenant dealings since the Tokugawa era to the present, and lastly, the dangers Japan has to navigate through in this challenging yet promising post war era. Gordon ends the book hurriedly with a quick examination of the ever-changing party politics horizon in the present era |
| An Introduction
to Japanese Society (Contemporary Japanese Society) by Yoshio Sugimoto (Editor),
et al: In a world of Inside/Outside, it
is refreshing to get a view form the inside. YOSHIO SUGIMOTO'S "An introduction
to Japanese society" is probably the most functional addition to the limited
number of books which give a wide-ranging coverage of Japanese society fit for
an preliminary Japanese society course, and more sophisticated students will find
much in it as well. As a counterpoint to myriad of books and thesis, which show
Japan as culturally homogenous, and predominantly white collar, Sugimoto zeroes-in
on Japan's multiculturalism and class distinctions which he posits are more akin
to other highly industrialized societies. The Japanese "everyman" (term
mine) he posits from the get-go is not a highly educated "salaryman"
working for a large company, but rather older woman with less education maybe
working for a smaller company or family firm. What is important to note is that
Japan, with a dropping birth rate, aging population and more emphasis on individualism
in education and work, Japan might be even more like other countries. Sugimoto manages to cover a large selection of the essential issues that affect Japanese society at present time and its historical development. Furthermore, Sugimoto presents a balanced perspective of the weaknesses and strengths of the Japanese system. In Chapter 2, dealing with the issue of "stratification", Sugimoto explains that while class distinctions have become less apparent in the post-war period, inequality is actually on the rise. Chapter 3, Sugimoto discusses regional disparities, the positions of minorities, regional variations, and the influence of Tokyo on the more peripheral regions of the country. This section is insightful as it is pedagogical - Sugimoto's treatment of ethnic diversity is clear, concise and balanced. Chapter 4 deals mainly with the economy. Sugimoto examines the rupture between those permanently employed in the large corporations, and those with less secure jobs in small enterprises. Chapter 6, focuses on women's exclusion from the permanent employment sector of the job market (either by exclusion through education or other means), despite what might seem like equal opportunities legislation. Chapter 7 engages in the discourse of discrimination, namely that against Koreans. Burakumin, the Ainu in Hokkaido, and Japan's now substantial number of foreign immigrant workers. Perhaps the most important chapter in dispelling the homogeneity myth, this chapter explores what is apparently a long and complex discourse of race and race relations in Japan. Most interesting to Sociologists and Japanese Studies majors is Chapter 8 on the Japanese establishment, and the close and often dubious 3 way links between bureaucrats, politicians and business leaders. For a more detailed but less compelling dissertation of this issue, you can also examine MIKISO HANE'S EASTERN PHOENIX - JAPAN SINCE 1945. Chapter 9 leads in with "Internationalization" and is clearly related to the discussion of popular culture, which includes karaoke, pachinko, the sex industry as well as new religions. For those looking for a Japan textbook, this is looks to be the definitive account of a sociological experiment with it's primary focus in stratification. It does cover a lot and from my discussion above, looks to be a long book. It is not. Much like MIKISO HANE'S book it is well worth the read. |
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| Eastern Phoenix:
Japan Since 1945 by Mikiso Hane: The book
reads like a textbook. It is well organized yet it lacks a sense of spirit, almost
as if it were too academic. In this light, it is somewhat redundant to say that
the material in this book is arranged topically. However, there is also much narrative
regarding post-World War II Japan and beyond. |
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| Points and Lines
(Japan's Mystery Writers) by Seicho Matsumoto: I'm
sure that Seicho Matsumoto, in writing Points and Lines may have never meant to
do this but he did present a slice of Japanese culture that is both a treat and
insightful. In chapter 11 "The Stubborn Wall", Matsumoto explores the relationship between Ishida and Sayama - the former is the high level official in Ministry X while the latter is an assistant section chief. Mind you, we are getting this in a discussion between Mihara, the novels protagonist and his chief Kasai. Juxtaposed as this is, it makes you wonder if the same relationship exists between Mihara/Kasai as it does for Ishida/Sayama. Matsumoto writes: "A man holding the position of assistant section chief is a veteran; he's full charge of everyday business of the office. Division chiefs and sections chiefs seem to leave all the routine matters to these experienced assistants. They don't do this deliberately; what happens is that they themselves simply aren't familiar with the day-to-day affairs of the section. They're too busy climbing the ladder of success. They have no time to learn the office routine. Their assistants, on the other hand, have been handling it for a long time; they know the work thoroughly. They are like experienced craftsmen. But they can't go very far. They have to stand by and watch the younger men, the university graduates with the proper qualifications, get promoted and go past them. Most of them are resigned to this situation. They resent it, of course, but they know that to show their feelings will get them nowhere." Now, contrast that to the rich and vibrant relationship the Mihara and Kasai have. Seicho Matsumoto writes in the same chapter but a few pages earlier: "Mihara stared at him (Kasai - inclusion mine). He realized that while he was in Hokkaido invisible currents had been eddying around the chief. Yet Inspector Kasai, after all, was only one of the figures in the investigation. 'We didn't have much luck there either,' Kasai stated bluntly. 'Tatsuo Yasuda apparently visits his wife once a week. So it's more likely that he has affairs with other women. But there's no evidence of this. If he does have a mistress, he's very clever about keeping it a secret. This is merely an assumption, of course; Yasuda may be a faithful husband. They seem to be a devoted couple.' Mihara nodded. This had been his impression also when he called on Mrs. Yasuda. 'It would appear that Otoki, Sayama and Yasuda, if he does have a mistress, are all very skilled at keeping their love affairs secret.' His words struck Mihara forcibly. What had been only a slight hint suddenly becomes clear. 'Chief, has there been some new development?' He tried to suppress his excitement. 'Yes,' Chief Kasai replied. 'The section chief has become interested in this double suicide!'" Now the questions go beyond a double murder mystery but also ask us to question our basic sociological assumptions about Japan and Japanese life. Is it a question of either/or or both/and. What is key to note in these fictional characterizations is the intense involvement into the details of Mihara's investigation by Kasai. Is the Supervisor/Subordinate relationship as Matsumoto writes about in the first quote - that meek subservience and more importantly that hands off attitude by Ishida to defer the details to Yasuda or is it more like the relationship formed by the supportive Kasai to his hard working subordinate Mihara? Yoshi Sugimoto, in his groundbreaking work "An Introduction to Japanese Society" explores the dominance of the Public Bureaucracy and the notion of amakudari (landing from heaven). He writes: "It is widely acknowledged that the state, particularly the government bureaucracy, holds supreme authority over private-sector companies in Japan. Throughout Japan's industrialization, the central government was the engine of economic transformation. To optimize this process the national bureaucracy has recruited talented university graduates as career officials chosen for management ability and provided with high prestige and official status. Able, dedicated, and often arrogant, these bureaucrats are believed by many to be the real power-holders in the nation. The perception is consistent with some state practices relating to the private sector. Government ministries hold power of licensing, permitting, authorizing, and approving a wide range of production, distribution, and sales activities, thereby regulating the private sector even in trivial details. Furthermore, without statutory grounding, public officials are empowered to provide relevant companies in the private sector with administrative guidance (gyosei shido) on levels of production, pricing, and quantities of imports and exports, in the name of national interests. Career bureaucrats often retire from officialdom in the late stages of their careers to take up positions in large corporations, a practice referred to as amakudarai (landing from heaven). These three conventions exemplify the power and privilege of elite bureaucrats in Japan." The quote from Sugimoto certainly lends credence to Matsumoto's depiction of the Ishida/Sayama relationship of an arrogant, qualified candidate for amakudarai leaving Sayama to take charge of all the details of running the section. Once again, in the same chapter, it is clearly indicated that Ishida, concerned about the questioning regarding Yasuda sends yet another assistant Kitaro Sasaki to do his running. Where does that leave all that discourse between Mihara and Kasai? Is it false? Is it wishful thinking on the part of Matsumoto? It would be naïve to think that this situation or that situation exists in exclusivity. I posit that the closer observation will lend itself to a both/and rather than an either/or scenario. I don't see why both scenarios can't exist since a mutually supportive Supervisor/Subordinate model can work just as well as a traditional one. Just a small slice of Japanese sociology and very thought provoking. |
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The Last Samurai Official Movie Guide by Warner
Bros. Pictures: The movie The Last Samurai
as a history is problematic. the movie places a white man -- in this case, an
american -- at the center of a rather significant period in Japanese history --
the Meiji era. In reality, the americans did not figure that signficantly -- at
that time -- in altering Japanese history and there was no "Dances with Wolves"
type scenario and the Emperor never received audiences as per the movie. |
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Casshern: No
matter what, the movie was difficult to follow. In the end, it did not matter
because the visuals where so stunning one just had to allow for subliminal influence
to take over. This review of Casshern will explore 4 independent yet interrelated
topics. The movie is difficult to follow because what seems like plot complexity
on the surface might just be a result of trying to do too much. What saves the
movie from its own complexity is its visual display - it is a pretty movie. But
"just" a pretty movie it is not. My take on the movie is that Azuma
(Akira Terao) - despite all the attention placed on Tetsuya (Yusuke Iseya) and
Brai (Toshiaki Karawa) is really about - at least on one level - about a new Dr.
Frankenstein. |
 | Vital:
From the director of Tetsuo - The Iron Man and A Snake in June comes a deeply
challenging psycho drama. Hiroshi (Tadanobu Asano) is a medical student bothered by memory loss after a road accident that killed his girlfriend Ryoko (Tsukamoto Nami). Coming home to his mom and dad's with his mind a tabula rasa, he exists through the days like a zombie. Finding an old anatomy textbook ignites/sparks his memories of his life as a medical student. Hiroshi recalls his girlfriend and things arduously begin to come back to him. He decides to re-enter medical school and take it from there - this is where the story really begins. When the body in his dissection class turns out to be Ryoko, Hiroshi begins to unravel the shared past, in a way uncovering the "vitals" and piecing together the story of her death, but really more her life. Hiroshi rapidly regains his memory thereafter and surrounds himself in the escape of vanished love. For all intents and purposes, the viewer is allowed to share in an experience that is both profound and moving. |
 | Pray: Pray is a soft slasher movie - to say the least. You will need to stay to the bitter end to see the results. Pray is a simple but not simplistic plot. Two never do wells in their twenties get the idea to kidnap a young girl and hope ransom her for drug money. The ring leader, Mitsuru (Tetsuji Tamayama) [a poor simulacra to Takeshi Kaneshiro], decides they should hold-up in his old grade school, now left abandoned. He posits that no one will look for them there - being so close to the mountains and the phone reception is great. When girlfriend/sidekick Maki (Asami Mizukawa) [a poor Kou Shibasaki simulacra] makes the ransom call she's told that the girl they kidnapped has been dead for more than a year, and with that bit of good news, the little girl mysteriously constantly disappears. Pray is as alternative a horror film as they come, featuring few moments of fright and even really even fewer instances of horror - the movie tends to drag. Think about it then this way, the story of two ill-fated kidnappers is throughout the film shaped by an odd sense of time and place. As mentioned previously, the girl they have taken is far from what she appears to be - she died exactly one year ago, and everything about their well-made plan is about to unravel. The intense focus on mise-en-scene and the significant lack of ornamentation, wrapped up in an engrossing and wholly surprising film full of twists and turns makes Pray similar to films like One Missed Call and Ju-on. The emotional finish is touching, even though the movie does not really give one reason to be invested in it. Once the revelation comes around, my first reaction was to wonder - what is going on? As the final scene crescendo I found myself somewhat affected. The final scene is really the film's saving grace but does not really manage to push it over the top. I have to admit - this might just be expectation - but it lacked the bite of other Tartan offerings but it is an entertaining two hours. |
 | Marebito:
I found it difficult to put this picture into perspective until of all things,
I read Chobits. As certain as I am writing this and you are reading it, you might wonder if I lost it. But it dawned on me - Hideki is obsessed with his Persocon - he names her, falls in love with her.... but that is where the similarity ends. Masuoka is in search of death. His curiosity find him deep beneath Tokyo - in a set of tunnels. He seeks to avoid the dreaded DERO or "detrimental robot." There are rumour around about strange creatures that to walk the demi-monde spreading fear. In and around the underground ruins Masuoka finds an odd, young lady, not all there - so to speak - very "Wild Child" - just like Hideki, Masuoka names his find - in this case - F. Taking her home to his spartan abode, kept illuminated by the monitors that surround his walls, he tries to bring her back to the life by feeding her with his own blood. Masuola is indeed aware of the possible effect another hungry mouth that feeds on his blood but can't help himself - he is hooked. I was not really suree where the story was going - except perhaps for a disfunctional love doomed from the start. I figured the creepy element was that he was going to become some form or another of serial killer as the real world closed in on him. That would be creepy. Anyway, it lives up to its billing as "Asian Extreme" but the only thng really extreme was the deficiency in the storyline. From the creator of Ju-on and The Grudge one would expect director Takashi Shimizu to blow you away - if you are into the genre - it will all make sense. However, if you are not, it will make Ju-on and The Grudge feel like gone with the wind. Effects are cool, acting so-so, story line lost me (ergo the 4 stars). |
 | Empires
- Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire: >In Empires - Japan: Memoirs of a Secret
Empire, we see Japan covered through one of its more turbulent eras. We begin
with the very first European contact in the mid-16th century. The series explores
early unsuccessful tries by the Japanese to establish trade while at the same
time still wishing to protect and uphold their own cultural values. The series
transitions into the exploation of Japan's self-imposed 200-year period of "seclusion"
from the "barbarians," and concludes with the "opening" after
a long period of isolation with the unexpected (and unsolicited) arrival of US
steamships in the mid-19th century, forcing Japan to "open" to the rest
of the world. Ironically, it already was. In Episode I: The Way of the Samurai, we are treated to an exploration of the period from 1543, when the Portuguese set foot in Japan. According to this rendition they found a country in turmoil and divided through civil war, up until the early 17th century. An important segment is the treatment of the battle of Sekigahara - a battle that changed Japanese history forever, and the early rulers of the whole of Japan. The introduction of firearms came way before the Meiji era as implied by movies like "The Last Samurai." In Episode II: The Will of the Shogun, we are transported back to the mid 17th century and the beginning of Japan's period of self-imposed isolation from foreigners - just where Episode I leaves off. There is the treatment of the story of William Adams, the united rule of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the establishment of a strict class system administered by the revered samurai. Last, in Episode III: The Return of the Barbarians, we see how in the period from mid 17th century to late 19th century the only exception to the rule of no contact with the outside world was a small community of Dutch traders led by Dr Kaempfer in Nagasaki impacted Japan. We see how the rule of the fifth Shogun Tsunayoshi influenced Japanese society in a new direction. We see life in the flourishing 18th century city of Edo. Finally, we see the dissolution of the samurai and the long-held societal classes. In this episode we see a Japan, challenged to respond to the US incursion with the arrival of Matthew Perry and his steamships in 1853, demanding the opening up of trade transitioning Japan into its more modern. Although at time hinting dangerously of an essential, primordial, and "uniquely unique" Japan, the narrations are well written, well crafted and well produced. They are highly enlightening as well as very educational. I would encourage all educators in this area to use this as a valuable pedagogical tool. |
 | The Mystery of Rampo (1995) ~ Rintaro Mayuzumi: The film was motivated by the writings of Edogawa Rampo (1894-1965) - a play on the name of Edgar Allan Poe. Rampo was a controversial Japanese thriller author whose work was often banned in the 1930s - which play themselves out in the movie and starts the tale off. The author was often compared to Edgar Allan Poe - for conjuring up the very same types of gothic imagery. In this movie, fantasy merges with reality in this mystery cum thriller. A woman has murdered her husband in a manner very similar to a killing depicted in an "unpublished" work of Rampo's. The irony is that the government has banned the novel of the same subject. In line with the fusion of reality cum fantasy upon meeting the killer, the writer is astonished to observe that she also bears an eerie physical similitude to the character that emanated from his mind's eye. The author/character Rampo soon becomes so fixated with her that he subsequently re-creates her as the woman a protagonist in his new novel. Often moving from one realm to the other and driving the lives of both fictional and real characters. However, complications develop when Rampo starts situating himself within the fictional realm/world he created. Before long, and this is where the genius of the movie really lies, that it is tricky for him - and the viewer - to figure out the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Michiko Hada is stunning in her portrayal of gothic damsel in distress. Beauty and the Beast never looked so good. |
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Audition (1999) ~ Ryo Ishibashi:
Without waxing too anecdotal (or pseudo analytical), I have to admit I had
not idea what to make of Audition. The perplexity in a way is a good thing as
it made me think. Here goes... Not sure whether this movie was `art house' or
`sensationalism' or `shock value' I stuck with it. Based on the novel by Ryu Murakami,
Takashi Miike's rendition defies easy explanation. Audition is a yarn of a middle-aged,
widowed TV-producer's looking for a wife (or partnership) through bogus auditions
of youthful actresses. According to some research this is in line with Miike duality
juxtaposition of `attractive/repellent,' `fascinating/disgusting.' After a really
long first hour that smacked of soap-operaish melodrama we are presented with
a tour-de-force of rapid-fire violence. Granted Miike sets this up a `collision'
I'm still confused as to what to walk away with. In the special features where
Miike is interviewed he denies any social commentary. Fair enough, however, one
cannot help but read into the movie (if looking at the movie `as text') much like
`Fatal Attraction' one sees a certain critique of men's viewpoint of the objectification
of women which get brutally repaid by their own gullibility (or is it ignorance).
I certainly read it as a denunciation of the Japanese male's mind-set towards
women. As un-intellectual as this sounds, take into account a widower who wants
a beautiful, unsullied, submissive, youthful and wife, but does not hesitate to
run the prospective entrant through a `meat market process' - such as an `Audition,'
where we are supposed to accept that she is willing to wait in line with others
in order to expose her breasts for two `Oyaji' she has never met - and like it.
The candidate is somewhat unaware that this is all because the men folk are so
socially inept that they cannot meet well adjusted women in a real world scenario
- where the power relation is a little biit more - shall we say - `balanced.' I
hate spoilers so I won't do one here. However, we get a sense that this fellow
is not so bad and Miike, I think, tries to make us sympathize with this `awkward'
individual - who apparently doubts his action (but goes through with it anyway).
Aoyama doubts his actions and we are supposed to commiserate. His persona (I think
we are supposed to allow for) is a `gray area,' so this is not supposed to be
a film as condemnation of `either/or' but more like `both/and.' So Aoyama is both
pathetic AND reflective - we are not supposed to judge him. In a way, what I found
disturbing was how during the audition scenes, we see him somewhat `uncomfortable'
while his associate, who created this whole scenario to begin with is unreflective.
As a somewhat `redemptive' aspect of the film as the movie progresses we get the
sense that Aoyama is the victim in this whole thing as we are presented with Aoyama's
feelings for Asami as genuine and that he might be the way out of her `issues.'
Not likely I guess from the outcome. Hard to expect that relationships that spring
from such dysfunctional beginnings (no matter how linear my thinking) can be expected
to succeed. As a psycho thriller this movie is nothing short of a tour-de-force.
Moreover, if it but stops and makes us consider our objectification then Miike
may have succeeded beyond his sensationalist roots. |
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The Twilight Samurai DVD ~ Hiroyuki
Sanada: Twilight Samurai, while resolutely
jidai-geki genre, inhabits liminality between jidai-geki and gendai-geki genre
playing at a sense of the intimate with modern day issues in a samurai setting.
The movie plays out the life of Iguchi "Tasogare" Seibei (playfully,
the "Twilight" Seibei) a down on his luck 50-koku samurai who plugs
away under immense pressure to bring up his two daughters while taking care for
his senile mother, after the death of his wife from consumption. Seibei is an
exceedingly sincere man with a sense pride and dignity - yet he is an enigma,
paradox: he is always disheveled, is clearly under extreme pressure, but in no
way whines about his situation, keeps to himself and wishes no ill on anyone.
Complication comes by way of Tomoe, who comes back unexpectedly, he experiences
cognitive dissonance - not sure how to address this new scenario and his feelings.
He is acutely aware that he is only a 50-koku samurai with little hope of supporting
Tomoe's much less take care of his children and ailing mother. Seibei is compelled
to act when Tomoe's violent husband appears and insists that Tomoe come back to
him. Seibei finds himself compelled to defend her honor. In this duel, Seibei
show his true colors -- he is apparently a master short-swordsman. News of his
skill spreads and he is reluctantly drawn into mercenary service in an effort
to save face. A far cry from his role in Twilight Samurai Hiroyuki Sanada becomes
Seibei. The film is purposeful, succinct and gorgeous in every way. As mentioned
previously, the movie plays out its jidai-geki angle but uses a unique approach.
Despite the pandering to the jidai-geki genre by ending the movie in true grit
violence, the story of Seibei resonates for me on a more personal and intimate
level. The intimacies make the characters less of a caricature and have depth.
My point is simple - despite the complexity that Mifune Toshiro brought to presence
with say Rashomon, we never really knew his character - we never really felt his
character. Hiroyuki Sanada takes Seibei to the next level - he keeps it real.
These premises reverberate throughout Twilight Samurai and moves it to a level
all its own. Twilight Samurai is truly something profound and it should not be
missed. It should be seen over and over again to appreciate it on many levels. |
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| Battle
Royale: I have to admit that this movie
moved me on many levels. After getting over the initial shock of what is, for
very good reason, considered to be not just a violent film but also a very disturbing
one in terms of subject - this movie I am convinced is destined to become a cult
classic. As mentioned previously, Battle Royale is an unforgiving movie but like
all great films there are pockets of resistance and liberation. This exceedingly
disturbing and deeply saddening film about watching young kids killing each other
out of a primal need to survive should disturb anyone with a shred of humanity
left in them. What should be noted is that in this case of art imitating life
it opens up a portal of consideration of how people may react in this type of
situation and the inherent complexity contained therein. No matter what critics say about its violence Battle Royale is really a story about character. Based on the novel by Takami Koshun, Battle Royale is provocative on many. One way to see the movie is in terms of a not so distant future Japan (which is this case can stand in as a metaphor to other countries) where the government's trepidation about rampant juvenile delinquency and the a lost generation's blatant disregard for order and the rule of law has caused it seek more immediate and less creative ways to deal with the problem, the solution: the systematic annihilation of teenagers. In this case, selected groups of high school kids are deceived and carted of to an undisclosed location, given weapons and supplies and a mission - to kill each other. In an orgy of blood and gore the last person standing is allowed to go home. This, at least for me, brings up two very difficult questions: Is it a story about extermination or discipline? If it is, what possible benefit can be derived from this? Returning quickly to the issue of "character," it is interesting to see how director Kinji Fukasaku and writer Kenta Fukasuka bring Takami Koshun's novel to the screen. It is also interesting to see how director Fukasaku controls a herd of cats in a powerhouse cast of 40+ characters that includes Beat Takeshi's rendition of Kitano as well as the portrayal of Shuya (Tatsuya Fujiwara), Noriko (Aki Maeda), Shougo (Taro Yamamoto), Kazou (Masanobu Ando), Mitsuko (Kou Shibasaki) and Takako (by Kill Bill's Chiaki Kuriyama). I was intrigued to seeing how some of the characters reacted to stressful situations that in some places (unless you watch the film at least twice) are lost around the films central motif of extreme ruthlessness and violence. Needless to say that despite the films wicked cinematography and primitivistic tendencies - it being set in a tropical island and all - not to mention the almost mandatory erotic undertones, it is more than anything, a movie about a society on the verge of imploding. It is noted that Fukasaku's motivations for making the movie transcend politics and society. Dilemma: if your survival rested on you killing your best friends, would you do it? This is the circumstance in Battle Royale and it is a very provocative one. This brutal premise and what happens next is inevitably - a very cruel film. Fukasaku rendition has a Lord of the Fliesesque quality about it. I cannot stress how great a movie this is though. Overall, this is one of the most thought provoking, disturbing, and powerful films released. I was not surprised that this film has not been released in the US but just like the saga of "RINGU" - my guess is that inevitably this film will be hijacked as well - it is the Hollywood way. Another "layer" to be uncovered from this blood-soaked saga is how Fukasaku calls to question a Japanese society whose rage over youth delinquency (as mentioned previously) and has gone so far to imagine a `final solution.' If it was Fukasaku's intent, it got me thinking that if such a solution were put in place the results would be a fight to the death will be a traumatized, angry and extremely mentally agile mind would be released back on society - making the problem doubly worse - as if the society is cultivating violence. In Battle Royale Fukasaku is thought provoking again in that he allows for pockets of resistance and moments of female empowerment. The sub-plot of hacking in to the system and destroying the whole game and the scenes with Mitsuko (Kou Shibasaki) although not unique add a particular liberating quality to the film. However there still is lingering the disturbing theme of Battle Royale, dealing as it does with the corollary of a system of violence transferred from generation to generation thus perpetuating a cycle of violence. In the end, the hub of the Battle Royale films is that violence without doubt impacts children. Is this what we want as a future for them? A wild, sexy, and thought provoking film that begs to be watched more than one time to be fully appreciated. |
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| Angel Dust VHS ~ Kaho Minami : Sogo Ishii is certainly a genius - but that is an old and tired story. Angel Dust is a mind trip - pun intended. The story is labyrinthine in the sense that it gives nothing away until the last minute. A killer is murdering young women in a Tokyo subway. Setsuko is assigned to the case because of her past experience with issues of this nature. Trying to get into the mind of the killer, the lines between the personal and the professional begin to blur. The road leads to her "ex" Aku - which complicates the story even further. Foreign films, are to say the least, already somewhat inaccessible because of the language and cultural framework within which the story takes place. My sense is that despite this probably being unintended, Sogo Ishii uses that sense of isolation to his advantage. Granted that this film was perhaps designed for a Japanese audience it is nonetheless compelling for non-Japanese. Angel Dust is a multi-layered film with many twists and turns. The more cerebral and less blood and guts approach I have to admit I really appreciated. I found myself almost drawn in to the movie like I was to Andrei Tarkovsky's original version of Solaris (also available on Amazon.com). A little bit of Sake helps take the edge off - it is intense, it is fun and it is thought provoking. |
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| Shall
We Dance? VHS ~ Koji Yakusho: It is difficult
to be "objective" about a film you "feel" so much for and
with. "Shall We Dance?" is one of those films for me. Feelings are what
is at the core of this movie. You cannot REALLY dance until you are feeling it.
Anyway, never thought I would relive the exhilaration of the freedom of dance
from -- and I am guardedly stereotypical here -- a Japanese movie. It is a refreshing
change. I love it. The repressed nature of Sugiyama's (Koji Yakusho) passion is perhaps one of the most striking tensions of the entire movie. Trapped into an almost Nietzschean Apollonian trap, Sugiyama is dead without dying. He is in this state until he sees Mai (Tamiya Kusakari) from the train. He ventures into the realm of Dionysus. He is building a healthy tension. The pathos in this movie is so striking it is almost real. To prove the pliability of cultures through this cross pollination of "stuff" is a real interesting experiment. Almost as if to pastiche the dances - mostly non-Japanese in origin -- the Waltz, the Rumba, etc. all mingle into this amalgam of neo-nihonjinron or do I just not understand the Japanese ability to absorb things. Hope I am not waxing to Orientalist here as I was moved to tears in the scene where Sugiyama dances his way to a reconciliation - no more said. The movie has it all -- the thrill of the dance competition, interpersonal relations, trust and no-trust issues (dance has a lot to do with trust) and communication. The accompanying cast is magnificent. But most of all "Shall We Dance?" beings the viewer to the "hot seat" of dance -- the floor. It is seductive. It has thee beauty of youth and the elegance and wisdom of the ages. It is the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. It is a story of transgression and reconciliation, an exhilarating transgression and should be watched over and over. Shall we dance? |
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Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence VHS ~ David Bowie: I have yet to see another movie of this type that explores the very scary side of cultural misunderstanding. Caught in a Japanese POW camp, deep in an East Asian jungle - both the Japanese and their Allied prisoners are out of their element. What are they to do? They play out the never ending drama of empowered over disempowered and do so under the framework of their respective traditions. In the war, to surrender meant shame for one, to the other it meant a lease on life - hope. The dynamics played out by Major Jack Celliers (David Bowie) and Captain Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto) is by far the most electric in the story. Each one saving face to his own people albeit trying to effect peace. It seems like their respective situations are forcing them to do that which they are not comfortable doing. In the end John Lawrence (Tom Conti) and Gengo Hara (Takeshi) effect what is an understanding of the futility and madness of war. A microcosm of the irrationality that is armed conflict and how quickly the tables turn. As if pleading to grant him the same mercy Hara simply references Fr. Christmas says Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. As thought provoking as it was beautiful, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence should be a staple in East Asian Discourse and there should be one in every home. |
 | Violent Cop DVD ~ Takeshi Kitano: Perhaps not the best of Takeshi Kitano's movies (I have to admit to preference for Hana-Bi on many levels) but this is by far the grittiest of Takeshi's work. In his directorial debut, famous Japanese television comedian Takeshi Kitano (more commonly known as `Beat' Takeshi) plays Azuma, a brutal but honorable cop who runs out of patience - a Dirty Harry of sorts. Azuma's stifling daily routine necessitates him dealing with - among other things - a naive new partner as well as taking care of, mentally challenged sister. Azuma reaches his breaking point when a fellow cop is killed and drug dealers take prisoner his sister. It is time to take matters in his own hands and Azuma begins taking a different approach - vengeful course that crescendo in a shocking finale. AS mentioned previously, Violent Cop is a startling first feature from Kitano, who replaced director Kinji Fukasaku. First and foremost a television comedian, Kitano allegedly reworked the script to better suit his dark mis-en-scene visualization of the film. This turn of events serves an absorbing introduction to his one of its kind directorial style. Kitano intermixes scenes of intense violence with beautifully contemplative shots - as is evidenced in Hana-Bi aka Fireworks and Boiling Point (both also available on Amazon.com). Notches above in the yakuza genre by adding a contemplative twist, Kitano's films are signposts in 20th century Japanese cinema. |
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