Misa Shimizu
I do not know the answer to question number two, “Would Kurosawa have
actually gone ahead and made this movie without significant rewrites?”
And question number three, “How exactly might this film have been different as a result of Kurosawa directing?” is impossible to answer.
The movie lacks a bit of cohesiveness, and in this case I don’t think the blame can all be put in the lap of director Kei Kumai. The story is noticeably disjointed, though it was interesting to watch in some scenes.
In an accompanying documentary on the DVD there seems to be a desperate attempt to connect this movie to Kurosawa as much as possible by indicating how precisely Kurosawa’s production planning notes were followed.
If Kurosawa had been able to make this film, he would have certainly refined
it throughout the production process and crafted a very different movie. It
cannot be certain that the resulting product would have been better, but it can
be certain it would be something different simply as a result of having a
different chef in the kitchen.
Unfortunately the film’s director Kumai may have felt compelled or perhaps he was even commanded by the producers to follow Kurosawa’s story and notes to the letter. The producers may have felt that would be a good selling point. There is boasting in the documentary of how intently they followed Kurosawa’s plans. But even Kurosawa would not have adhered to everything precisely as production approached and shooting began.
A large part of what makes a good movie (and I think most producers and directors would agree) is the ability to evolve and adapt during the production process. I would be horribly concerned about the end result if someone took the script for my little film project and shot it word for word with absolutely zero consideration for the needs of the film as the production moved forward.
This is all speculation on my part. I do not know what might have been or what exactly took place in the production of The Sea is Watching. The claims of following Kurosawa’s notes to the extreme might just be marketing hooey anyway. One thing is definitely certain; the Sea is Watching does not “feel” like a Kurosawa film.
Misc. Tidbit
The ending for The Sea is Watching was shot with a green screen that created additional dramatic effect for a conclusion that was already over the top and a little manipulative for my taste. I thought it was odd to staple such an obviously artificial visual on the end of the film. Though visually intriguing, the night sky shots were too distracting for me because of their noticeably synthetic creation which seemed visually out of step with the rest of the movie.
For Japanese Language Students
I was able to enjoy working on my Japanese listening comprehension skills while watching The Sea is Watching, but this movie will not have the broad appeal of other films reviewed here, possibly making it less pleasant to endure for some Japanese language students.
Also, because of the time period the story is set in, the characters may not be using what would be thought of as modern Japanese in some scenes. I limited the listening comprehension practice rating to “Fairly Good” for this film.
Entertainment Value: Fair
Listening Practice: Fairly Good
Warm Water
Entertainment Value: Good
Listening Practice: Very GoodAdult Content: Surprising
Misa Shimizu
- Highest Rated:
- 94%Dr. Akagi (1998)
- Lowest Rated:
- 58%The Sea Is Watching (2002)
- Birthday:
- Sep 25, 1970
- Birthplace:
- Tokyo, Japan
- Bio:
- Not Available
Community Photos (1)
Highest Rated Movies
Filmography
Range of Movie T-meters: 58% - 94%
Number of Movies: 12
Box Office Since 2001: --
| Year | Rating | Title | Credit | Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Bokkusu! (Box!) |
| -- | |
| 2009 | Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac |
| -- | |
| 2009 | The Harimaya Bridge |
| -- | |
| 2003 | The Sea Is Watching (Umi wa miteita) |
| -- | |
| 2002 | 58% | The Sea Is Watching |
| -- |
| 2001 | 79% | Warm Water Under A Red Bridge |
| -- |
| 1998 | 94% | Dr. Akagi |
| -- |
| 1997 | 76% | The Eel (Unagi) |
| -- |
| 1996 | 91% | Shall We Dance? (Shall We Dansu?) |
| -- |
| 1994 | 47 Ronin |
| -- | |
| 1992 | Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (Shiko funjatta) |
| -- | |
| 1992 | Okoge |
| -- |
Misa Shimizu
I was really looking forward to watching this Japanese movie because its
premise was so strong. Samurai Rebellion did turn out to be a
well-made film with great visuals and very interesting camera angles. The fact
that I’m remembering the nice camera angles so much does speak to the film’s
somewhat slow pace, but Samurai Rebellion is not a boring movie and Toshiro
Mifune is always fun to watch.
The story is about a woman who’s dismissed from her life of privilege where
she was originally brought for breeding and to serve the lord of a clan.
Circumstances arise later that cause the lord to desire the return of the
woman. This doesn’t sit well with the new husband, whom she now has a daughter
with. Toshiro Mifune plays the father of the husband. A Samurai
Rebellion ensues, though the rebellion consists only of the husband and
father. There is no epic battle scene with a cast of thousands. Also, potential
viewers should be warned that this film does not have a happy Hollywood
ending.
If you’re looking for a sword happy Samurai film, this would not be it. The
sword fighting is held mostly until the end and the group fighting scene is not
very convincing. But multiple attacker sword fighting scenes are rarely
realistic, even in modern movies.
I felt the very last fight scene duel between Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya
Nakadai at the conclusion of the film was nicely done because of its appropriate
brevity and pleasingly concise resolution. Real sword fighting typically
involved very brief interaction between combatants.
If you are interested in Japanese cinema, and if you don’t need car crashes and other intense activity to constantly stimulate you and keep you awake in a movie, this story is certainly compelling enough to be worthwhile. I enjoyed watching Samurai Rebellion.
Samurai Rebellion Misc. Tidbits
Movies often have to be unrealistic and contrived, but I’m still bothered by it when contrivances are out in the open and left there glaring at you. I admire films that find a way to keep such contrivances from mooning you unapologetically during the story. This movie has a few “dropping its pants” moments for sure.
The guns at the end and lack of them earlier might be explained away due to a need to ration the use and placement of firearms if they were in short supply, but before that problem showed up I was already wondering where the archers were in the evening courtyard scene.
If an undignified slaughter was going to take place anyway, I doubt archers would have been excluded as a means of eliminating the obstacle. You’ll see what I mean when you get to that scene.
And why the hell are we sticking to the road (especially right at the gate) at the end of the movie. The set design did not include any massive “Wall of China” effect to preclude a little hike over a different hill.
I suppose if movies were not allowed to be made that had problems like this, there would be very few movies to see in this world. And a movie like this one is meant to be viewed more as a poem. If you solve the problems I just pointed out, you bypass the symbolic nature and drama of the confrontations that subsequently ensue.
But I do prefer when a film is better able to conceal its contrivances.
For Japanese Language Students
Though I found some of the Japanese dialogue in Samurai Rebellion to be highly listenable, in a large number of scenes conversations were too fast to pick out much for low level Japanese students.
Still, some lines in the film were spoken clearly and distinctly.
Entertainment Value: Very
Good
Listening Practice: Good
Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai's characters are
friends in Samurai Rebellion, yet still find themselves in a deadly
confrontation by the movie's end.
Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa) is expelled from the royal court
and married off to Yogoro (Takeshi Kato). Things get complicated when the lord
demands her return.
Samurai Rebellion's Toshiro Mifune, in the role of
Isaburo, paces and contemplates his family's options "off the beaten path" on
his smartly groomed sand lawn.
Samurai Rebellion's Toshiro Mifune and Takeshi Kato, as
father and son, relax after gutting their home to make room for swordplay in an
upcoming battle with their own clan.
If you are interested in Japanese cinema, and if you don’t need car crashes and other intense activity to constantly stimulate you and keep you awake in a movie, this story is certainly compelling enough to be worthwhile. I enjoyed watching Samurai Rebellion.
Toshiro Mifune advances into a field of deep brush
swarming with riflemen for one last battle after his duel with Tatsuya Nakadai
in Samurai Rebellion.
Movies often have to be unrealistic and contrived, but I’m still bothered by it when contrivances are out in the open and left there glaring at you. I admire films that find a way to keep such contrivances from mooning you unapologetically during the story. This movie has a few “dropping its pants” moments for sure.
The guns at the end and lack of them earlier might be explained away due to a need to ration the use and placement of firearms if they were in short supply, but before that problem showed up I was already wondering where the archers were in the evening courtyard scene.
If an undignified slaughter was going to take place anyway, I doubt archers would have been excluded as a means of eliminating the obstacle. You’ll see what I mean when you get to that scene.
And why the hell are we sticking to the road (especially right at the gate) at the end of the movie. The set design did not include any massive “Wall of China” effect to preclude a little hike over a different hill.
I suppose if movies were not allowed to be made that had problems like this, there would be very few movies to see in this world. And a movie like this one is meant to be viewed more as a poem. If you solve the problems I just pointed out, you bypass the symbolic nature and drama of the confrontations that subsequently ensue.
But I do prefer when a film is better able to conceal its contrivances.
For Japanese Language Students
Though I found some of the Japanese dialogue in Samurai Rebellion to be highly listenable, in a large number of scenes conversations were too fast to pick out much for low level Japanese students.
Still, some lines in the film were spoken clearly and distinctly.
Samurai Rebellion
Entertainment Value: Very
GoodListening Practice: Good
Running Time: 121
Minutes
Writer: Shinobu Hashimoto
from a novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Japanese Title:上意討ち 拝領妻始末 (Jōi-uchi: Hairyō tsuma shimatsu)
Original Release: 1967
Writer: Shinobu Hashimotofrom a novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Japanese Title:上意討ち 拝領妻始末 (Jōi-uchi: Hairyō tsuma shimatsu)
Original Release: 1967
Samurai Rebellion is
available from Netflix.
Babel is not exactly a Japanese movie. However, the
film has many Japanese scenes and does offer opportunities for Japanese
listening comprehension practice. I decided it wouldn’t be inappropriate to
write a review for Savage Japan Move Reviews.
Though there were a few good scenes for Japanese language students, as a
movie overall I found Babel extremely unpleasant to watch and with no inspiring
or significant message.
Babel is a sophisticated and polished production featuring flickers of loosely connected tragic stories from around the world. The stories as presented were fairly independent and did not feel so reliant on one another, and none of the stories left me feeling enlightened, educated, or significantly entertained.
The film was effective if its goal was to depress me and cause me to feel tremendous sorrow for the characters, especially the isolated and sad Japanese teenage deaf character. But I want more than that from a movie.
No matter how well produced, I need a movie to do more than just eat up my time. And if it’s only going to be a somewhat abstract and intentionally pointless artistic exercise, I certainly don’t want it to feed me endless emotional trauma with no reward.
My own humble film project in development now features a deaf character that I’m trying to cast with a deaf actress. It’s interesting and helpful for me to study how deaf characters are portrayed in movies. The deaf character in Babel was played skillfully by Rinko Kikuchi, a hearing actress. Being able to observe how her deaf character was integrated into the film did add some appeal for me during my viewing of Babel.
The talent of those involved with this production is undeniable, and perhaps
some will enjoy this film for the first-rate performances and outstanding
overall production quality. The talent, skill, and hard work required to get
this movie made is admirable, but to make a good film, you need a good story.
Very loosely connected snippets of ideas do not make a good story. This is no
Crash by a long shot.
It’s been a while since I viewed the movie Crash and I don’t really remember it that well. But I recall the stories wrapping up nicely, fitting together and bringing a satisfying resolution to the viewer. And most importantly… I remember being entertained.
Babel is so effective with its seeming intent to depress the viewer, I was cringing in fear thinking they were going to take the Japanese girl’s story into even darker and much more tragic terrain. The whole film was so negative and joyless that I could only expect it to become more depressing as the stories wore on. Thankfully the film did not become quite as tragic as its momentum suggested it might, but this is an extremely emotionally unpleasant movie to watch. That was no doubt the intention of the makers, but why do I need to see such a painful and purposeless thing? I only have so many hours to live on this planet. I do not wish to waste them with tortuous films that offer me little for my emotional expense.
I don’t mind being manipulated and dragged around by my emotions at a movie theater. Some might argue that is the objective of all good movies. But give me something more to go home with than just the unpleasant aftertaste of pain and suffering.
For Japanese Language Students
I’ve decided to give Babel a listening comprehension practice rating of Moderate because the scenes in modern day Tokyo may be of interest to Japan enthusiasts and there is some reasonably paced Japanese dialogue that provides good listening opportunities for beginner Nihongo students.
Babel gets 2 Siberians instead of 1 only because of its high production quality.
Entertainment Value:
Unrewarding
Listening Practice: Moderate
In the movie Babel, Rinko Kikuchi plays a traumatized
Japanese deaf teenager.
Babel is a sophisticated and polished production featuring flickers of loosely connected tragic stories from around the world. The stories as presented were fairly independent and did not feel so reliant on one another, and none of the stories left me feeling enlightened, educated, or significantly entertained.
The film was effective if its goal was to depress me and cause me to feel tremendous sorrow for the characters, especially the isolated and sad Japanese teenage deaf character. But I want more than that from a movie.
No matter how well produced, I need a movie to do more than just eat up my time. And if it’s only going to be a somewhat abstract and intentionally pointless artistic exercise, I certainly don’t want it to feed me endless emotional trauma with no reward.
My own humble film project in development now features a deaf character that I’m trying to cast with a deaf actress. It’s interesting and helpful for me to study how deaf characters are portrayed in movies. The deaf character in Babel was played skillfully by Rinko Kikuchi, a hearing actress. Being able to observe how her deaf character was integrated into the film did add some appeal for me during my viewing of Babel.
Brad Pitt in a small and subdued role was nominated for
a Golden Globe Best Suppporting Actor award for his performance in
Babel.
It’s been a while since I viewed the movie Crash and I don’t really remember it that well. But I recall the stories wrapping up nicely, fitting together and bringing a satisfying resolution to the viewer. And most importantly… I remember being entertained.
Babel is so effective with its seeming intent to depress the viewer, I was cringing in fear thinking they were going to take the Japanese girl’s story into even darker and much more tragic terrain. The whole film was so negative and joyless that I could only expect it to become more depressing as the stories wore on. Thankfully the film did not become quite as tragic as its momentum suggested it might, but this is an extremely emotionally unpleasant movie to watch. That was no doubt the intention of the makers, but why do I need to see such a painful and purposeless thing? I only have so many hours to live on this planet. I do not wish to waste them with tortuous films that offer me little for my emotional expense.
I don’t mind being manipulated and dragged around by my emotions at a movie theater. Some might argue that is the objective of all good movies. But give me something more to go home with than just the unpleasant aftertaste of pain and suffering.
A busy intersection in the Shibuya neighborhood in
Tokyo, Japan. Cate Blanchett can be seen here on the monitors as a segue assist
from the Morroco story to the Japanese story in the movie Babel.
I’ve decided to give Babel a listening comprehension practice rating of Moderate because the scenes in modern day Tokyo may be of interest to Japan enthusiasts and there is some reasonably paced Japanese dialogue that provides good listening opportunities for beginner Nihongo students.
Babel gets 2 Siberians instead of 1 only because of its high production quality.
Babel
Entertainment Value:
UnrewardingListening Practice: Moderate
Running Time: 143
Minutes
Writer: Guillermo
Arriaga
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Original Release: 2006
Writer: Guillermo
ArriagaDirector: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Original Release: 2006
Babel is available from
Netflix.
The Sea is Watching was adapted
from a novel by Shugoro Yamamoto, but the film script was written by the
legendary Akira Kurosawa which raises many questions right
away. The answer to the first question concerning why Kurosawa did not direct it
is simply that he passed away.
Diverse personalities are found among the women living
and working in The Sea is Watching's samurai era brothel.
And question number three, “How exactly might this film have been different as a result of Kurosawa directing?” is impossible to answer.
The movie lacks a bit of cohesiveness, and in this case I don’t think the blame can all be put in the lap of director Kei Kumai. The story is noticeably disjointed, though it was interesting to watch in some scenes.
In an accompanying documentary on the DVD there seems to be a desperate attempt to connect this movie to Kurosawa as much as possible by indicating how precisely Kurosawa’s production planning notes were followed.
Oshin, played by Nagiko Tono, chooses the wrong man to
invest her emotions with.
Unfortunately the film’s director Kumai may have felt compelled or perhaps he was even commanded by the producers to follow Kurosawa’s story and notes to the letter. The producers may have felt that would be a good selling point. There is boasting in the documentary of how intently they followed Kurosawa’s plans. But even Kurosawa would not have adhered to everything precisely as production approached and shooting began.
A large part of what makes a good movie (and I think most producers and directors would agree) is the ability to evolve and adapt during the production process. I would be horribly concerned about the end result if someone took the script for my little film project and shot it word for word with absolutely zero consideration for the needs of the film as the production moved forward.
This is all speculation on my part. I do not know what might have been or what exactly took place in the production of The Sea is Watching. The claims of following Kurosawa’s notes to the extreme might just be marketing hooey anyway. One thing is definitely certain; the Sea is Watching does not “feel” like a Kurosawa film.
The always lovely Misa Shimizu as Kikuno in The Sea is
Watching. Don't be misled by this slightly provocative image; The Sea is
Watching has no significant erotic content.
Though I can be a sucker for a Japanese film with an
ultra-sweet and sympathetic female lead, such as the one in this story played by
Nagiko Tono, the story in The Sea is Watching is simply a little too soap
opera-ish for me. I’m sure some viewers will find it surprising that this
adapted story came from the mind of Akira Kurosawa.
Others have speculated that Kurosawa wrote this film
to answer some critics’ charges that he lacked skill in telling stories from the
perspective of female characters. I doubt that was Kurosawa’s motivation, but
this is definitely a woman’s tale.
There are some very well done scenes in the movie,
and if an inside view of what life might have been like in a Samurai era
Japanese brothel is enticing to you, then you may not regret adding this film to
your Netflix list. And if you are curious about this movie’s connection to
Kurosawa, it may be of more interest to you. This is not an unwatchable film.
It’s interesting and entertaining in several scenes, but it is also far from
being a masterpiece.
Postcard perfect image of Misa Shimizu and Nagiko Tono
from a striking scene found near the end of The Sea is Watching, a scene that
may also be a bit too synthetic and incongruous.
The ending for The Sea is Watching was shot with a green screen that created additional dramatic effect for a conclusion that was already over the top and a little manipulative for my taste. I thought it was odd to staple such an obviously artificial visual on the end of the film. Though visually intriguing, the night sky shots were too distracting for me because of their noticeably synthetic creation which seemed visually out of step with the rest of the movie.
For Japanese Language Students
I was able to enjoy working on my Japanese listening comprehension skills while watching The Sea is Watching, but this movie will not have the broad appeal of other films reviewed here, possibly making it less pleasant to endure for some Japanese language students.
Also, because of the time period the story is set in, the characters may not be using what would be thought of as modern Japanese in some scenes. I limited the listening comprehension practice rating to “Fairly Good” for this film.
The Sea is Watching
Entertainment Value: FairListening Practice: Fairly Good
Running Time: 118
Minutes
Writer: Akira Kurosawa from
a
novel by Shugoro Yamamoto
Director: Kei Kumai
Japanese Title:海は見ていた (うみはみていた)
Original Release: 2002
Writer: Akira Kurosawa from
anovel by Shugoro Yamamoto
Director: Kei Kumai
Japanese Title:海は見ていた (うみはみていた)
Original Release: 2002
The Sea is Watching is
available from Netflix.
Actors Misa Shimizu and Koji Yakusho discover romance
and mutual compatibility within unusual circumstances in Warm Water Under a Red
Bridge.
I selected Warm Water Under a Red
Bridge with the anticipation of sitting back to watch a gentle,
mystical fable. I did not realize this Japanese movie’s simple description of a
filling up of water was referring to a greatly exaggerated natural
physiological occurrence. I also didn’t realize that the story takes place in
modern times. Though Warm Water Under a Red Bridge did turn out to be a fairly
gentle movie, a few of the scenes may cause mental discomfort for sexually
repressed viewers.
Misa Shimizu portrays the very intriguing Saeko in Warm
Water Under a Red Bridge.
This movie definitely confirms the Japanese high
level of comfort with natural bodily functions. Warm Water Under a Red Bridge
exaggerates one such function in a way that I think a western movie would be
very unlikely to do.
This film has many light moments, but it doesn’t
really come across as a comedy. Perhaps for that reason I found the choice in
musical theme for the sexual events, along with director Shohei Imamura’s
choices in direction in those scenes, to be a little awkward.
It seemed as if a decision was made to push the
audience into a forced humorous reaction with the pivotal sexual release scenes.
Those choices may have been better for the balance of the film and pursuing more
eroticism might not have been appropriate, but watching the movie I couldn’t
help but wonder how the sex scenes might have turned out if they had been shot
without attempting to diffuse the intensity.
Warm Water Under a Red Bridge is an unusual
experience that may not please everyone, but I’m sure it is unusual enough to
hold the attention of many. It was definitely unusual enough to hold my
attention. This movie surprised me, and I like being surprised by movies. Warm
Water Under a Red Bridge’s distinctiveness helped me to bump its overall rating
up to 4 Siberians.
Savage Japan Misc. Tidbits
I love the placement of the Macaw parrot in this movie. It’s a nice detail that simply exists with no time wasted on revealing unnecessary information about why it exists. The parrot quietly emphasizes the fact that this is the home of a not-so-ordinary family. Also, the bridge in the title is a comfortable element and a great home base for the story.
I love the placement of the Macaw parrot in this movie. It’s a nice detail that simply exists with no time wasted on revealing unnecessary information about why it exists. The parrot quietly emphasizes the fact that this is the home of a not-so-ordinary family. Also, the bridge in the title is a comfortable element and a great home base for the story.
For Japanese Language Students
For Japanese culture and language enthusiasts who are not uncomfortable with unusual sexual topics, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge offers some interesting views into Japan. For Japanese listening comprehension practice, I think the film is a good selection. The film features modern real world conversations with plenty of opportunities to pick out words and phrases. There are also several modern day uses of kanji and kana spotted occasionally in the film.
For Japanese culture and language enthusiasts who are not uncomfortable with unusual sexual topics, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge offers some interesting views into Japan. For Japanese listening comprehension practice, I think the film is a good selection. The film features modern real world conversations with plenty of opportunities to pick out words and phrases. There are also several modern day uses of kanji and kana spotted occasionally in the film.
Warm Water
Under a Red Bridge
Entertainment Value: GoodListening Practice: Very GoodAdult Content: Surprising
Running Time: 119
Minutes
Writers: Shohei Imamura, Daisuke
Tengan &
Motofumi Tomikawa from a novel by Yo Henmi .
Director: Shohei Imamura
Japanese Title:赤い橋の下のぬるい水 (あかいはしのしたのぬるいみず)
Original Release: 2001
Writers: Shohei Imamura, Daisuke
Tengan &Motofumi Tomikawa from a novel by Yo Henmi .
Director: Shohei Imamura
Japanese Title:赤い橋の下のぬるい水 (あかいはしのしたのぬるいみず)
Original Release: 2001
Warm Water Under a Red Bridge is
available from Netflix.
This is indeed a Japanese film, despite the title and the fact that
The Bird People in China was shot primarily in China. The lead
characters speak Japanese throughout the movie.
I was hoping for an unusual film when I selected this title for viewing, and
I was not disappointed.
Everything I read about The Bird People in China always started out by explaining this was not an unpleasantly violent film like most of Japanese director Takashi Miike’s work. Many who have seen this movie seem intent on letting potential viewers know it is not a typical and perversely gory Miike film.
The Bird People in China sounded like it might be the one Takashi Miike movie suited to my sensibilities. I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did.
The Bird People in China is a serene and peaceful story overall. There is
some aggression and violence revolving around a yakuza character, but it seems
minimal and reasonable for the story.
The Bird People in China starts out as a road trip movie that begins in Japan and results with the discovery and exploration of a hidden Eden within China. A businessman and yakuza henchman are paired together on a trip they both would rather not take as the story begins. A mystery is encountered in the very idyllic, isolated community they discover. As you might imagine, the mystery revolves around… bird people. The details of that mystery are definitely best left to be discovered through viewing the film.
Since there might be a few whitewater kayakers reading this review as a
result of finding their way from my adventure oriented independent film
production website, I will mention that The Bird People in China contains a few
fascinating and massive, flood stage river scenes in China.
And for the podcast enthusiasts out there, the main lead in this movie documents his experiences with a portable cassette recorder, similarly to how a soundseeing podcast episode might be recorded. One of the recordings becomes important to the development of the story, though the film definitely takes liberties with the potential self-rejuvenation properties of dying batteries.
I have spent quite a bit of time in China for a variety of reasons, but the filth and pollution in the cities there has discouraged me from being eager to return for pleasure trips. Unlike Japan where I could live happily for the rest of my life, China for me is only a place for visiting, preferably for no more than a few weeks at a time maximum. Watching The Bird People in China helped remind me that I may still want to risk visiting China a time or two more to experience some of the beautiful remote areas I have not yet seen.
I really enjoyed this curious film. It may be too slow paced for film enthusiasts who thrive on movies such as those Miike is more famous for, but I think the pacing here provides more time to enjoy and appreciate the beautiful scenery and unusual story.
Extras
The commentary track from English speaker Tom Mes, who is apparently a big fan of Takashi Miike’s horror/terror films, reinforces a point I just touched on in the Rashomon review, that recording a compelling commentary track is difficult when the person doing it was not involved in the production of the film being discussed.
It is nice that an effort was made to find someone to add commentary in English. Tom Mes seems like a pleasant enough fellow in this commentary recording, but you would likely need to be an obsessive commentary listener like me to make it all the way through The Bird People in China’s commentary track.
A more interesting tidbit to look for on the DVD is the computer generated turtle brigade that pulls a raft through a very wild river. The whole notion of the turtles serving in this fashion and how they could possibly be recovered when lost is absolutely ludicrous, but it doesn’t really disturb the movie. The entire turtle scenario somehow seems acceptable in this little fable, though it is a bit startling when those CGI turtles show up in the brief underwater scene. I am sure I’m not the only person who skips back a bit with their remote to re-watch that completely unexpected short visual.
For Japanese Language Students
I found the Japanese very listenable in this movie, and I was able to pick out quite a bit of dialogue considering I am at a beginner level as of this viewing. The Bird People in China is a modern story with modern dialogue between the Japanese characters, even if they are in an “ancient” place. The relaxed pace of the film may also facilitate listening by providing a little time to absorb what you are hearing.
Final Notes
This could be a good film for introducing a “non-enthusiast” to Japanese cinema. It really is more about nature and a charming mystery than it is about the intricacies of Japanese culture. This movie might also be a great recommendation for someone studying Japanese, a general travel enthusiast, or an ecologically minded person.
Savage Japan Movie Reviews
Dan Savage [email]
Entertainment Value:
ExcellentListening Practice: Very Good
The Bird People in China proves that not all of China
has been irreversibly polluted (yet).
Everything I read about The Bird People in China always started out by explaining this was not an unpleasantly violent film like most of Japanese director Takashi Miike’s work. Many who have seen this movie seem intent on letting potential viewers know it is not a typical and perversely gory Miike film.
The Bird People in China sounded like it might be the one Takashi Miike movie suited to my sensibilities. I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did.
A meditative winged ritual provides an interesting
visual in The Bird People in China.
The Bird People in China starts out as a road trip movie that begins in Japan and results with the discovery and exploration of a hidden Eden within China. A businessman and yakuza henchman are paired together on a trip they both would rather not take as the story begins. A mystery is encountered in the very idyllic, isolated community they discover. As you might imagine, the mystery revolves around… bird people. The details of that mystery are definitely best left to be discovered through viewing the film.
Former Japanese pop singer Masahiro Motoki, in the role
of Wada, about to depart for an unexpected and very unusual adventure.
And for the podcast enthusiasts out there, the main lead in this movie documents his experiences with a portable cassette recorder, similarly to how a soundseeing podcast episode might be recorded. One of the recordings becomes important to the development of the story, though the film definitely takes liberties with the potential self-rejuvenation properties of dying batteries.
I have spent quite a bit of time in China for a variety of reasons, but the filth and pollution in the cities there has discouraged me from being eager to return for pleasure trips. Unlike Japan where I could live happily for the rest of my life, China for me is only a place for visiting, preferably for no more than a few weeks at a time maximum. Watching The Bird People in China helped remind me that I may still want to risk visiting China a time or two more to experience some of the beautiful remote areas I have not yet seen.
I really enjoyed this curious film. It may be too slow paced for film enthusiasts who thrive on movies such as those Miike is more famous for, but I think the pacing here provides more time to enjoy and appreciate the beautiful scenery and unusual story.
The commentary track from English speaker Tom Mes, who is apparently a big fan of Takashi Miike’s horror/terror films, reinforces a point I just touched on in the Rashomon review, that recording a compelling commentary track is difficult when the person doing it was not involved in the production of the film being discussed.
It is nice that an effort was made to find someone to add commentary in English. Tom Mes seems like a pleasant enough fellow in this commentary recording, but you would likely need to be an obsessive commentary listener like me to make it all the way through The Bird People in China’s commentary track.
A more interesting tidbit to look for on the DVD is the computer generated turtle brigade that pulls a raft through a very wild river. The whole notion of the turtles serving in this fashion and how they could possibly be recovered when lost is absolutely ludicrous, but it doesn’t really disturb the movie. The entire turtle scenario somehow seems acceptable in this little fable, though it is a bit startling when those CGI turtles show up in the brief underwater scene. I am sure I’m not the only person who skips back a bit with their remote to re-watch that completely unexpected short visual.
For Japanese Language Students
I found the Japanese very listenable in this movie, and I was able to pick out quite a bit of dialogue considering I am at a beginner level as of this viewing. The Bird People in China is a modern story with modern dialogue between the Japanese characters, even if they are in an “ancient” place. The relaxed pace of the film may also facilitate listening by providing a little time to absorb what you are hearing.
Final Notes
This could be a good film for introducing a “non-enthusiast” to Japanese cinema. It really is more about nature and a charming mystery than it is about the intricacies of Japanese culture. This movie might also be a great recommendation for someone studying Japanese, a general travel enthusiast, or an ecologically minded person.
Savage Japan Movie Reviews
Dan Savage [email]
The Bird People in China
Entertainment Value:
ExcellentListening Practice: Very Good
The Bird People in China is available from
Netflix.
As I get this review site underway and jump back into Kurosawa planning to
re-watch many of the Akira Kurosawa films in my library for review purposes, I
decided to start out the Kurosawa directory with Rashomon,
something completely fresh and new to me and one of Akira Kurosawa’s most famous
films. Though I have owned the movie for some time, this Rashomon review comes
after my very first viewing.
I can understand how Rashomon was ground breaking for its
time, but a film made in 1950 no matter how good then is going to be a bit
primitive in many ways. You must be prepared for that and be willing to be
patient with some aspects of the production. However, the direction of Kurosawa
and the camera work of Kazuo Miyagawa is still interesting in many scenes.
Some of your patience will be needed simply because this film was made for a specific time and specific viewing audience who were comfortable with many elements and behaviors presented in the story. The overacting, stereotypical characters, and general presentation are likely suited to the expectations of a 1950’s Japanese audience.
Though the story does rely on dialogue, Rashomon plays a lot like a silent movie, and Kurosawa has indicated this was his intent. The interesting outdoor testimony scenes provide nice separators for the multiple presentations of the crimes. I kept imagining the actors were in a corner of the famous Ryoanji rock garden in Kyoto (minus the bigger rocks) during the scenes where each character is attempting to tell the story in a way that presents themselves in a more favorable light.
The music in Rashomon is often heavy handed and an obtrusive and displeasing element, especially the odd bastardized version of Ravel’s Bolero that jarringly pops up in the film. But it does sort of lend a silent movie effect, as if someone was down in the orchestra pit banging away on an old dilapidated piano. The music is not piano music and perhaps not quite as crude as I am portraying, but it often seemed to have a life of its own, as if it was separate from the movie in many places.
There are no really admirable or genuinely sympathetic lead characters in Rashomon, so it is a bit of a mental ordeal to watch this intentionally unpleasant story shared over and over again in its different incarnations.
Toshiro Mifune is fascinating as always, though the over-the-top psychotic
laughter from him and Machiko Kyo late in the film is very annoying. The
laughter served its purpose of forcing the point that these characters are not
intended to be worthy of the audience’s compassion, but it is far too excessive
and doesn’t play well today.
There are a lot of issues to consider in the presentation of Rashomon, and it is at the very least a thought provoking film. It is a film that does not wrap things up with definitive answers to the questions posed. It leaves the viewer to ponder and consider our sometimes tenuous perception of truth and reality.
If this review at first sounds like I was not very fond of Rashomon, I should clarify that I did not strongly dislike the film. I learned some things from studying Rashomon. Perhaps much of what I learned was revealed in the DVD bonus features, especially the subtitled interviews from part of the NHK documentary The World of Kazuo Miyagawa with Kurosawa and cinematographer Miyagawa. I watched the NHK supplied material before viewing Rashomon. I think it was valuable and though I wouldn’t normally recommend this, I do suggest watching the bonus features first with Rashomon. It gave me a few good things to look for and made the viewing of this “out of time” movie less tedious.
If you enjoy studying movies and are interested in significant films that are credited with changing the face of cinema around the world, then you may very much enjoy and appreciate this classic film. If you are looking for a fun and easy to watch Japanese movie, you might want to pass on Rashomon.
Extras
After writing this review, I also forced myself to sit through the commentary by Donald Richie, an author of several books on Japanese film. Though I listen to almost every single commentary provided with every single film I view at home, I say “forced” in this case because I’m always hesitant to sit through commentaries recorded by people who had absolutely nothing to do with the production of the film being discussed.
In fairness to Mr. Richie, he was not a pointless babbler, and I definitely learned some things from listening to his comments. Though I was hesitant at the beginning of the commentary, I do not regret taking the time to watch Rashomon a second time with Mr. Richie‘s accompaniment. My appreciation for the film was certainly increased and if you add this title to your library, I would say the commentary is definitely worthwhile for your second viewing of the film.
Donald Richie, though obviously a fan of Kurosawa’s work, suggested quite directly in his commentary that Kurosawa had no real talent for music direction in his films, and that the composer was not at fault for the inappropriate soundtrack. He blames Kurosawa, sharing a story of how Kurosawa directed the composer to come up with something Bolero-esque. That was interesting to me, especially after my own reaction to the weird music composition during my first viewing.
For Japanese Language Students
As far as listening comprehension practice goes, there are many heated exchanges consisting of dialogue delivered at a very high rate of speed. I do not think this is a good choice for beginner Japanese students trying to pick out lines by ear.
Savage Japan Movie Reviews
Dan Savage [email]
Entertainment Value: ModerateListening
Practice: PoorFilm Study Opportunity:
Excellent
- Machiko Kyo, in the role of Masako, gives her disturbing account of the incident. The odd smudges on her forehead are meant to represent eyebrows. It was the fashion during the Heian period for ladies of the court to remove their natural eyebrows and replace them with soot marks higher up called “moth wings”.
Some of your patience will be needed simply because this film was made for a specific time and specific viewing audience who were comfortable with many elements and behaviors presented in the story. The overacting, stereotypical characters, and general presentation are likely suited to the expectations of a 1950’s Japanese audience.
Though the story does rely on dialogue, Rashomon plays a lot like a silent movie, and Kurosawa has indicated this was his intent. The interesting outdoor testimony scenes provide nice separators for the multiple presentations of the crimes. I kept imagining the actors were in a corner of the famous Ryoanji rock garden in Kyoto (minus the bigger rocks) during the scenes where each character is attempting to tell the story in a way that presents themselves in a more favorable light.
The music in Rashomon is often heavy handed and an obtrusive and displeasing element, especially the odd bastardized version of Ravel’s Bolero that jarringly pops up in the film. But it does sort of lend a silent movie effect, as if someone was down in the orchestra pit banging away on an old dilapidated piano. The music is not piano music and perhaps not quite as crude as I am portraying, but it often seemed to have a life of its own, as if it was separate from the movie in many places.
There are no really admirable or genuinely sympathetic lead characters in Rashomon, so it is a bit of a mental ordeal to watch this intentionally unpleasant story shared over and over again in its different incarnations.
Toshiro Mifune's bandit is portrayed almost as a hero
in this version of the story.
There are a lot of issues to consider in the presentation of Rashomon, and it is at the very least a thought provoking film. It is a film that does not wrap things up with definitive answers to the questions posed. It leaves the viewer to ponder and consider our sometimes tenuous perception of truth and reality.
If this review at first sounds like I was not very fond of Rashomon, I should clarify that I did not strongly dislike the film. I learned some things from studying Rashomon. Perhaps much of what I learned was revealed in the DVD bonus features, especially the subtitled interviews from part of the NHK documentary The World of Kazuo Miyagawa with Kurosawa and cinematographer Miyagawa. I watched the NHK supplied material before viewing Rashomon. I think it was valuable and though I wouldn’t normally recommend this, I do suggest watching the bonus features first with Rashomon. It gave me a few good things to look for and made the viewing of this “out of time” movie less tedious.
If you enjoy studying movies and are interested in significant films that are credited with changing the face of cinema around the world, then you may very much enjoy and appreciate this classic film. If you are looking for a fun and easy to watch Japanese movie, you might want to pass on Rashomon.
Extras
After writing this review, I also forced myself to sit through the commentary by Donald Richie, an author of several books on Japanese film. Though I listen to almost every single commentary provided with every single film I view at home, I say “forced” in this case because I’m always hesitant to sit through commentaries recorded by people who had absolutely nothing to do with the production of the film being discussed.
In fairness to Mr. Richie, he was not a pointless babbler, and I definitely learned some things from listening to his comments. Though I was hesitant at the beginning of the commentary, I do not regret taking the time to watch Rashomon a second time with Mr. Richie‘s accompaniment. My appreciation for the film was certainly increased and if you add this title to your library, I would say the commentary is definitely worthwhile for your second viewing of the film.
Donald Richie, though obviously a fan of Kurosawa’s work, suggested quite directly in his commentary that Kurosawa had no real talent for music direction in his films, and that the composer was not at fault for the inappropriate soundtrack. He blames Kurosawa, sharing a story of how Kurosawa directed the composer to come up with something Bolero-esque. That was interesting to me, especially after my own reaction to the weird music composition during my first viewing.
For Japanese Language Students
As far as listening comprehension practice goes, there are many heated exchanges consisting of dialogue delivered at a very high rate of speed. I do not think this is a good choice for beginner Japanese students trying to pick out lines by ear.
Savage Japan Movie Reviews
Dan Savage [email]
Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon
Entertainment Value: ModerateListening
Practice: PoorFilm Study Opportunity:
Excellent
Rashomon is available from Netflix.
With the databases of most of my sites being corrupted by my previous hosting
provider during one of their server upgrades, I’ve now moved on to hopefully
greener hosting pastures.
This formerly HTML site was not one of the websites destroyed by my previous provider, but I’ve decided to take this hosting change as a cue to relaunch Savage Japan Movie Reviews as a WordPress based site that will make it much easier to manage and make it possible to add new reviews without manually assembling HTML code.
I’ll be restoring the original reviews as I tweak this new WordPress version of the site, and then I’ll start adding new reviews every week or so.
Interestingly, it took me almost as long to build the page for a review as it did to write a review with the original version of Savage Japan Movie Reviews. Using WordPress should make this a much more fun undertaking for me and result in a more satisfying, frequently updated destination for those who stop by from time to time.
If you want to play with the tool I use to make custom templates for WordPress, you can download a free demo of the easy to use Artisteer using the banner link below.
Artisteer runs on Macs and PCs and can export templates in other formats as well, but WordPress is the most user friendly, versatile platform for blogs and other websites. Most hosting providers now allow you to automatically install WordPress in your hosting account for free with a few button clicks.
This formerly HTML site was not one of the websites destroyed by my previous provider, but I’ve decided to take this hosting change as a cue to relaunch Savage Japan Movie Reviews as a WordPress based site that will make it much easier to manage and make it possible to add new reviews without manually assembling HTML code.
I’ll be restoring the original reviews as I tweak this new WordPress version of the site, and then I’ll start adding new reviews every week or so.
Interestingly, it took me almost as long to build the page for a review as it did to write a review with the original version of Savage Japan Movie Reviews. Using WordPress should make this a much more fun undertaking for me and result in a more satisfying, frequently updated destination for those who stop by from time to time.
If you want to play with the tool I use to make custom templates for WordPress, you can download a free demo of the easy to use Artisteer using the banner link below.
Artisteer runs on Macs and PCs and can export templates in other formats as well, but WordPress is the most user friendly, versatile platform for blogs and other websites. Most hosting providers now allow you to automatically install WordPress in your hosting account for free with a few button clicks.
This website was created using Artisteer
(Mac and PC).
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