PG13 and worth getting approvals, this Martin Scorsese film tells the true story of Tibet's Dalai Lama and the invasion and occupation of Tibet by Mao's forces in 1950 and the subsequent escape of His Holiness into India. The young Dalai Lama is shown in his early life in the Potala Palace in Llasa with his tutors and his strong interest in science and geography. As he turns 15, he is faced with assuming the political leadership of his country at the time the Chinese Communists invade Tibet under the guise of "liberating" it. For several years, he tries to accommodate the demands of the Chinese who are sent in to "modernize" his country. Finally, after a 1955 meeting in Beijing with Mao, he is told that "religion is poison" and he understands that Buddhism is under direct attack. He escapes over the Himalayan passes into India and establishes a Tibetan exile community at Dharmasala in the Himalayan foothills. No country would come to Tibet's aid against the Chinese aggressors. The landscapes are very true to life and there are some extraordinarily well done scenes, especially the fish pond-to-monks sequence. Disney, under direct political pressure from China, cut back on the release of this film when it came out so it was not in theaters very long, and then, not very many. I snagged a copy of it in a video store and show it every year. Most of the students show good interest in it. There are some bloody scenes so parent signatures would apply. Tibet is in the southwest part of China and represents approximately 1/4 of the area of the entire country. All modern maps show it now to be part of China, although there is a continuing effort to "Free Tibet." The Dalai Lama has never been allowed to return, but his exile has led to the spread of Buddhism throughout the West fulfilling the prophesy of eighth century master Padmasambhava that "Buddhism will go to the land of the red men when the iron bird flies." The book most closely associated with this film is "Freedom In Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama", ISBN 0-06-039166-2, 1990, HarperCollins publishers. [Edit by="lsutton on Sep 11, 2:47:16 PM"][/Edit]
This movie is based on a partially autobiographical book by Akiyuki Nosaka who lost his little sister during the war to malnutirtion.
"Alternately known as Tombstone for Fireflies, Grave is a very somber film about the struggle of two children to survive during World War II. Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves when their mother passes away from severe burns inflicted by the American fire-bombing of their town. Their father is serving in the Japanese navy, but the children have not heard from him in a long time, so Seita and Setsuko try staying with a distant relative. However, Seita doesn't get along well with this relative and decides to leave, taking Setsuko with him, to live on their own." http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/grave/
I watched this movie in my high school Japanese class and again tonight. The first time it was in Japanese with English subtitles and tonight it was dubbed over in English. I prefer the movie in Japanese. Japanese anime in English isn't the same. However, if you were to show it to your students, it might be easier for them to concentrate on the story more if they didn't have to worry about keeping up with the subtitles.
The movie is set during World War II but doesn't make too many specific references to it. The movie focuses more on how the war changes the lives of Seita and Setsuko. Not only do we see how war destroys physical places (homes, buildings, whole cities) but how it destroys the lives of the people living in these places. People are injured during the bombing, they loose their homes, their families, their valuables, they don't have enough food and water to survive, they depend on rations from the government and they live in fear.
Grave of the Fireflies is a very emotional movie and probably isn't for everyone. However, with the proper introduction, I would show it to my class. Because the moive is in anime, it may come across as less threatening to students but I feel it still carries a strong message.
With the war going on in Iraq, this might be a good way to get students to think about how the lives of the Iragis are changing and the daily struggles they may be going through.
Movies like this give you a little different perspective on life. [Edit by="jchan on Oct 12, 8:33:37 PM"][/Edit]
LAUSD policy is that all rated R movies must be reviewed and approved by the principal. There is a form to use regarding the use of rated R movies that requires the principal's signature and parent/guardian signature. Parent's must sign the form to allow their child to view the film. No signature--an alternate assignment must be given. Your administrator will have this form. The form also requires information such as: date the movie will be viewed, purpose of showing the film, and state standards that it addresses.
As I also recall, PG-13 movies also need the principal's approval, but does not require a signature.
I watched the film several years ago, and what particularly struck me was the irony of the film. If Fugui had not gambled away the house, he would have been executed instead of the creditor who claimed his home. Fugui's best friend accidently kills his only son. The regime imprisoned the educated, so the hospital does not have any doctors. Fugui's daughter dies because of the lack of medical care. The doctor they retrieve from prison is so hungary his eats two buns and faints because he is malnurished. Consequently, the daughter dies, but her newborn son lives--and is named two buns.
I agree that this film portrays the changes in society due to the communist regime beautifully. There is a scene that shows the communal eating order--where the children eat with other children, the parents with parents, and etc. The family has changed. The film addresses the changes in society brought on by the communist regime in a subtle way. I think this film was banned in China--it that true?
It is an excellent film to show at the high school level.
It is an excellent film to show in a Health Classroom at a High School Level. In this movie, Jia Hongsheng is a chinese movie star in the late 1980's. He had his first encounter with drugs while acting on the set of Kiss of the Spider Woman. He experiments with heroin and a drug induced schizophrenia takes over his life. He stopped working and his sister and parents take care of all his needs. This story is about Jia's journey to recovery. I think this film is a great example of Confuciu's ideas of filial piety. Viva Confucius![Edit by="adelgado on Nov 13, 2:15:59 PM"][/Edit]
“House of Flying Daggers,” is a film distributed by Sony and Elite Enterprises. This is a love story wrapped up inside an action film. The story takes place in 859A.D. during the Tang Dynasty. Although once considered enlightened, it is now in decline and considered corrupt. A rebel group called, “The House of Flying Daggers.” Is a secret organization that has the support of the people. Posing a constant threat the deputies felt they had overcome HFD group by killing it’s leader. But somehow a new, stronger leader has emerged and the group is even more powerful. A deputy, Captain Leo, sends Captain Jin to the Peony Pavillion, a brothel, to find a member of HFD that is working there as a dancer. Mei (Ziyi Zhang) is utterly one the most beautiful actresses ever to appear on the screen. She dances for him and finishes with a dance called, “The Echo Game.” It is in this dance that she reveals her martial skills. A battle ensues, Leo triumphs and arrests Mei. From that point a convoluted love story evolves, filmed with great beauty andsensitivity. It is very much in the same genre as “Kill Bill,” and “Laura Croft”.
It is directed by Zhang Yimou who was the co-writer and producer also. He was born in China in 1950udied film making at the Bejing Academy. He took on a major role in China’s Fifth Generation Filmmakers, the first group to graduate following the turbulent cultural revolution. Although he has been recognized with awards throughout the world, he is most known throughout the United States for his past recognition, his Academy Award Nominations in Best Foreign Language Film for “Raise the Red Lantern,” in 1990 and “Hero,” in 2002.
Da Ming is a succesful businessman from Shentchen and goes home to attend his father's funeral. He thinks his father has died because his younger brother, Er Ming, sent him a postcard with a drawing that looks like his father is dead. Er Ming is mentally-handicapped and helps his father take care of the family business. The business is a Japanese bathhouse were the costumers meet daily. The relationship between the men are very stong and they help each other in every aspect of life. Da defies his responsibilities as the older brother and wrestles with old traditions and his new values in a modern technological business world. He faces a terminally illed father, a custody of a mentally handicapped brother and telling his wife the truth about his family. This film is another example of Confuciu's ideas of filial piety. It is very moving! Make sure you have an extra large box of tissue next to you.
Too Late to Apologize (1995) Too Late to Apologize is a Chinese movie about an old veteran (Shen) of the People's Liberation Army who opens up a bookstore in a small rural community in China. He opens up the bookstore to foment education and knowledge in the small town. Some in the town do not want him to succeed and try to undermine his business.
One man wants to purchase the home of the old veteran (Shen) to set up a business. The old veteran (Shen) refuses to sell because he wants to open a bookstore. The man decides to enlist the aid of his son and his friends in sabotaging the old man’s bookstore. He inspires his son into pestering and harrassing the old man. When the son fails, the father teases the son and puts him down. It was odd to see that the father was being corrupt and corrupting his son. It goes against some of the Confucian thought that we have discussed in our sessions.
It was also odd to see this man being competitive and wanting to destroy another business for his own financial growth. It seemed out of place in a country where the economic system is communism (with a twist) and not capitalism. If the movie was made in the United States, it would seem perfectly normal for one person to try to ruin someone else's business to establish one of their own.
What struck me as important was that all the families only had one child, most of them being sons. All of these children were very mischevious and one was very spoiled. None of them respected the old man in the beginning. I had heard that China’s one child policy has affected the morals and values of the new generation of children, some growing up to be bratty and even disrespectful to parents and elders. Such loss of morals and values by youth were very obvious in the film.
The girls in the movie seemed to be more interested in education and proper behavior than the young boys. I wonder if this is true. Are girls in rural or urban China more interested and eager in excelling at academics?
I really enjoyed this movie (my wife did too). I won't kill the ending for you, because people usually get like this :@ when someone ruins a movie for them. However, the movie made me ask a lot of questions such as: 1. Are kids in China really becoming less obedient, disrespectful and less proper because of the one child policy? 2. Is the the easing of restrictions by the government on China's economic system increasing greed and ambition in people or is the competitiveness part of Chinese culture? 3. Have females always had more interest in education, literature and proper behavior in China or is it something that is more prevalent today? Have any studies been done to analyze this? 4. How different are things in rural and urban China?
The Sea is Watching was a script written by the late Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. O-Shin is a geisha and one day a samurai named Fusanosuke appears in her town on the run after having killed a man. She assists him by giving him shelter and cutting his hair. The two fall in love, despite the objections from O-Shin's friend Kikuno. Eventually Fusanosuke leaves, only to return one day and reveal that he is engaged and that it would shame him and his family to marry a prostitute. The second half of the film involves O-Shin again falling in love with a fallen samurai, this one named Ryosuke.
This scrpit was written by the great director, Kurosawa, though I don't know how many drafts of the script were done, the story needs a little work. The story at times takes on a soap opera feel, this slows the pace down a great deal. There is huge potential here given the subject matter and various themes. But the characters are never really given their full due. The movie tries to answer the following questions. Who is truely loveable and un-loveable? Can someone start over no matter how bad their past? The themes are never fully explored in the film, as a result the film comes off slight. Nothing that resembles the work of the great master, Kurosawa. The saving grace is the last scene when a typhon comes and destroys the brothel and the town. O-Shin is left on the roof waiting for her lover to show, of course he does, and takes her away. The water representing the washing away of ones sins and a new beginning. This is classic Kurosawa. The film was okay, not great. I wonder how Kurosawa would have changed the script and directed the film if he were still alive.
Spirited Away was the first Japanese animated movie I had ever seen. I was familiar with short animated programs: as a teenager I was addicted to the Robotech series. It was the first cartoon in which I saw people die and deal with emotional crises. Spirited Away is a beautiful animated movie depicting the growth of a young girl who matures from a withdrawn child to a strong and independent character. Chihiro has to undergo a series of hardships to free her parents. The movie carries with it a message of love, endurance, and patience, and it is these qualities tht enable Chihiro to fulfill her goal of rescuing her parents and returning to the human world.
I found this movie similar to a fairy tale in that the character had to fulfil a number of requirements to meet her goal. What made this movie different from the Disney fairy tale is that the main character undergoes a significant change, and the movie carries a significant message or moral to the tale. The main character must exhibit the positive qualitites of love, endurance, patience and loyalty to complete her mission. It is evident in Spirited Awayy that if Chihiro did not exhibit these qualities that she would still be toiling away in the Spirit World. Her love for Haku inspired the Boiler Man to give her the train tickets. Her lack of greed prevented the No-Face Spirit from hurting her. Chihiro's love for her parents enable her to pass the last test of picking her parents out from a group of pigs. The Disney heroine does not change significantly in the fairy tale. The audience expects the heroine to be rewarded in the end only because she is a virtuous characrer and not rewarded from any specific action taken in the movie. The beginning of the movie establishes the character as being good, and American audiences do expect a happy ending. For example, in Cinderella it is established in the beginning of the movie that she is a hardworking, good character through the portrayal of her relationship with the animals. She does not undergo any change, nor must she undergo a series of tests or hardships. It is expected that she be rewarded in the end of the movie, not as a result of a direct action she took during the course of the story, but merely because she is a good person.
I was struck by the complexity of the story in Spirited Away. The director Miyazaki, created a world within a world--an alternate universe. Susan Napier's article "Magical Girls and Fantasy World," states that, "Although Miyazaki's worlds are indeed 'independent,' their care ful mixture of realism and fantastic details makes them able to exist comfortably inside a larger realm that could legitimately include our own universe as well..." (122). I watched the extra features that included a documentary on the making of Spirited Away. Miyazaki drew upon his own experiences, relationships with people, and memories of familiar places to create texture within the movie. For example, he based the character of Chihiro on his friend's daughter. The character of the mother was based upon a producer who works for him,. It was even pointed out that her posture while eating was emulated in the film. The setting of the magical town was based upon a real town that he was fond of, and had visited several times. The animated of the dragon was based upon his experiences with dogs. In fact, a humorous point in the documentary was when the director asked his staff if they had any childhood experiences with dogs and could relate to what he was telling them. His entire staff had no dealing with dogs, to which he replied that, this situation "was pathetic." His staff had to visit a veterinary hospital to learn how to animate the dragon based upon the expressions and actions of dogs.
It was interesting to read in "Anime and Local/Global Identity" that women are portrayed opposite to their status in Japanese society, According to Napier "Because Japanese women are still relatively disempowered, the overturning of the stereotype of feminine submissiveness may create a particularly festive resonance. I the animated space, female characters seem to glorify in manifestations of power still denied them in the real world" (31).
I have already discussed the power of the main character Chihiro. The characters in charge of this magical world are female. Yubaba and her sister Zeniba exert control over every magical creature, which exists in the magical realm. Yubaba is in charge of the bathhouse and controls the workers through contracts and the power of capturing and retaining their names and identities. It is Yubaba that Chihiro must overcome, not a powerful male figure.
I truly enjoyed this movie, for the beautiful animation and the positive messages that are reinforced throughout. Also, as a side note: it was interesting to watch the documentary. Unlike American cinema, it seems that Japapnese cinema cannot push back the date of the release. The animation studio had to work at a feverish rate to meet the deadline. I couldn't help thinking that in America the deadline would have been pushed back. [Edit by="hpenrod on Dec 9, 8:36:42 AM"][/Edit] [Edit by="hpenrod on Dec 9, 8:39:18 AM"][/Edit] [Edit by="hpenrod on Dec 9, 8:44:31 AM"][/Edit] [Edit by="hpenrod on Dec 9, 9:00:09 AM"][/Edit]
Comparing the Coming of Age Journeys of Chihiro in Spirited Away and Telemachus in The Odyssey
It may come of no surprise to most of you that I am yet again drawing a reference to Homer’s The Odyssey. It is a text that I picked up solely because I was going to teach it, and determined to find a way to get my students excited about it, found myself falling in love with its tales of adventure, adversity, and morality. I had to love it before I could teach it, but I found that even that was not enough. I had to find a way to make my kids relate to it, to connect it to their lives. And therefore, because I have researched it so thoroughly, and because I have spent so many hours finding ways in which it connected to today’s youth, it is only second nature for me to relate what I experience to it.
My favorite lesson with The Odyssey deals with the first four books. In the first four books, Athena finds Telemachus hopeless and depressed with the current suitor situation at his father’s palace. He cannot stand up to them as his father would have, and because he lacks the strength and courage to get rid of them, they are eating he and his mother out of house and home, while destroying this home in the process. You see, Odysseus was a great and powerful man, quick of wit and swift in battle. As far as Telemachus has heard, there wasn’t anything that Odysseus couldn’t do. And shoes like that are pretty hard to fill, especially for a young boy who is all alone.
But, with Athena’s help, Telemachus sets off in search of his father, knowing that if he can find him and bring him home alive, then there might be a chance to finally save his mother from a forced marriage and be rid of the suitors. What Telemachus finds on his journey is not his father, but himself. He gains courage and strength in character. And most importantly, he gains the respect of those he encounters along his way. It is this journey that allows Telemachus to pass his father’s test and help fight off the suitors.
Just as Athena helps Telemachus on his journey, Haku helps Chihiro on her journey. When the film begins, Chihiro is lost and incapable of helping her family return home. She too lacks courage and belief in herself. But step by step she finds the strength inside her to do what she must in order to save her family and her home. And just as Telemachus gains the respect of those around him, so too does Chihiro gain the respect of everyone she encounters.
Clearly there are parallels between the two stories that would easily allow for the inclusion of Spirited Away in a unit on The Odyssey. What might also be fun would be to look at the cultural uses of mythology and fantasy. There may be similarities in how the Greeks understood Gods and how the Japanese understand spirits.
I think students would really have some fun with these two stories and exploring the transformations each character makes. They also could get out a lot of good writing in the process.
In Hong Kong’s 2002 Academy Award Submission, Fulltime Killer written by Wai Ka Fai and Joey O’Brien and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai, Andy Lau plays China’s almost-first-time-gold-medal-winner-in-target-shooting-turned-professional-killer Tok who is out to avenge his failed medal attempt by killing China’s number one assassin, O, played by Takashi Sorimachi. Following the two criminals are investigators Lee and Gigi, played by Simon Yam and Cherrie Ying. While O, or Ono, is a quiet killer who prefers to do his business in stealth, Tok is flamboyant, choosing antics and circus act moves to get attention. Tying the two together is house cleaner Chin, played by Kelly Li. Chin, who takes care of O’s flat, becomes romantically involved with Tok after he regularly visits the Japanese video store where she works. On each visit Tok wears a different mask of an American president. Finally he asks her out to the movies and she accepts. When he tells her he is a professional killer she does not believe him, until finally after saying he needs to kill some people, he leaves the café where they are having drinks and his return is marked by a scream of police cars and ambulances. She is intrigued, if not excited by his line of work and it is then that we discover that Chin knows that O is a professional killer as well, for she has been tracking his work since she was hired two years previous.
Both assassins are both haunted and driven by episodes of the past. O by the death of his previous house cleaner, Nancy, who we later learn also happened to be Chin’s best friend, and Tok by his failed attempt at the gold medal. O could not reach Nancy in time to save her from the men who barged into his apartment looking to gun him down. Tok could not hit the target on his last round at the Olympics, collapsing just like his brother had years earlier. Both of these nightmares will play a roll in the two assassins attempts to remain alive and on top.
Battling for the last Snoopy in the collection, Hong Kong Snoopy, O and Tok enter a warehouse set to simulate the popular video game, Metal Slug, which the two know by heart. After the search for weapons and gear, the two battle through exploding fireworks for the girl, the gold and the title, #1 Killer.
Who wins? How will the story end? That is what once-detective-now-crazed writer Lee hopes to uncover as he holds a final interview with Chin. It was his fate to tell the story of China’s two most brilliant assassins, and it had to have an ending. As Chin’s car pulls away Lee starts to wonder. “How much of what she said was the truth and how much was fiction?”
But, “does it matter? [Everyone got what they wanted: Tok his fame, Chin her love, and O his peace.] Who [was he] to argue with them?” The story just needed an ending, right?
Brilliantly executed, Fulltime Killer fulfills your thirst for action while pulling at your heartstrings. Piece by piece the plot comes together as you’re taken through the journey of one man’s search for fame, one man’s search for peace and one woman’s search for love and adventure.
Filmed in Cantonese with English subtitles, Fulltime Killer demands your attention. Shots of subway stations and crowded streets, small shops, libraries, coffee shops and apartment buildings help make Hong Kong come to life for foreign viewers. The city remains free from the filming that could have made it exotic, and instead exists as a relatable backdrop for an exciting film.
For many, the success of a film depends largely on its ability to take the viewer to a place, show them the intricate details of that place and yet leave the subject of place open enough that almost anyone could have been there before or could go there in the future. It is an effort to create a film that is timeless and perhaps placeless in its simplicity. This is not to discount the effect of place on the film, but rather to emphasize that the exquisite simplicity by which it is delivered allows the film to be more accessible, and therefore more successful. Add to this a combination of action and popular themes, those of competition, honor and love, and you have a successful movie. Thus Fulltime Killer to a T.
I would show this movie to my World History class--when teaching WWII. It gives another perspective to the War--different from an American perspective.
You are correct, one would have to preface this movie because of the heavy topics involved--it is a very serious movie regardless of the fact it is anime.
Asian films has been popularized these days and I want to make couple of points of interest as we teach them. Not only does it have content that is specific in what we teach but also it carries aesthetic beauty throughout the film but also drama that is not so 'American.' Many of the films ends tragically. Not all films leave us feeling good at the end. One recent film was the House of Flying Daggers. As I was leaving the theatre, I heard a couple complaing about how it didn't end in the way they anticipated or another group of guys complaining about how it was love story rather than a simple display of martial art. Mainstream asian film has brought many areas we need to also highlight to our students about asia - culturally. Here are some observations:
1. That life doesn't always end happily. In life there are tragedies and suffering, that is what makes us so human. 2. Asian films is not only about the story line (plot, climax, etc...) it incorporates the beauty of nature and it dictates the mood of the characters and scenes. Many of the scenes are breath-taking and beautiful. 3. The cinemotography of the film. The differences between "American" perspective to "Asian" perspective. 4. The muscial score is unlike any instruments we heard.
I will show some film to my students that pertain to the content area I teach but will also point out the wonderful aesthetic beauty of the cinemotography of the film as it graceful and elegant. Asian films are great ways to show artistic qualities of color, contrast and character's mood. What do you think?
Hopefully I don't get any flak over this movie review. I am reviewing the old "Drunken Master" (I think it's from 1979 or 1980. While this is a Jackie Chan kung-fu comedy, it is interesting that a lot of things discussed in our sessions, were present in the movie. On Saturday the 15th for example, one of the lecturers (Prof. Pietlka I believe) mentioned how in some Asian movies there was an older woman who was powerful or did whatever she wanted. This is true in Drunken Master. In one scene of the movie, the protagonist, Freddy Wong (played by Jackie Chan), decides to go and flirt with a girl in the market. He goes on to try to hug and kiss her against her will. The girl is shocked, but all she does is whine. Moments later, her mother steps in. She confronts Freddy, Freddy calls her an indecent name. The mother of the girl goes on to whoop Freddy with some fine kung-fu moves. Onlookers begin to comment "Oh man the old *@&^$ is tough!" Later on this same character is one who gives wise advice to Freddy's father who is just about to kill his sexual predator son Freddy for the market incident. Freddy's father was about to beat him to death, but the woman interceded (very kindly and not in the form of a challenge) and helped spare Freddy's life. There is also a lot of Confucian influence in the way that characters roles develop in the movie. In one scene, Freddy runs away from home because his father sent him to train with a hard core kung-fu teacher. He runs across an assasin's hideout. The assasin tells Freddy to split, Freddy refuses, a fight breaks out. Freddy gets his butt kicked (bad). To make matters worse, the assasin tells Freddy that the kung-fu his father taught him was lousy (not in those words) and that perhaps he (Freddy) out to call him (the assasin) father. This drives Freddy off the wall. Because his father had been insulted, he continues to fight even though he had gotten beat bad by the assassin. I have never seen something like this happen in any Latin American, European or American movie. The closest I have seen to this was the infamous "What'd you say about my Momma?!" scene in Menace II Society. Anyway, if you absolutely hate kung-fu movies or Jackie Chan, then avoid this movie. However, if you can tolerate both or like both and want to laugh hysterically, this is by far one of the funniest movies I have seen. I let my mom borrow it and she was laughing so loud even though she watched the Mandarin version (the DVD only has English, Mandarin and something else- no Spanish- she figured she couldn't understand the English anyway, so Mandarin was good enough for her). If you watch it and you hate it, you can blame my easy amusement on my genes. Last thing, they actually cuss in this movie so be warned.
Chunhyang is a great film directed by Im Kwon Taek. It is Im Kwon Taek's 97th film and he is a very popular director in Korea who have won almost every possible film awards in that region not to mention numerous other international film festival awards/recognitions.
Chunhyang is a beautiful folktale of love, loyalty and trust. The story takes place in 18th century Korea. Upon watching the first few minutes you might wonder what is going on. There is a gentlemen singing to the a modern audience with his partner playing the Korean drum. The story then unfolds in a opera style (pansori) to tell the tale of Chunhyang. Chunhyang is a beautiful daughter of a courtesan mistress. The Governor's son, Mongryong, of Namwon is studying and waiting for his invitation to Seoul to become a royal official. As he is studying, he finds the stunning Chunhyang to be witty and beautiful. The son is torn between following in the footsteps of his father or to follow his heart. Eventually, they are secretly married and must remain secret until he has passed the exam and proved himself as a royal official. As he is away from his secret bride, Chunhyang is called to be the new Governor's courtesan, but she refuses because of her love Mongryong. Refusing the Governor's wishes is punishable by death. As she is going through tremendous pain and agony, she remains steadfast of her love, Mongryong who is nowhere to be found.
Im Kwon Taek infuses the beautiful sounds of Pansori, one Korean singer (soriggun) and percussion (drum) instrumentalist (gosu).
One ways this film can be used in the classroom aside from reading the story of Chunhyang is learning Pansori and the process in state examination.
Information: Chunhyang Director: Im Kwon Taek Actors: Lee Hyo-Jung, Cho Seung Woo, Kim Sung Nyu
I agree with Catherine and others who have watched this movie, it is so dang depressing. I had to watch this film in segments, 3 to be quite exact. Not only was this film depressing but also upsetting at the level of disrespect for his parents. Maybe it is my Confucius' filial piety coming out but I couldn't stand for this loser if he was in my household. This film has shown the side of parents we rarely see. Their fears, lost in counsel, wondering what they missed or did not do but most importantly their loyalty to their children. This film also showed the modernization of China and one man's struggle to make a claim for himself. To see that he is valuable.
I was tremendously impressed how this story is based on a true story/events and how it weaves in and out of the theatre. But most importantly was the triumpet that the main character, Jia Hongsheng, makes into the modern world.
Raise the Red Lantern Dirctor: Zhang Yimou Casts: Gong Li, Cao Ciufen, He Caifei, Jin Shuyuan, Kong Liu, Ma Jingwu, Zhao Qi
This film takes place in the 1920's in China. 19 year old, Songlian, becomes the fourth wife of the wealthy Chen. They share one husband who they vie for attention. The wealthy Chen picks whom he will spend the night with by presenting the red lantern at dusk. The red lantern is a symbol of power and prestige and brings forth its priveleges. As the new Songlian gets accustomed to the conflict and deception of each wife, she learns to join in to win Chen's affection.
This film is quite disturbing but reading and teaching about Sun Tzu's Art of War might make it interesting. One of my colleagues has given me the Art of War desktop calendar and I have found that many principals can be shown through this film. This film might be a great companion to Sun Tzu's Art of War.
Interesting that we have been talking quite a bit about Shamanism in East Asia the past couple of weeks. This week, I just saw a Japanese movie called "Onmyoji" which revolves around Shamanism in Japan. The movie is based in Japan's Heian period. One of the shamans (Doson, played by that grumpy Japanese guy that beats up Tom Cruise at every opportunity in Prof. Notehelfer's favorite movie "The Last Samurai") that was supposed to protect the emperor ends up betraying the emperor and tries to take power by using evil magic. A good Onmyoji (Seimei) is then recruited by a court noble to battle the evil Onmyoji (Doson) and save the emperor's heir to the throne. For being a 2001 film I thought the special effects could have been much better. The movie was entertaining, but the special effects could have been more convincing and fluid. Nonethless, if you are interested in seeing a film about Shamanism in Japan, this would be a movie that would fall in this category. I can't recommend a better one, because I don't know of another one, but maybe someone who is actually reading this does know of one. I read up on the movie to find out more about some of the things I saw (mainly to find out what the heck "Onmyoji" meant . I found out that Onmyoji was the second highest grossing film of 2001 in Japan behind "Spirited Away." I also found out that there is a sequel in the making. Oh and by the way the word "Onmyoji" means this: "A practitioner and/or master of "Onmyodo," the craft which uses the Yin and Yang principle to interpret between natural and unnatural phenomena and astrological occurrences to foresee the fortunes of humans (in other words a shaman). After seeing the movie, I was curious as to whether or not the Heian emperors really did have Onmyoji in their courts to protect them from "evil." Was this true back in history or did the filmakers just add it into the film to make it more interesting? If anybody can answer this, please let me know, otherwise I'll have to research it myself. I did some research, and found out that Seimei (the good Onmyoji) was a real Onmyoji who lived in Kyoto from 921-1005 AD. I still wonder though if it was common for every emperor to have Onmyoji (or more than one).
Film Review: Fist of the Red Dragon starring Donnie Yen A film by Yuen Woo Ping and Chan Chin Chung Golden Sun Film Co., LTD
From watching the theatrical trailer, one would expect Fist of the Red Dragon to be an exciting, action packed, yet dramatic tale of China’s battle with opium. The film, however, fails to fulfill that expectation.
Action packed, yes. Almost every other scene contains fighting. While the incorporation of fighting insures a lack of dialogue, which is most welcome considering the horrible nature of English dubbed films, after a while these smaller fight scenes begin to detract from the impressiveness of larger, more instrumental scenes.
Aside from its goal of bringing the viewer extensive kung fu footage, Fist of the Red Dragon promises a dramatic retelling of China’s struggle to stop the smuggling of opium that is destroying the country’s economy, let alone its people, and ridding China of its all too precious silver. While the film does incorporate a storyline that follows this premise, it fails to deliver an engaging depiction of the economic hardships brought on by this crisis. Instead, Fist of the Red Dragon attempts to lure viewers into its plot by weaving in a tale of a rich and foolish widower’s struggle to care for his kung fu star son as he battles his own overconfidence, the trickery of others, and an unfortunate addiction to opium.
Unlike other recent martial arts films that go to great lengths to demonstrate superior action, Fist of the Red Dragon lacks a compelling storyline to hold it all together. While it had great promise as a film, the presence of frivolous, and admittedly annoying acting, as is the case with the aunt, and a horrific dubbing of dialogue, ruins Fist of the Red Dragon’s chances of staying on my DVD shelf.
Hero by Zhang Yimou is amazing with timeless beauty. Yet, i didn't understand many scenes. Maybe if i take a course in film studies or film making than i would be able to enjoy this movie much more. Everything, from the fight to the clothing, the kung-fu to the language, and etc; everything seemed so magical. Although what made it really confusing was the repeated scenes. When i think i get what is happening, then i get confused again. It seems like Jet LI "Nameless" is on a mission along with his incredible sword to kill the top three assasins to get closer to the king in a war like time.
Through all this confusion, i was able to get a message: Family, friendship, love, and martial arts seem to be above everything. Being loyal to these things is the best way to live and become self-less. Does this lead to happiness? It did, in the third century of China. I somehow believe that some people still abide by this idea, but not as extreme as Nameless.
This 1990 film by Kurosawa is one of my favorite films of all time. It touches several different feelings in me. Because of it's short story format, it has also proved to be a valuable resource in the classroom. Kurosawa made this film from 8 of his personal dreams. There are 3 nightmare segments. The stories are seemingly disconnected but I have been able to find at least 2 connecting threads in the film. There are several images that follow my own dreams/nightmares and thoughts. One segment I use a lot in class is "Crows" where a japanese art student enters one of Van Gogh's paintings which hangs in a museum. He looks for and finds Van Gogh (interestingly played by Martin Scorses). There are several folk tale style stories with allegory. A couple of the stories feature young boys ("Peach Orchard" and "Sunshine Through the Rain"). "The Tunnel" deals with soldiers, war, and survival guilt. Nuclear energy is examined in "Mt Fuji in Red". But my most haunting thoughts come from "The Blizzard" about mountain climbers and a spirit who is perhaps the mountain herself luring the climbers into peaceful sleep/death. There are many more moments to this film. I thoroughly enjoy this film each time I watch. It is useful in the classroom because the segments can be used with lessons in one class period -- most films must be shown over several days. There is a website -- free encyclopedia -- at which you can find more information about the film. It is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurosawa's_Dreams.
"Spirited Away" is one of my favorite films because it appeals to students with its universal themes and distinctive storytelling style. Many of its passages are lyrical and subtle. Watching the film is a strong sensory experience. One is hypnotized by the sounds and visuals of a strange and magical story. At first, I was hesitant to show it to my students because I thought they would be bored by the slow pace of the film, but they identified with the plight of the heroine who must confront her own demons and a few special entities to free her parents from the magic spell.
This film is amusing, beautiful, very cinematic, and challenging. It moves slow, but it never bores anyone. It charms with its many delights and originality. It takes you to worlds one has never seen, and it successfully integrates reality and imaginary situations. It teaches its audience to look inside to understand how we are all connected. One of its wonderful scenes show how the river spirit must be cleansed with the use of magic tokens. It is an amazing piece of animation and philosophy. My students had no problem understanding how this was a thinly disguised appeal to save our environments. The biggest revelation for me was to see that my students were an audience that was willing to be challenged, and I had an opportunity to learn everytime a new batch of kids saw it.
When I use it in my class, I ask students to take notes and narrate the tale in their own words. It is exciting to see how many interpretations of the same scenes I get. A fascinating animated tale for the ages.
The movie "Hero" uses colors to create a feeling of vastness, tragedy, power, and depth representational of the country China. Grey the color of Qin is the first color that the audience is introduced to. The movie opens as the nameless soldier is progressing towards Qin’s Royal Court. The colors initially became blurred with hundreds of soldiers dressed in gray. The color gray also blurs into the walls of the forbidden palace and there appears to be a powerful gray blanket of thousand of unknown soldiers willing to give their life for Qin. Hundreds of Nobles are wearing black long robes, which also seem to accent the gray uniforms and physical structure of the palace. There seems to be a merging of not only colors, but also individuals that in turn create a sense of uniformity that is artistically created on a grandiose scale in the opening scenes of "Hero." At the Tea House where Nameless fights and defeats Sky, the colors black, white, and gray are used as black and white are spliced into the otherwise color narrative to help create a more dramatic effect. As the combat unfolds the black and white scenes are set inbetween color splices of the narrative story. Gray the color initially associated with the emperor Qin is also used through out the martial arts scenes. Even the water drops appear in slow motion to emulate variations of the color gray. Red is another color that is used to display change and difference in the movie "Hero." At the calligraphy school all students are wearing the color red, the color of the Zhou people. Broken Sword is commissioned to create a piece of calligraphy artwork with the Chinese character sword in red ink. There is a scene in the movie where yellow leaves are falling all around as Flying Snow and Moon fight in red dresses after Broken Sword has supposedly been killed. The movie details drops of red blue slowly dripping off a sword, then all the leaves change from yellow to red. Color and magical realism are used to display the attitudes, emotions, and feelings of individual characters within the movie. As death or tragedy effect the lives of Flying Snow and Moon, the colors change in sharp contrast to create a dramatic feeling that ties to physical sorrow.
In "Hero" there is a feeling of depth through the use of colors and how they are used to fill the screen. This not only creates a sense of vastness, but also allows the viewer to understand how colors can be used to help expound on the emotions of the characters. [Edit by="ldriscoll on Mar 15, 1:12:04 PM"][/Edit]
Story is about a girl and a family who are moving to a new place. Immigrant students can relate to this movie. They can relate to the main character Chihiro and what she must endure in order to survive in a new society that plays by different rules. I feel that many of my immigrant students (Asian and Latino) can relate to what Chihiro is going through. In the story Chihiro can only survive if she works for a witch and losses her name. I find that the film mirrors the reality of my Asian immigrant students who must sometimes loose their names and essentially their language in order to assimilate and feel accepted into the dominant culture. Attached to a persons name is a person’s identity and culture. The witch represents and oppressive society that wants to reduce newcomers to a less than human condition.
Uses in the classroom: I am now working on a unit that has the overarching theme of “identity” I feel that this film would be easy to incorporate to talk about the oppressive conditions many immigrants have had to endure throughout History . I can talk about the thousands of Chinese immigrants who worked and died while building our American railroads in the early 20th century.
The movie "Hero" is quite different than I expected. While it does have some beautifully choreographed fight scenes, most of the movie is a mental journey, both for the characters and for the audience. The basic premise is that Jet Li's character, "Nameless", comes to th capital to tell the emperor of the new Qin empire how he has killed the emperor's three greatest enemies. Within that story, Nameless tells how he deceived these individuals to get close to them in order to destroy them.
However, the emperor sees another possibility for why Nameless has come to see him, and he tells the story from a different perspective, which includes very different motives for Nameless' actions. In each episode involving a different character or a different perspective, a different dominant color scheme is used for all the background objects, clothing, and surroundings. In this way, its clear that a different view is being presented, and the particular colors add to the particular emotions in that storyline. Interestingly, I've read that this coloring was not done digitally, but with dyeing and selection of actual objects that would fit each particular color.
The audience not only has to find their way to the truth amongst all these various perspectives, but also must follow the new way of seeing things that is developing in Nameless' mind. It becomes clear that Nameless actually had created a very clever plan with a motive very different from what he had originally said. However, in telling and listening to these stories he confuses and changes his mind rather than the emperor's. Each of the other main characters adds to this thought process as they question Nameless and themselves, as well as ponder the larger questions in life.
Selections of this movie would be wonderful to show for students in 6th and 7th grade since it occurs during the time when China's first empire was created. The emperor who first united China, Shi Huangdi, is usually portayed as a ruthless, and ambitious tyrant. In this movie however, he gets the chance to justify his actions, and speak about the higher goals that motivated him--at least according to this movie. In doing this, the circumstances of that time are presented: the chaotic, violent wars between regional kings, the confusing mix of languages and writing styles, and the great influence of both philosophy and martial skills in producing a new China.
These probematic conditons, and a strong ruler who would strive to master them, would be repeated again after the fall of the Han, and the rise of the Sui Dynasty under empeor Wen. Of course, the lush images, the skillful direction, and the well acted performances, in addtion to a few very exciting fighting scenes that are exceptionally well integrated into the plot, will make this both effective and popular for students. The subplots (or perhaps the main themes?) about love, and revenge will certainly grab their interest as well.
On a previous occasion I posted a review of this film, and I was a bit concerned last Thursday when Clayton mentioned that it wasn't on. So here I go again.
"Spirited Away" is not your typical animated story. It reaches deep inside universal themes of love, longing, despair, and hope. It does it quite well, in a deceptively simple manner, at a very leisured pace, and it succeeds.
My students last year had the opportunity to watch this film over a period of 4 days, and they were very impressed by how different the animation style was. They also managed to understand some of the underlying themes: environment, tradition, etc. One of the scenes stood out during our viewings: the river ghost comes in for a bath, and as we witness his cleansing, we are able to understand, shockingly, how we have been making a mess of our lovely planet. It is an interesting metaphore, and it addresses the problem subtly and directly. My kids had no problem getting the message.
At first, they were a bit intimidated by the cultural references, and the differences in customs the animation portrayed. Later on, they established the connection between the family dynamics in the film and their own. Their identification with the story's heroine was effective, and they tagged along for a fantastic ride into a new and marvelous world. We didn't analyze in depth, but used its structure to study cultural differences between the West and the East, as well as going over the old reliable elements of plot. What they loved was the style, and the ability to see animation and imagination reaching a creative peak. "Spirited Away" is refreshing and enlighting, and it is comforting because it doesn't confront or antagonize its audience. It embraces the viewer with a different way to explore classic themes.
Before I move on to review the film, I have to say this is one film I will probably never share with my middle schoolers. First of all, the subject matter is a bit controversial, and it is rated R. Nonetheless, it's one of my favorite movies of all time because it is so well executed and acted. Also its main themes are as relevant now as they were when the movie first came out (no pun intended). Overall, the film is refreshing, funny, and very touching. It explores sides of human nature that affect everyone regardless of their ethnic background or nationality. It bridges cultures with its comedy and sensitive approach.
The film deals with a couple of men who live together in New York in a very convenient, and apparently blissful arrangement. Their stability is disrupted when Chinese traditions kick in, and an unexpected visit from one of the partners' parents results in some very funny situations that have unexpected consequences for the main characters.
"The Wedding Banquet" is set in New York City, but half way through the film's Chinese themes and motiff take over, and suddenly we are transported to another world. The family members' interactions, with old-fashioned traditions clashing with the new world's surprises are wonderful. What helps all of this succeed is the sure hand by Ang Lee, a master director, the superb performances by a cast who do such a great job, you wonder if you're not witnessing a reality show. Be prepared to laugh as people must overcome immigration dilemmas, sexual identity crisis, generational gaps grow into chasms, and in the end, a bitter sweet finale keeps the audience grounded.
I viewed Millennium Mambo, a Chinese film made by Hou Hsiao-hsien, partially because the photos on the box drew me in but also because it had won several awards. Sadly I must admit that I might need a second viewing, I don’t feel that I really comprehend the film, followed it yes, really go it, no. It’s a story of a young woman growing up into her own, torn between two men, neither of which is good for her. It is set in modern Taipei. The younger man is a speed freak and has a Chinese name whereas the older one is some type of gangster whose name is Jack. The ending was very abrupt and I’m afraid that I probably missed a lot of subtleties that were in the movie; a lot of questions were left unanswered. There were several nice components to the film that differ from most commercial films made in the U.S. This film had very little dialogue in comparison to a film in English. Perhaps this is because the language (at least written) characters have their own meanings and make other meanings together. The actors’ expressions and movements told a lot of the story. Additionally the cinematography was really rich, the colors especially. There were many art shots (always a plus), overlays of different colors in scenes, and really good techno pop type music. There were a couple of instances where Vicky is dealing with people in Japan or on the phone to Japan and she breaks out in broken English, which I found interesting. But again the languages are very different. Also, often the characters sweatshirts or t-shirts were of American things. Vicky (main character) wore an Army sweatshirt; the back of a patron leaving a bar was wearing a Navy Seal shirt. Jack was in a Las Vegas shirt with a tiger on it, and a background person I noticed was in Polo. What does it all means? I did enjoy the movie and would recommend it. The film itself on an aesthetic level is very beautiful without having any scenic panorama shots. However this is not a film I would show to students in a classroom setting.
Disney films have always proven to be quite entertaining, but people have sometimes questioned the liberties taken with both fictional and non-fictional characters portrayed in them. When I saw "Mulan" the first, I was charmed by the portrayal of a female heroine who strong and fought the cultural restraints to help her country. I understood it was based on a real-life person. There were details in the film; however, that I found a bit confusing and believed slowed down the storytelling. After sittiing in the seminar, I can't help but look at those scenes in a different light.
There are direct references to the power of "ancestors" in the film, and although the portrayal of such figures is a bit comical in the film, it still carries its powerful message across. In fact the film itself, is full of cultural references to the country of China, and I want to buld a lesson around some of those aspects in the future. I am not sure whether this is factual, but Mulan's archrivals in the film appear to be somehow related to the Mongols or the Manchus. The film is not clear about the references, or maybe I should give it a second look.
I am definitely going back to give it a second look and see how it reflects or adapts some of the ideas and themes our seminar explores. Whatever happens, I might never be able to look at the same artwork and production the same way again.
Shower is a movie based on two brothers and their father. The eldest brother is DaMing he is educated and very much in the corporate world "enjoying" all the benefits of modern technology (Trophy wife, cell phones, computers, etc...). DaMing misinterprets a drawing/letter from his mentally retarded brother, believing that his father has died DaMing reluctantly returns to his home to a tried part of Bejing to put family business in order.
DaMing is embarassed by his father because he runs a bathhouse and of his brother because he is mentally challenged. He feels superior to his family because he escaped the backward town that represents his father's world, and because of his own hard won material "success."
The true beauty of this movie is that DaMing begins to see his father through a different lens. His father, Mr. Liu, is not just a bathhouse owner, he is a marriage counscellor, a sage and a valuable leader in the community. The father dies at the end of the movie. DaMing, in the end, realizes that with all his education and gifts he is really caught up in a meaningless rat race and that his father was the real sucess. He sees his father as a very important man, who labored in love. The community seems as though it cannot exsist without Mr. Liu. With big shoes to fill DaMing sheds the material world/modernity to take care of his brother, the bathouse and the community. He takes on his fathers role as the community pillar. This movie is a must see. I don't know how to use this movie in my curriculum--but I might just find a way!
A quick note on the "Last Samurai." i found that the climatic battle scene (once permission is secured) is actually quite useful in depicting the imbalance of power between Europe and the rest of the world during the periods of colonialism and imperialism. I know that this shoows Japanese shooting Japanes (mostly) and the period is a bit late, but it gives a good show of firearms versus hand weapons. It really gets the point across.
Not having visited the actual Japanese landscape, I can't validate or disagree with some of the opinions of our seminar's participants. However, I still find some very commendable aspects in this film about Japanese history. There are several elements, especially in the middle section of the film where the audience is allowed to observe the village's social structure. Elements in the art decoration showing the architecture and set designs of the homes and costume design can be teaching tools to show our students how societies have changed throughout history.
There are also opportunities in this part of the film that depict some of the social norms of this village. They present the western perspective and its eastern counterpart. Ken Watanabe's performance as a multi-layered leader in his community teaches us elements of the philosophy behind those were expected to be role models for a community, with their strength and integrity.
In this part of the film there is also a beautiful montage, accompanied by Cruise's character narrative that shows the village's different inhabitant throughout the transition of time and a foreigner's perspective (could be our own's). What I find commendable about this film is that it is willing to go beyond the military conflict and presents a more comprehensive view of a society different from ours, which might not exist anymore.
Since I teach a unit in poetry to 8th graders, most people can understand that this is a very difficult task, without the appropriate visual and audio support. Sometimes, our students are unable to connect with the motiff and imagery presented by the suthor. Everyone knows that metaphors are not exactly plain English.
There is a sense of spirituality and inner beautify underlying in "The Last Samurai", particularly in the middle of the film, as Nathan Algren (Tom Cruises) comes to understand the differences between the West and East. There is one particular moment when Nathan has an epiphany as Katsumoto poetically refers to the vulnerabilty of humans and people should live every moment as if it were their last. This is presented in a poetic manner as Katsumoto uses the cherry blossoms to illustrate the point. At this moment I couldn't help but go back to our meeting on poetry, its emphasis on transitory moments, and how its design is linked inextricably between nature and our human make up.
One last point about the film's teachable moments. Historically, one can make reference to the styles of fighting, with their weapons, strategies, as well, as the religious identification of Japanese and Buddhism, with its tenets to foster equality and respect among human beings. One of the most important points in the story is how someone is able to adapt himself to another culture, understand its difference (for the most part), and realize there might be more than just his own point of view.
"To Live" is truly one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is about 3 hours long, but seems like three days because one is exhausted at the end of the movie. The film is set in China suring the 1940 thru 1960s. It relates to the "Red Guard" and "Cultural Revolution." I don't care to show entire movies in my classroom but for this movie I will break my own rule. This movie can be used in U.S. and World History "Cold War" era units. I might use it as a suppliment to Mao in my Gov. class.
After viewing this movie I will have my students answer an essay question.
Q: After viewing "To Live," what might Fugui have done differently in his lifetime to make his life easier?
Like Hero, this film is not just an action movie, but shows life during a tumultuous period in the Tang Dynasty. While the Tang is usually described as a golden age in China with magnificent achievements in art and literature, this film shows that not everyone enjoyed these benefits, and there were many willing to revolt against the high living elites that ruled the empire. While this is of course a fictionalized story, it is based on revolts and plots against the government that did actually occur. The limited amount of people who actually benefitted from the great art, literature, and overall prosperity throughout history is a point I often try to make. It is important in understanding one of the key reasons that empires fell, the development of a corrupt, pleasure seeking, and neglectful ruling class, whether in Rome, Baghdad, Kyoto, or Changan. This film shows the absolute power of the imperial court, and how it used many methods to bring down those who opposed them. It also is unique in showing some of the cultural attributes of the time, in particular, the wonderful dance that Zhang Ziyi does in the first part of the movie. The costuming is terrific also, and its variety, along with the different locales and perspectives from the characters, shows China as a very complex and richly nuanced society, with a great deal of intrigue and passion involved in all the events of the time. I think that is one of the things that films add to the rather dry descriptions of textbooks. They allow us to see the strong emotions and the effects on people's lives that were associated with the events so matter of factly presented in textbooks.
The House of Flying Daggers is a beautiful movie that combines a love story, martial arts, strong women, and magical action. Like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, there is a strong woman and incredible scenes where the fighters are battling in the tops of bamboo, etc.
I saw little that I would use in a classroom, however. If you taught cinematography or film, this movie would be a good one to include. The scenery is gorgeous, the action interesting, perspectives unusual, etc.
There is too little to gain in showing it in an English or history class. The setting and plot seem like they could be of value in school: the story takes place in China in 859 (apx), when the Tang Dynasty has become corrupt and hidden fighters are rebelling. But the story doesn't seem realistic or historically accurate. Some possible scenes that could be used: * There is a short segment when an officer describes how he will torture a prisoner and shows the torturing machine. * The young woman who is the main character says she is fighting to revenge her father's death (filial piety) * There are beautiful photos of the Chinese landscape: vistas showing fall trees, bamboo forests, fields of flowers. However, the action of the people in these scenes would distract students from paying much attention to the scenery. (fighting, chasing, kissing, etc.)
In sum, it is an entertaining movie for private viewership, but I see little that could be used in a classroom.
Director Zhang Yimou also directed: HERO, JU DOU, RAISE THE RED LANTERN.
Synopsis THE LAST EMPEROR is the true story of Pu Yi, the last monarch of a China that changed drastically during his lifetime. Though he comes to power at the age of three and is waited on hand and foot by an army of servants and consorts, Pu Yi is politically powerless. His life becomes a tortuous struggle with this reality, as he is used as a puppet by the Japanese and later reeducated by the communists. Bernardo Bertolucci's award-winning film is epic, lavish, and poignant.
My review: While this movie was released in 1999, I had it listed on my "to watch" list until recently. This movie is interesting, yet difficult to sit through (very long). It gets tiring and a bit confusing in the latter part. However, I believe it has segments that could be used in the classroom.
Because it attempts to be historically accurate (I will have to trust that it is), there are some beautiful sections that show what the Chinese emperor's life was like in the early part of the 20th century. Pu Yi comes to the Forbidden City as a child, and it is impressive to see the interior of the Forbidden City, how Emperors are treated, and the number of staff required to serve him.
Prior to seeing this movie, I had difficulty imagining what life was like for an Emperor, how isolated his life was from the Chinese people, how little interest he had in their affairs. This isolationism was probably a fact of life through much of Chinese history, and this movie could help to show why Chinese leaders had to use military strength to maintain their positions because they were so separate from the people they served.
The entire first 2/3 of the movie takes place in the Forbidden City -- a huge collection of buildings dedicated to the Emperor and those who take care of him. While the country's leadership changed periodically, Pu Yi was kept only as a figurehead, and the space over which he could move within the complex was reduced. There were conflicts among the staff and problems as his staff was reduced. Perhaps this section could be shown as a look at the daily life of an under-age, powerless leader who is pacified with daily actiivties (tennis, tutoring, etc.) while the country undergoes political strife all around his cocoon.
The latter third of the movie deals with Pu Yi's life after he is forced out of the Forbidden City. His ego, naivete and powerlessness result in his working with the Japanese, which causes the death of many of his countrymen. The Chinese then hate him, his wife hates him, and the Communisits put him in a re-education camp. This section is rather dark, the action is unclear, and I think it would be difficult to show in a classroom. It would, perhaps, be useful in showing a "re-education camp" situation, but I don't know how realistic that portrayal was. It seemed rather tame from what I imagined; the prisoners worked and were educated and tested for many years.
In all, this movie offers glimpses of imperial life and the Forbidden City during the 20th Century and insight into the life of a puppet emperor who seems happy to enjoy the life of luxury and has little interest in the people over which he is supposed to rule.
I was reading through the recommended books and movies in this forum and saw a notation on the movie Women of the Dunes. It is very old (I saw it about 30 years ago) and in black & white.
Did I enjoy watching it? Not really. It is rather depressing. However, it is one of those movies that sticks with you. I think of it often; its images and the situation are haunting. I think about the choices the characters made and the author's message and how it reflects the Japanese philosophy. It would be an interesting movie to show in a film class, but probably would not be useful in a regular school program.
The story is: a women lives alone at the bottom of a sand pit, and her job is to fill up buckets of sand which are sent by pulley to the top. If she stops filling buckets, her house will be buried, and she can't escape. The story is about what happens when a visitor comes, they begin to work together on the task, and she has a choice of leaving the situation.
The symbolism is interesting; here is a woman who is making no progress, who is simply keeping herself from being buried, much as I think housewives may feel on a daily basis. Her life is bleak, joyless, mundane...and yet she keeps plugging away. When a visitor comes to break the monotony, the two of them have to decide how to change the routine, whether to try to escape, etc. A relationship changes the entire dynamics of her life.
Like many Japanese movies, there is no good guy or bad guy, no right path or wrong path, just a look at a situation and options. Life is not wonderful, it is mundane and frustrating, but there is hope that some light may brighten the road, however transitory.
So, if you're in the mood for a movie that makes you think, this one would fit the bill. In the classroom? I don't see an application...but there's no right or wrong answer to that question... : -)
I just finished watching "The Weeping Camel." This film was produced by a German consotium in Mongolia. The film is primarily a look at the lives of Mongolian Camel herders. The people and events are contemorary, but the life style is such that it could be just about anytime in the last 2 or 3 millenia. The story revolves around a female camel that gives birth then rejects the colt. The family attempt to get the mother to accept the colt, but she will not. So, the famil send off two of their sons to retrieve a mucician to come and perform in a ceremony to unite the mother and child. The film is quite well made and is an intersting look into the lives and culture of these people. Again, other than plastic tubs and a couple of tv and radio references, this film could be depicting just aboput any time in the last couple of thousand years. This is the best part of the film, you get a good overview of their lives and culture. You also get a good view of how hard their lives are as they tie down their gers(most people use the Russian word 'yurt' which is actually a different structure) in the face of a strong storm. As for the classroom, I would never show the whole film as it would be too "slow" for most students, no explosions, comedy or much "action." There is actually very little dialogue in the film which is subtitled (another detractor for showing it to students). I might use a few clips to demonstate the life style and the environment. This is another stong part of the film as it has many spectacular vista shots of the Gobi desert. It could also be useful if you were wnating to show images of camels as the film is filled with them and their various antics, whci include their wistful gazes and spitting when annoyed. The camels are real scene stealers. Overall, it is a wonderful film with limited usefulness in the classroom.
Last Samurai summary: Set in Japan during the 1870s, (yet filmed in New Zealand) "The Last Samurai" conveys the tale of Capt. Nathan Algren (a very pompous and melodramatic Tom Cruise), as an American military officer hired by the young Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to dispose of the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren falls in love with the Samurai way and grows to love the people, which puts him in the center of a battle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.
I knew going into this movie that everything would tend to focus toward Tom Cruise, but that he was in no way the last Samurai. I learned that the "last Samurai" were indeed a people. I found it arrogant of the director to assume that a visit to the emporer was a natural thing. However, I did like the relationships built between Cruise, Katsumoto, and Taka. One thing that struck me as sad was the tremendous loss of life due to "dying with honor". Watching this film was very interesting, though the snow was a weird touch!
I want to add another film review, Lost In Translation. What a wonderful film, a bit odd at times but thoroughly enjoyable with several hilarious scenes. Basic summary: A famous film actor goes to Japan to make some wiskey commercials (he's being paid $2 million). He hates it and has a series of encounters with a young American women who is there with her husband and she also is not happy in Japan.
Not many uses for the classroom unless you are trying to make a point about translations. There is a great scene when he is actually shooting the commercial with a director who only speaks Japanese and a translator who appears to alter/embelish her translations. A hilarious few minutes.
The movie Quitting, directed by Zhang Yang, is the story of a real life Chinese actor and his battle with drugs and finally his recovery with the support of a very loving family. Jia Hongsheng and his family, the orderlies, and friends are the actual people playing themselves. The irony in this is that Jia uses the excuse of quitting acting because its phony.
His parents realize that their son is heavily into drugs and his father opts for early retirement and they move in with their son and their daughter (the sister) who has been enabling Jia. Jia is disgusted with his parents, repeatedly calling them “peasants” because they are not from a city. He is critical of how they speak and so forth. The parents basically serve him, wait on him hand and foot and he continues to disrespect them. He is obsessed with John Lennon and starts saying that he is the son of Lennon, denying the lineage he has from his parents. This sends his mother over the edge. Perhaps the director is making a commentary about the influence of the west, breaking up the lineage.
Once he becomes clean, he embraces his Chinese heritage and no longer claims to be the progeny of John Lennon. At about the half way point you realize that this has become a stage play and you see the separate rooms of the apartment divided from the new focal point of the audience, a very nice touch in my opinion. I really liked all the symbolism.
The film is rated R, however I did not notice any really violent scenes, the worst was when he slapped his father. Additionally, there were no truly illicit graphic drug scenes. Although this is not something I could show my students, basically because it would not fit into the Social Studies standards and of course its rating, I think it would be meaningful to them in that it covers a lot of topics and problems they are having, such as drug issues, identity, caring parents, etc. I enjoyed the film.
I just recently watched "To Live" based on your recommendation during class. It was a fantastic film, an epic story following the family over a long period of time.
I plan to use it in my classes also but of course I would not be able to show the whole film but might need to show just certain clips. I agree that it is an excellent film to use in a government class as well as economics. When reviewing economic systems the film does a good job of showing the transition from an agricultural economy to a centrally planned economy and the sacrifices made by the people for the good of the state, such as the metal collection quota. Additionally, the symbolism of Mao as the dictator was everywhere, depicted on posters, murals, etc. It was so pervasive in the movie I think that the students may actually remember what it all is in 5 years. One could also tie in propaganda, public opinion and those types of issues wit this film.
A Major Korean hit (hilarious if you like Fast Times at Ridgemont High type films)
genre: youth oriented comedy setting; high school, roller rink, small town synopsis: BMOC (although a thug, flunky, falls and gets straight-A girl, nearly loses his status and cool factor when another tough kid transfers to the school. Major a$$ kicking by boys and girls throughout and hilarious adolescent situations.
warning: rife with foul language but some scenes are presentable
Class Use (w/caution) connections to US culture: young love/lust, 1st kiss, thugs, bullies, rumbles, defending the innocent, brand name conciousness, BMOC.
differences: respect for authority, punishment, banned Prince songs (censorship), intense emergency drills, martial arts
synopsis: 50 year old bachelor desparate to find a wife- he does (his 18th fiancee) but can't afford her. Lies (his specialty) his way to her heart, she pawns off her blind ex-step daughter Wu (her father moved away, mom dead) on him, he pities/protects Wu, and coerces his friends to help & lie w/him to support Wu's independence from evil stepmother.
rating: ok for classroom
Class Use connections to US culture: Cinderella characters, free enterprise, love, relationships, materialism
Ruang Rak Noi Nid Mahasan (Last Life in the Universe) is a Japanese film primarily set in Thailand. The film was very different and eccentric but was again a beauty to look at. Kenji is working as a librarian in Thailand and fantasizes about his own suicide. His fantasies are played out and the viewer is not always sure if you’re in one of his fantasies or if it is actually happening. He’s a loner and is obviously severely depressed. He wears monochromatic light blue which goes with the color of his very clean fastidiously organized apartment and he is definitely the poster child for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
A bizarre chain of events leads him to a Thai girl named Noi who is a complete sloppy filthy disaster and he actually begins to connect with her. Initially there is a huge language barrier and they speak English to communicate with each other (Noi is also trying to learn Japanese). The end is bizarre, lots of death, hit men, jealous ex-boyfriends, and the spirit of Noi’s dead sister. Again, not appropriate for the classroom (unless it is a film class), but the film definitely had its merits.
Note to self: actually read the back summary of the movie before renting it and not rely on a good DVD cover with no rating. This is the latest installment of a Chinese movie I viewed and it is without a doubt the most bizarre and sick film I’ve seen in a long time. I would never show this to students or subject anyone I know to watching it. The River, a film by Tsai Ming-Liang follows a weird family that lives in Taipei, the son who apparently contracts some excruciating neck condition after playing a floating dead body in a movie that was being filmed. This event lasted all of 1 minute. The mother and father sleep in separate bedrooms and you later learn that she is dating a porno distributor and the father frequents homosexual bathhouses. The are generally always eating some sort of take-out food and the apartment appears not to have a real kitchen.
I’ll spare all the twisted weird details. Unlike other Chinese films I’ve seen this one did not have the aesthetic beauty and cool camera angles. It actually had these long drawn out shots that lasted to long and made the film just drag on. But perhaps the director did this on purpose to show how drawn out and painful their lives are. As with the other film I saw which took place in Taipei, there was very little dialogue, but unlike it no visual eye candy.
Miike's films are not appropriate for classrooms. He does, however, stand alongside Miyazake, Wong Kar-Wei, and Hou Hsiao-Hsien as one of the important figures in contemporary Asian cinema. Miike appears to be a filmmaker whose renown is inevitable in circles that regard experimental film as worthwhile and controversy as a partner in art. He is prolific, making 24+ films between 1999-2002. His movies are unpredictable in every way, always making for an interesting viewing. It's been said that he will make any movie he's asked to. Miike's movies are always memorable, for every time I encounter someone whose heard of him, there are always scenes burned into their consciousness to discuss. I should mention that Miike has a reputation of making amazingly grotesque and gruesome thrillers. He is most famous for the movie Audition, a drama turned horror which upends any notions about the roles of Asian women with a final sequence that is tough for some to stomach. Other notable movies are Visitor Q (quite possibly the most dysfunctional family EVER), Gozu (the ending has been called the "most disturbingly graphic" scene in cinema), Ichi the killer (intense well shot & edited mind bender, though not a good movie to be a woman character in), and The Happiness of the Katakuris (a horror/musical/comedy). Not a cup for the common denominator to drink from.[Edit by="jluesse on Jul 30, 11:42:33 AM"][/Edit] [Edit by="jluesse on Jul 30, 11:46:31 AM"][/Edit]
PG13 and worth getting approvals, this Martin Scorsese film tells the true story of Tibet's Dalai Lama and the invasion and occupation of Tibet by Mao's forces in 1950 and the subsequent escape of His Holiness into India. The young Dalai Lama is shown in his early life in the Potala Palace in Llasa with his tutors and his strong interest in science and geography. As he turns 15, he is faced with assuming the political leadership of his country at the time the Chinese Communists invade Tibet under the guise of "liberating" it. For several years, he tries to accommodate the demands of the Chinese who are sent in to "modernize" his country. Finally, after a 1955 meeting in Beijing with Mao, he is told that "religion is poison" and he understands that Buddhism is under direct attack. He escapes over the Himalayan passes into India and establishes a Tibetan exile community at Dharmasala in the Himalayan foothills. No country would come to Tibet's aid against the Chinese aggressors.
The landscapes are very true to life and there are some extraordinarily well done scenes, especially the fish pond-to-monks sequence. Disney, under direct political pressure from China, cut back on the release of this film when it came out so it was not in theaters very long, and then, not very many. I snagged a copy of it in a video store and show it every year. Most of the students show good interest in it. There are some bloody scenes so parent signatures would apply.
Tibet is in the southwest part of China and represents approximately 1/4 of the area of the entire country. All modern maps show it now to be part of China, although there is a continuing effort to "Free Tibet." The Dalai Lama has never been allowed to return, but his exile has led to the spread of Buddhism throughout the West fulfilling the prophesy of eighth century master Padmasambhava that "Buddhism will go to the land of the red men when the iron bird flies." The book most closely associated with this film is "Freedom In Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama", ISBN 0-06-039166-2, 1990, HarperCollins publishers.
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This movie is based on a partially autobiographical book by Akiyuki Nosaka who lost his little sister during the war to malnutirtion.
"Alternately known as Tombstone for Fireflies, Grave is a very somber film about the struggle of two children to survive during World War II. Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves when their mother passes away from severe burns inflicted by the American fire-bombing of their town. Their father is serving in the Japanese navy, but the children have not heard from him in a long time, so Seita and Setsuko try staying with a distant relative. However, Seita doesn't get along well with this relative and decides to leave, taking Setsuko with him, to live on their own." http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/grave/
I watched this movie in my high school Japanese class and again tonight. The first time it was in Japanese with English subtitles and tonight it was dubbed over in English. I prefer the movie in Japanese. Japanese anime in English isn't the same. However, if you were to show it to your students, it might be easier for them to concentrate on the story more if they didn't have to worry about keeping up with the subtitles.
The movie is set during World War II but doesn't make too many specific references to it. The movie focuses more on how the war changes the lives of Seita and Setsuko. Not only do we see how war destroys physical places (homes, buildings, whole cities) but how it destroys the lives of the people living in these places. People are injured during the bombing, they loose their homes, their families, their valuables, they don't have enough food and water to survive, they depend on rations from the government and they live in fear.
Grave of the Fireflies is a very emotional movie and probably isn't for everyone. However, with the proper introduction, I would show it to my class. Because the moive is in anime, it may come across as less threatening to students but I feel it still carries a strong message.
With the war going on in Iraq, this might be a good way to get students to think about how the lives of the Iragis are changing and the daily struggles they may be going through.
Movies like this give you a little different perspective on life. [Edit by="jchan on Oct 12, 8:33:37 PM"][/Edit]
LAUSD policy is that all rated R movies must be reviewed and approved by the principal. There is a form to use regarding the use of rated R movies that requires the principal's signature and parent/guardian signature. Parent's must sign the form to allow their child to view the film. No signature--an alternate assignment must be given.
Your administrator will have this form. The form also requires information such as: date the movie will be viewed, purpose of showing the film, and state standards that it addresses.
As I also recall, PG-13 movies also need the principal's approval, but does not require a signature.
PG rated movies need no approval.
I watched the film several years ago, and what particularly struck me was the irony of the film. If Fugui had not gambled away the house, he would have been executed instead of the creditor who claimed his home. Fugui's best friend accidently kills his only son. The regime imprisoned the educated, so the hospital does not have any doctors. Fugui's daughter dies because of the lack of medical care. The doctor they retrieve from prison is so hungary his eats two buns and faints because he is malnurished. Consequently, the daughter dies, but her newborn son lives--and is named two buns.
I agree that this film portrays the changes in society due to the communist regime beautifully. There is a scene that shows the communal eating order--where the children eat with other children, the parents with parents, and etc. The family has changed. The film addresses the changes in society brought on by the communist regime in a subtle way. I think this film was banned in China--it that true?
It is an excellent film to show at the high school level.
It is an excellent film to show in a Health Classroom at a High School Level.
In this movie, Jia Hongsheng is a chinese movie star in the late 1980's. He had his first encounter with drugs while acting on the set of Kiss of the Spider Woman. He experiments with heroin and a drug induced schizophrenia takes over his life. He stopped working and his sister and parents take care of all his needs. This story is about Jia's journey to recovery. I think this film is a great example of Confuciu's ideas of filial piety. Viva Confucius![Edit by="adelgado on Nov 13, 2:15:59 PM"][/Edit]
“House of Flying Daggers,” is a film distributed by Sony and Elite Enterprises. This is a love story wrapped up inside an action film. The story takes place in 859A.D. during the Tang Dynasty. Although once considered enlightened, it is now in decline and considered corrupt. A rebel group called, “The House of Flying Daggers.” Is a secret organization that has the support of the people. Posing a constant threat the deputies felt they had overcome HFD group by killing it’s leader. But somehow a new, stronger leader has emerged and the group is even more powerful. A deputy, Captain Leo, sends Captain Jin to the Peony Pavillion, a brothel, to find a member of HFD that is working there as a dancer. Mei (Ziyi Zhang) is utterly one the most beautiful actresses ever to appear on the screen. She dances for him and finishes with a dance called, “The Echo Game.” It is in this dance that she reveals her martial skills. A battle ensues, Leo triumphs and arrests Mei. From that point a convoluted love story evolves, filmed with great beauty andsensitivity. It is very much in the same genre as “Kill Bill,” and
“Laura Croft”.
It is directed by Zhang Yimou who was the co-writer and producer also. He was born in China in 1950udied film making at the Bejing Academy. He took on a major role in China’s Fifth Generation Filmmakers, the first group to graduate following the turbulent cultural revolution. Although he has been recognized with awards throughout the world, he is most known throughout the United States for his past recognition, his Academy Award Nominations in Best Foreign Language Film for “Raise the Red Lantern,” in 1990 and “Hero,” in 2002.
Da Ming is a succesful businessman from Shentchen and goes home to attend his father's funeral. He thinks his father has died because his younger brother, Er Ming, sent him a postcard with a drawing that looks like his father is dead. Er Ming is mentally-handicapped and helps his father take care of the family business. The business is a Japanese bathhouse were the costumers meet daily. The relationship between the men are very stong and they help each other in every aspect of life. Da defies his responsibilities as the older brother and wrestles with old traditions and his new values in a modern technological business world. He faces a terminally illed father, a custody of a mentally handicapped brother and telling his wife the truth about his family. This film is another example of Confuciu's ideas of filial piety. It is very moving! Make sure you have an extra large box of tissue next to you.
Too Late to Apologize (1995)
Too Late to Apologize is a Chinese movie about an old veteran (Shen) of the People's Liberation Army who opens up a bookstore in a small rural community in China. He opens up the bookstore to foment education and knowledge in the small town. Some in the town do not want him to succeed and try to undermine his business.
One man wants to purchase the home of the old veteran (Shen) to set up a business. The old veteran (Shen) refuses to sell because he wants to open a bookstore. The man decides to enlist the aid of his son and his friends in sabotaging the old man’s bookstore. He inspires his son into pestering and harrassing the old man. When the son fails, the father teases the son and puts him down. It was odd to see that the father was being corrupt and corrupting his son. It goes against some of the Confucian thought that we have discussed in our sessions.
It was also odd to see this man being competitive and wanting to destroy another business for his own financial growth. It seemed out of place in a country where the economic system is communism (with a twist) and not capitalism. If the movie was made in the United States, it would seem perfectly normal for one person to try to ruin someone else's business to establish one of their own.
What struck me as important was that all the families only had one child, most of them being sons. All of these children were very mischevious and one was very spoiled. None of them respected the old man in the beginning. I had heard that China’s one child policy has affected the morals and values of the new generation of children, some growing up to be bratty and even disrespectful to parents and elders. Such loss of morals and values by youth were very obvious in the film.
The girls in the movie seemed to be more interested in education and proper behavior than the young boys. I wonder if this is true. Are girls in rural or urban China more interested and eager in excelling at academics?
I really enjoyed this movie (my wife did too). I won't kill the ending for you, because people usually get like this :@ when someone ruins a movie for them.
However, the movie made me ask a lot of questions such as:
1. Are kids in China really becoming less obedient, disrespectful and less proper because of the one child policy?
2. Is the the easing of restrictions by the government on China's economic system increasing greed and ambition in people or is the competitiveness part of Chinese culture?
3. Have females always had more interest in education, literature and proper behavior in China or is it something that is more prevalent today? Have any studies been done to analyze this?
4. How different are things in rural and urban China?
The Sea is Watching was a script written by the late Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. O-Shin is a geisha and one day a samurai named Fusanosuke appears in her town on the run after having killed a man. She assists him by giving him shelter and cutting his hair. The two fall in love, despite the objections from O-Shin's friend Kikuno. Eventually Fusanosuke leaves, only to return one day and reveal that he is engaged and that it would shame him and his family to marry a prostitute. The second half of the film involves O-Shin again falling in love with a fallen samurai, this one named Ryosuke.
This scrpit was written by the great director, Kurosawa, though I don't know how many drafts of the script were done, the story needs a little work. The story at times takes on a soap opera feel, this slows the pace down a great deal. There is huge potential here given the subject matter and various themes. But the characters are never really given their full due. The movie tries to answer the following questions. Who is truely loveable and un-loveable? Can someone start over no matter how bad their past? The themes are never fully explored in the film, as a result the film comes off slight. Nothing that resembles the work of the great master, Kurosawa. The saving grace is the last scene when a typhon comes and destroys the brothel and the town. O-Shin is left on the roof waiting for her lover to show, of course he does, and takes her away. The water representing the washing away of ones sins and a new beginning. This is classic Kurosawa. The film was okay, not great. I wonder how Kurosawa would have changed the script and directed the film if he were still alive.
Spirited Away was the first Japanese animated movie I had ever seen. I was familiar with short animated programs: as a teenager I was addicted to the Robotech series. It was the first cartoon in which I saw people die and deal with emotional crises. Spirited Away is a beautiful animated movie depicting the growth of a young girl who matures from a withdrawn child to a strong and independent character. Chihiro has to undergo a series of hardships to free her parents. The movie carries with it a message of love, endurance, and patience, and it is these qualities tht enable Chihiro to fulfill her goal of rescuing her parents and returning to the human world.
I found this movie similar to a fairy tale in that the character had to fulfil a number of requirements to meet her goal. What made this movie different from the Disney fairy tale is that the main character undergoes a significant change, and the movie carries a significant message or moral to the tale. The main character must exhibit the positive qualitites of love, endurance, patience and loyalty to complete her mission. It is evident in Spirited Awayy that if Chihiro did not exhibit these qualities that she would still be toiling away in the Spirit World. Her love for Haku inspired the Boiler Man to give her the train tickets. Her lack of greed prevented the No-Face Spirit from hurting her. Chihiro's love for her parents enable her to pass the last test of picking her parents out from a group of pigs. The Disney heroine does not change significantly in the fairy tale. The audience expects the heroine to be rewarded in the end only because she is a virtuous characrer and not rewarded from any specific action taken in the movie. The beginning of the movie establishes the character as being good, and American audiences do expect a happy ending. For example, in Cinderella it is established in the beginning of the movie that she is a hardworking, good character through the portrayal of her relationship with the animals. She does not undergo any change, nor must she undergo a series of tests or hardships. It is expected that she be rewarded in the end of the movie, not as a result of a direct action she took during the course of the story, but merely because she is a good person.
I was struck by the complexity of the story in Spirited Away. The director Miyazaki, created a world within a world--an alternate universe. Susan Napier's article "Magical Girls and Fantasy World," states that, "Although Miyazaki's worlds are indeed 'independent,' their care ful mixture of realism and fantastic details makes them able to exist comfortably inside a larger realm that could legitimately include our own universe as well..." (122). I watched the extra features that included a documentary on the making of Spirited Away. Miyazaki drew upon his own experiences, relationships with people, and memories of familiar places to create texture within the movie. For example, he based the character of Chihiro on his friend's daughter. The character of the mother was based upon a producer who works for him,. It was even pointed out that her posture while eating was emulated in the film. The setting of the magical town was based upon a real town that he was fond of, and had visited several times. The animated of the dragon was based upon his experiences with dogs. In fact, a humorous point in the documentary was when the director asked his staff if they had any childhood experiences with dogs and could relate to what he was telling them. His entire staff had no dealing with dogs, to which he replied that, this situation "was pathetic." His staff had to visit a veterinary hospital to learn how to animate the dragon based upon the expressions and actions of dogs.
It was interesting to read in "Anime and Local/Global Identity" that women are portrayed opposite to their status in Japanese society, According to Napier "Because Japanese women are still relatively disempowered, the overturning of the stereotype of feminine submissiveness may create a particularly festive resonance. I the animated space, female characters seem to glorify in manifestations of power still denied them in the real world" (31).
I have already discussed the power of the main character Chihiro. The characters in charge of this magical world are female. Yubaba and her sister Zeniba exert control over every magical creature, which exists in the magical realm. Yubaba is in charge of the bathhouse and controls the workers through contracts and the power of capturing and retaining their names and identities. It is Yubaba that Chihiro must overcome, not a powerful male figure.
I truly enjoyed this movie, for the beautiful animation and the positive messages that are reinforced throughout. Also, as a side note: it was interesting to watch the documentary. Unlike American cinema, it seems that Japapnese cinema cannot push back the date of the release. The animation studio had to work at a feverish rate to meet the deadline. I couldn't help thinking that in America the deadline would have been pushed back.
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Comparing the Coming of Age Journeys of Chihiro in Spirited Away and Telemachus in The Odyssey
It may come of no surprise to most of you that I am yet again drawing a reference to Homer’s The Odyssey. It is a text that I picked up solely because I was going to teach it, and determined to find a way to get my students excited about it, found myself falling in love with its tales of adventure, adversity, and morality. I had to love it before I could teach it, but I found that even that was not enough. I had to find a way to make my kids relate to it, to connect it to their lives. And therefore, because I have researched it so thoroughly, and because I have spent so many hours finding ways in which it connected to today’s youth, it is only second nature for me to relate what I experience to it.
My favorite lesson with The Odyssey deals with the first four books. In the first four books, Athena finds Telemachus hopeless and depressed with the current suitor situation at his father’s palace. He cannot stand up to them as his father would have, and because he lacks the strength and courage to get rid of them, they are eating he and his mother out of house and home, while destroying this home in the process. You see, Odysseus was a great and powerful man, quick of wit and swift in battle. As far as Telemachus has heard, there wasn’t anything that Odysseus couldn’t do. And shoes like that are pretty hard to fill, especially for a young boy who is all alone.
But, with Athena’s help, Telemachus sets off in search of his father, knowing that if he can find him and bring him home alive, then there might be a chance to finally save his mother from a forced marriage and be rid of the suitors. What Telemachus finds on his journey is not his father, but himself. He gains courage and strength in character. And most importantly, he gains the respect of those he encounters along his way. It is this journey that allows Telemachus to pass his father’s test and help fight off the suitors.
Just as Athena helps Telemachus on his journey, Haku helps Chihiro on her journey. When the film begins, Chihiro is lost and incapable of helping her family return home. She too lacks courage and belief in herself. But step by step she finds the strength inside her to do what she must in order to save her family and her home. And just as Telemachus gains the respect of those around him, so too does Chihiro gain the respect of everyone she encounters.
Clearly there are parallels between the two stories that would easily allow for the inclusion of Spirited Away in a unit on The Odyssey. What might also be fun would be to look at the cultural uses of mythology and fantasy. There may be similarities in how the Greeks understood Gods and how the Japanese understand spirits.
I think students would really have some fun with these two stories and exploring the transformations each character makes. They also could get out a lot of good writing in the process.
http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/ab3219/fulltime_killer_lg.jpg
Fulltime Killer by Johnnie To & Wai Ka Fai
In Hong Kong’s 2002 Academy Award Submission, Fulltime Killer written by Wai Ka Fai and Joey O’Brien and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai, Andy Lau plays China’s almost-first-time-gold-medal-winner-in-target-shooting-turned-professional-killer Tok who is out to avenge his failed medal attempt by killing China’s number one assassin, O, played by Takashi Sorimachi. Following the two criminals are investigators Lee and Gigi, played by Simon Yam and Cherrie Ying. While O, or Ono, is a quiet killer who prefers to do his business in stealth, Tok is flamboyant, choosing antics and circus act moves to get attention. Tying the two together is house cleaner Chin, played by Kelly Li. Chin, who takes care of O’s flat, becomes romantically involved with Tok after he regularly visits the Japanese video store where she works. On each visit Tok wears a different mask of an American president. Finally he asks her out to the movies and she accepts. When he tells her he is a professional killer she does not believe him, until finally after saying he needs to kill some people, he leaves the café where they are having drinks and his return is marked by a scream of police cars and ambulances. She is intrigued, if not excited by his line of work and it is then that we discover that Chin knows that O is a professional killer as well, for she has been tracking his work since she was hired two years previous.
Both assassins are both haunted and driven by episodes of the past. O by the death of his previous house cleaner, Nancy, who we later learn also happened to be Chin’s best friend, and Tok by his failed attempt at the gold medal. O could not reach Nancy in time to save her from the men who barged into his apartment looking to gun him down. Tok could not hit the target on his last round at the Olympics, collapsing just like his brother had years earlier. Both of these nightmares will play a roll in the two assassins attempts to remain alive and on top.
Battling for the last Snoopy in the collection, Hong Kong Snoopy, O and Tok enter a warehouse set to simulate the popular video game, Metal Slug, which the two know by heart. After the search for weapons and gear, the two battle through exploding fireworks for the girl, the gold and the title, #1 Killer.
Who wins? How will the story end? That is what once-detective-now-crazed writer Lee hopes to uncover as he holds a final interview with Chin. It was his fate to tell the story of China’s two most brilliant assassins, and it had to have an ending. As Chin’s car pulls away Lee starts to wonder. “How much of what she said was the truth and how much was fiction?”
But, “does it matter? [Everyone got what they wanted: Tok his fame, Chin her love, and O his peace.] Who [was he] to argue with them?” The story just needed an ending, right?
Brilliantly executed, Fulltime Killer fulfills your thirst for action while pulling at your heartstrings. Piece by piece the plot comes together as you’re taken through the journey of one man’s search for fame, one man’s search for peace and one woman’s search for love and adventure.
Filmed in Cantonese with English subtitles, Fulltime Killer demands your attention. Shots of subway stations and crowded streets, small shops, libraries, coffee shops and apartment buildings help make Hong Kong come to life for foreign viewers. The city remains free from the filming that could have made it exotic, and instead exists as a relatable backdrop for an exciting film.
For many, the success of a film depends largely on its ability to take the viewer to a place, show them the intricate details of that place and yet leave the subject of place open enough that almost anyone could have been there before or could go there in the future. It is an effort to create a film that is timeless and perhaps placeless in its simplicity. This is not to discount the effect of place on the film, but rather to emphasize that the exquisite simplicity by which it is delivered allows the film to be more accessible, and therefore more successful. Add to this a combination of action and popular themes, those of competition, honor and love, and you have a successful movie. Thus Fulltime Killer to a T.
I would show this movie to my World History class--when teaching WWII. It gives another perspective to the War--different from an American perspective.
You are correct, one would have to preface this movie because of the heavy topics involved--it is a very serious movie regardless of the fact it is anime.
Asian films has been popularized these days and I want to make couple of points of interest as we teach them.
Not only does it have content that is specific in what we teach but also it carries aesthetic beauty throughout the film but also drama that is not so 'American.'
Many of the films ends tragically.
Not all films leave us feeling good at the end.
One recent film was the House of Flying Daggers.
As I was leaving the theatre, I heard a couple complaing about how it didn't end in the way they anticipated or another group of guys complaining about how it was love story rather than a simple display of martial art.
Mainstream asian film has brought many areas we need to also highlight to our students about asia - culturally.
Here are some observations:
1. That life doesn't always end happily. In life there are tragedies and suffering, that is what makes us so human.
2. Asian films is not only about the story line (plot, climax, etc...) it incorporates the beauty of nature and it dictates the mood of the characters and scenes. Many of the scenes are breath-taking and beautiful.
3. The cinemotography of the film. The differences between "American" perspective to "Asian" perspective.
4. The muscial score is unlike any instruments we heard.
I will show some film to my students that pertain to the content area I teach but will also point out the wonderful aesthetic beauty of the cinemotography of the film as it graceful and elegant.
Asian films are great ways to show artistic qualities of color, contrast and character's mood.
What do you think?
lc[Edit by="lchoi on Jan 16, 8:51:45 PM"][/Edit]
Hopefully I don't get any flak over this movie review. I am reviewing the old "Drunken Master" (I think it's from 1979 or 1980. While this is a Jackie Chan kung-fu comedy, it is interesting that a lot of things discussed in our sessions, were present in the movie.
On Saturday the 15th for example, one of the lecturers (Prof. Pietlka I believe) mentioned how in some Asian movies there was an older woman who was powerful or did whatever she wanted. This is true in Drunken Master. In one scene of the movie, the protagonist, Freddy Wong (played by Jackie Chan), decides to go and flirt with a girl in the market. He goes on to try to hug and kiss her against her will. The girl is shocked, but all she does is whine. Moments later, her mother steps in. She confronts Freddy, Freddy calls her an indecent name. The mother of the girl goes on to whoop Freddy with some fine kung-fu moves. Onlookers begin to comment "Oh man the old *@&^$ is tough!"
Later on this same character is one who gives wise advice to Freddy's father who is just about to kill his sexual predator son Freddy for the market incident. Freddy's father was about to beat him to death, but the woman interceded (very kindly and not in the form of a challenge) and helped spare Freddy's life.
There is also a lot of Confucian influence in the way that characters roles develop in the movie. In one scene, Freddy runs away from home because his father sent him to train with a hard core kung-fu teacher. He runs across an assasin's hideout. The assasin tells Freddy to split, Freddy refuses, a fight breaks out. Freddy gets his butt kicked (bad). To make matters worse, the assasin tells Freddy that the kung-fu his father taught him was lousy (not in those words) and that perhaps he (Freddy) out to call him (the assasin) father. This drives Freddy off the wall. Because his father had been insulted, he continues to fight even though he had gotten beat bad by the assassin. I have never seen something like this happen in any Latin American, European or American movie. The closest I have seen to this was the infamous "What'd you say about my Momma?!" scene in Menace II Society.
Anyway, if you absolutely hate kung-fu movies or Jackie Chan, then avoid this movie. However, if you can tolerate both or like both and want to laugh hysterically, this is by far one of the funniest movies I have seen. I let my mom borrow it and she was laughing so loud even though she watched the Mandarin version (the DVD only has English, Mandarin and something else- no Spanish- she figured she couldn't understand the English anyway, so Mandarin was good enough for her). If you watch it and you hate it, you can blame my easy amusement on my genes. Last thing, they actually cuss in this movie so be warned.
Chunhyang is a great film directed by Im Kwon Taek.
It is Im Kwon Taek's 97th film and he is a very popular director in Korea who have won almost every possible film awards in that region not to mention numerous other international film festival awards/recognitions.
Chunhyang is a beautiful folktale of love, loyalty and trust.
The story takes place in 18th century Korea.
Upon watching the first few minutes you might wonder what is going on.
There is a gentlemen singing to the a modern audience with his partner playing the Korean drum.
The story then unfolds in a opera style (pansori) to tell the tale of Chunhyang.
Chunhyang is a beautiful daughter of a courtesan mistress.
The Governor's son, Mongryong, of Namwon is studying and waiting for his invitation to Seoul to become a royal official.
As he is studying, he finds the stunning Chunhyang to be witty and beautiful.
The son is torn between following in the footsteps of his father or to follow his heart.
Eventually, they are secretly married and must remain secret until he has passed the exam and proved himself as a royal official.
As he is away from his secret bride, Chunhyang is called to be the new Governor's courtesan, but she refuses because of her love Mongryong.
Refusing the Governor's wishes is punishable by death.
As she is going through tremendous pain and agony, she remains steadfast of her love, Mongryong who is nowhere to be found.
Im Kwon Taek infuses the beautiful sounds of Pansori, one Korean singer (soriggun) and percussion (drum) instrumentalist (gosu).
One ways this film can be used in the classroom aside from reading the story of Chunhyang is learning Pansori and the process in state examination.
Information:
Chunhyang
Director: Im Kwon Taek
Actors: Lee Hyo-Jung, Cho Seung Woo, Kim Sung Nyu
lc
I agree with Catherine and others who have watched this movie, it is so dang depressing.
I had to watch this film in segments, 3 to be quite exact.
Not only was this film depressing but also upsetting at the level of disrespect for his parents.
Maybe it is my Confucius' filial piety coming out but I couldn't stand for this loser if he was in my household.
This film has shown the side of parents we rarely see.
Their fears, lost in counsel, wondering what they missed or did not do but most importantly their loyalty to their children.
This film also showed the modernization of China and one man's struggle to make a claim for himself.
To see that he is valuable.
I was tremendously impressed how this story is based on a true story/events and how it weaves in and out of the theatre.
But most importantly was the triumpet that the main character, Jia Hongsheng, makes into the modern world.
lc
Raise the Red Lantern
Dirctor: Zhang Yimou
Casts: Gong Li, Cao Ciufen, He Caifei, Jin Shuyuan, Kong Liu, Ma Jingwu, Zhao Qi
This film takes place in the 1920's in China.
19 year old, Songlian, becomes the fourth wife of the wealthy Chen.
They share one husband who they vie for attention.
The wealthy Chen picks whom he will spend the night with by presenting the red lantern at dusk.
The red lantern is a symbol of power and prestige and brings forth its priveleges.
As the new Songlian gets accustomed to the conflict and deception of each wife, she learns to join in to win Chen's affection.
This film is quite disturbing but reading and teaching about Sun Tzu's Art of War might make it interesting.
One of my colleagues has given me the Art of War desktop calendar and I have found that many principals can be shown through this film.
This film might be a great companion to Sun Tzu's Art of War.
Here is a link to Sun Tzu's Art of War:
Sun Tzu's Art of War
lc
Interesting that we have been talking quite a bit about Shamanism in East Asia the past couple of weeks. This week, I just saw a Japanese movie called "Onmyoji" which revolves around Shamanism in Japan.
. I found out that Onmyoji was the second highest grossing film of 2001 in Japan behind "Spirited Away."
The movie is based in Japan's Heian period. One of the shamans (Doson, played by that grumpy Japanese guy that beats up Tom Cruise at every opportunity in Prof. Notehelfer's favorite movie "The Last Samurai") that was supposed to protect the emperor ends up betraying the emperor and tries to take power by using evil magic. A good Onmyoji (Seimei) is then recruited by a court noble to battle the evil Onmyoji (Doson) and save the emperor's heir to the throne.
For being a 2001 film I thought the special effects could have been much better. The movie was entertaining, but the special effects could have been more convincing and fluid. Nonethless, if you are interested in seeing a film about Shamanism in Japan, this would be a movie that would fall in this category. I can't recommend a better one, because I don't know of another one, but maybe someone who is actually reading this does know of one.
I read up on the movie to find out more about some of the things I saw (mainly to find out what the heck "Onmyoji" meant
I also found out that there is a sequel in the making. Oh and by the way the word "Onmyoji" means this: "A practitioner and/or master of "Onmyodo," the craft which uses the Yin and Yang principle to interpret between natural and unnatural phenomena and astrological occurrences to foresee the fortunes of humans (in other words a shaman).
After seeing the movie, I was curious as to whether or not the Heian emperors really did have Onmyoji in their courts to protect them from "evil." Was this true back in history or did the filmakers just add it into the film to make it more interesting? If anybody can answer this, please let me know, otherwise I'll have to research it myself.
I did some research, and found out that Seimei (the good Onmyoji) was a real Onmyoji who lived in Kyoto from 921-1005 AD. I still wonder though if it was common for every emperor to have Onmyoji (or more than one).
Film Review: Fist of the Red Dragon starring Donnie Yen
A film by Yuen Woo Ping and Chan Chin Chung
Golden Sun Film Co., LTD
From watching the theatrical trailer, one would expect Fist of the Red Dragon to be an exciting, action packed, yet dramatic tale of China’s battle with opium. The film, however, fails to fulfill that expectation.
Action packed, yes. Almost every other scene contains fighting. While the incorporation of fighting insures a lack of dialogue, which is most welcome considering the horrible nature of English dubbed films, after a while these smaller fight scenes begin to detract from the impressiveness of larger, more instrumental scenes.
Aside from its goal of bringing the viewer extensive kung fu footage, Fist of the Red Dragon promises a dramatic retelling of China’s struggle to stop the smuggling of opium that is destroying the country’s economy, let alone its people, and ridding China of its all too precious silver. While the film does incorporate a storyline that follows this premise, it fails to deliver an engaging depiction of the economic hardships brought on by this crisis. Instead, Fist of the Red Dragon attempts to lure viewers into its plot by weaving in a tale of a rich and foolish widower’s struggle to care for his kung fu star son as he battles his own overconfidence, the trickery of others, and an unfortunate addiction to opium.
Unlike other recent martial arts films that go to great lengths to demonstrate superior action, Fist of the Red Dragon lacks a compelling storyline to hold it all together. While it had great promise as a film, the presence of frivolous, and admittedly annoying acting, as is the case with the aunt, and a horrific dubbing of dialogue, ruins Fist of the Red Dragon’s chances of staying on my DVD shelf.
Hero by Zhang Yimou is amazing with timeless beauty. Yet, i didn't understand many scenes. Maybe if i take a course in film studies or film making than i would be able to enjoy this movie much more. Everything, from the fight to the clothing, the kung-fu to the language, and etc; everything seemed so magical. Although what made it really confusing was the repeated scenes. When i think i get what is happening, then i get confused again. It seems like Jet LI "Nameless" is on a mission along with his incredible sword to kill the top three assasins to get closer to the king in a war like time.
Through all this confusion, i was able to get a message: Family, friendship, love, and martial arts seem to be above everything. Being loyal to these things is the best way to live and become self-less. Does this lead to happiness? It did, in the third century of China. I somehow believe that some people still abide by this idea, but not as extreme as Nameless.
This 1990 film by Kurosawa is one of my favorite films of all time. It touches several different feelings in me. Because of it's short story format, it has also proved to be a valuable resource in the classroom. Kurosawa made this film from 8 of his personal dreams. There are 3 nightmare segments. The stories are seemingly disconnected but I have been able to find at least 2 connecting threads in the film. There are several images that follow my own dreams/nightmares and thoughts. One segment I use a lot in class is "Crows" where a japanese art student enters one of Van Gogh's paintings which hangs in a museum. He looks for and finds Van Gogh (interestingly played by Martin Scorses). There are several folk tale style stories with allegory. A couple of the stories feature young boys ("Peach Orchard" and "Sunshine Through the Rain"). "The Tunnel" deals with soldiers, war, and survival guilt. Nuclear energy is examined in "Mt Fuji in Red". But my most haunting thoughts come from "The Blizzard" about mountain climbers and a spirit who is perhaps the mountain herself luring the climbers into peaceful sleep/death. There are many more moments to this film. I thoroughly enjoy this film each time I watch. It is useful in the classroom because the segments can be used with lessons in one class period -- most films must be shown over several days. There is a website -- free encyclopedia -- at which you can find more information about the film. It is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurosawa's_Dreams.
"Spirited Away" is one of my favorite films because it appeals to students with its universal themes and distinctive storytelling style. Many of its passages are lyrical and subtle. Watching the film is a strong sensory experience. One is hypnotized by the sounds and visuals of a strange and magical story. At first, I was hesitant to show it to my students because I thought they would be bored by the slow pace of the film, but they identified with the plight of the heroine who must confront her own demons and a few special entities to free her parents from the magic spell.
This film is amusing, beautiful, very cinematic, and challenging. It moves slow, but it never bores anyone. It charms with its many delights and originality. It takes you to worlds one has never seen, and it successfully integrates reality and imaginary situations. It teaches its audience to look inside to understand how we are all connected. One of its wonderful scenes show how the river spirit must be cleansed with the use of magic tokens. It is an amazing piece of animation and philosophy. My students had no problem understanding how this was a thinly disguised appeal to save our environments. The biggest revelation for me was to see that my students were an audience that was willing to be challenged, and I had an opportunity to learn everytime a new batch of kids saw it.
When I use it in my class, I ask students to take notes and narrate the tale in their own words. It is exciting to see how many interpretations of the same scenes I get. A fascinating animated tale for the ages.
The movie "Hero" uses colors to create a feeling of vastness, tragedy, power, and depth representational of the country China.
Grey the color of Qin is the first color that the audience is introduced to. The movie opens as the nameless soldier is progressing towards Qin’s Royal Court. The colors initially became blurred with hundreds of soldiers dressed in gray. The color gray also blurs into the walls of the forbidden palace and there appears to be a powerful gray blanket of thousand of unknown soldiers willing to give their life for Qin.
Hundreds of Nobles are wearing black long robes, which also seem to accent the gray uniforms and physical structure of the palace. There seems to be a merging of not only colors, but also individuals that in turn create a sense of uniformity that is artistically created on a grandiose scale in the opening scenes of "Hero."
At the Tea House where Nameless fights and defeats Sky, the colors black, white, and gray are used as black and white are spliced into the otherwise color narrative to help create a more dramatic effect. As the combat unfolds the black and white scenes are set inbetween color splices of the narrative story. Gray the color initially associated with the emperor Qin is also used through out the martial arts scenes. Even the water drops appear in slow motion to emulate variations of the color gray.
Red is another color that is used to display change and difference in the movie "Hero." At the calligraphy school all students are wearing the color red, the color of the Zhou people. Broken Sword is commissioned to create a piece of calligraphy artwork with the Chinese character sword in red ink.
There is a scene in the movie where yellow leaves are falling all around as Flying Snow and Moon fight in red dresses after Broken Sword has supposedly been killed. The movie details drops of red blue slowly dripping off a sword, then all the leaves change from yellow to red. Color and magical realism are used to display the attitudes, emotions, and feelings of individual characters within the movie. As death or tragedy effect the lives of Flying Snow and Moon, the colors change in sharp contrast to create a dramatic feeling that ties to physical sorrow.
In "Hero" there is a feeling of depth through the use of colors and how they are used to fill the screen. This not only creates a sense of vastness, but also allows the viewer to understand how colors can be used to help expound on the emotions of the characters.
[Edit by="ldriscoll on Mar 15, 1:12:04 PM"][/Edit]
spirited away- great movie!
Story is about a girl and a family who are moving to a new place.
Immigrant students can relate to this movie. They can relate to the main character Chihiro and what she must endure in order to survive in a new society that plays by different rules. I feel that many of my immigrant students (Asian and Latino) can relate to what Chihiro is going through. In the story Chihiro can only survive if she works for a witch and losses her name. I find that the film mirrors the reality of my Asian immigrant students who must sometimes loose their names and essentially their language in order to assimilate and feel accepted into the dominant culture. Attached to a persons name is a person’s identity and culture. The witch represents and oppressive society that wants to reduce newcomers to a less than human condition.
Uses in the classroom: I am now working on a unit that has the overarching theme of “identity” I feel that this film would be easy to incorporate to talk about the oppressive conditions many immigrants have had to endure throughout History . I can talk about the thousands of Chinese immigrants who worked and died while building our American railroads in the early 20th century.
berenice moreno clark
The movie "Hero" is quite different than I expected. While it does have some beautifully choreographed fight scenes, most of the movie is a mental journey, both for the characters and for the audience. The basic premise is that Jet Li's character, "Nameless", comes to th capital to tell the emperor of the new Qin empire how he has killed the emperor's three greatest enemies. Within that story, Nameless tells how he deceived these individuals to get close to them in order to destroy them.
However, the emperor sees another possibility for why Nameless has come to see him, and he tells the story from a different perspective, which includes very different motives for Nameless' actions. In each episode involving a different character or a different perspective, a different dominant color scheme is used for all the background objects, clothing, and surroundings. In this way, its clear that a different view is being presented, and the particular colors add to the particular emotions in that storyline. Interestingly, I've read that this coloring was not done digitally, but with dyeing and selection of actual objects that would fit each particular color.
The audience not only has to find their way to the truth amongst all these various perspectives, but also must follow the new way of seeing things that is developing in Nameless' mind. It becomes clear that Nameless actually had created a very clever plan with a motive very different from what he had originally said. However, in telling and listening to these stories he confuses and changes his mind rather than the emperor's.
Each of the other main characters adds to this thought process as they question Nameless and themselves, as well as ponder the larger questions in life.
Selections of this movie would be wonderful to show for students in 6th and 7th grade since it occurs during the time when China's first empire was created. The emperor who first united China, Shi Huangdi, is usually portayed as a ruthless, and ambitious tyrant. In this movie however, he gets the chance to justify his actions, and speak about the higher goals that motivated him--at least according to this movie. In doing this, the circumstances of that time are presented: the chaotic, violent wars between regional kings, the confusing mix of languages and writing styles, and the great influence of both philosophy and martial skills in producing a new China.
These probematic conditons, and a strong ruler who would strive to master them, would be repeated again after the fall of the Han, and the rise of the Sui Dynasty under empeor Wen. Of course, the lush images, the skillful direction, and the well acted performances, in addtion to a few very exciting fighting scenes that are exceptionally well integrated into the plot, will make this both effective and popular for students. The subplots (or perhaps the main themes?) about love, and revenge will certainly grab their interest as well.
On a previous occasion I posted a review of this film, and I was a bit concerned last Thursday when Clayton mentioned that it wasn't on. So here I go again.
"Spirited Away" is not your typical animated story. It reaches deep inside universal themes of love, longing, despair, and hope. It does it quite well, in a deceptively simple manner, at a very leisured pace, and it succeeds.
My students last year had the opportunity to watch this film over a period of 4 days, and they were very impressed by how different the animation style was. They also managed to understand some of the underlying themes: environment, tradition, etc. One of the scenes stood out during our viewings: the river ghost comes in for a bath, and as we witness his cleansing, we are able to understand, shockingly, how we have been making a mess of our lovely planet. It is an interesting metaphore, and it addresses the problem subtly and directly. My kids had no problem getting the message.
At first, they were a bit intimidated by the cultural references, and the differences in customs the animation portrayed. Later on, they established the connection between the family dynamics in the film and their own. Their identification with the story's heroine was effective, and they tagged along for a fantastic ride into a new and marvelous world. We didn't analyze in depth, but used its structure to study cultural differences between the West and the East, as well as going over the old reliable elements of plot. What they loved was the style, and the ability to see animation and imagination reaching a creative peak. "Spirited Away" is refreshing and enlighting, and it is comforting because it doesn't confront or antagonize its audience. It embraces the viewer with a different way to explore classic themes.
A+
Before I move on to review the film, I have to say this is one film I will probably never share with my middle schoolers. First of all, the subject matter is a bit controversial, and it is rated R. Nonetheless, it's one of my favorite movies of all time because it is so well executed and acted. Also its main themes are as relevant now as they were when the movie first came out (no pun intended). Overall, the film is refreshing, funny, and very touching. It explores sides of human nature that affect everyone regardless of their ethnic background or nationality. It bridges cultures with its comedy and sensitive approach.
The film deals with a couple of men who live together in New York in a very convenient, and apparently blissful arrangement. Their stability is disrupted when Chinese traditions kick in, and an unexpected visit from one of the partners' parents results in some very funny situations that have unexpected consequences for the main characters.
"The Wedding Banquet" is set in New York City, but half way through the film's Chinese themes and motiff take over, and suddenly we are transported to another world. The family members' interactions, with old-fashioned traditions clashing with the new world's surprises are wonderful. What helps all of this succeed is the sure hand by Ang Lee, a master director, the superb performances by a cast who do such a great job, you wonder if you're not witnessing a reality show. Be prepared to laugh as people must overcome immigration dilemmas, sexual identity crisis, generational gaps grow into chasms, and in the end, a bitter sweet finale keeps the audience grounded.
A great film.
I viewed Millennium Mambo, a Chinese film made by Hou Hsiao-hsien, partially because the photos on the box drew me in but also because it had won several awards. Sadly I must admit that I might need a second viewing, I don’t feel that I really comprehend the film, followed it yes, really go it, no. It’s a story of a young woman growing up into her own, torn between two men, neither of which is good for her. It is set in modern Taipei. The younger man is a speed freak and has a Chinese name whereas the older one is some type of gangster whose name is Jack. The ending was very abrupt and I’m afraid that I probably missed a lot of subtleties that were in the movie; a lot of questions were left unanswered.
There were several nice components to the film that differ from most commercial films made in the U.S. This film had very little dialogue in comparison to a film in English. Perhaps this is because the language (at least written) characters have their own meanings and make other meanings together. The actors’ expressions and movements told a lot of the story. Additionally the cinematography was really rich, the colors especially. There were many art shots (always a plus), overlays of different colors in scenes, and really good techno pop type music.
There were a couple of instances where Vicky is dealing with people in Japan or on the phone to Japan and she breaks out in broken English, which I found interesting. But again the languages are very different. Also, often the characters sweatshirts or t-shirts were of American things. Vicky (main character) wore an Army sweatshirt; the back of a patron leaving a bar was wearing a Navy Seal shirt. Jack was in a Las Vegas shirt with a tiger on it, and a background person I noticed was in Polo. What does it all means?
I did enjoy the movie and would recommend it. The film itself on an aesthetic level is very beautiful without having any scenic panorama shots. However this is not a film I would show to students in a classroom setting.
Disney films have always proven to be quite entertaining, but people have sometimes questioned the liberties taken with both fictional and non-fictional characters portrayed in them. When I saw "Mulan" the first, I was charmed by the portrayal of a female heroine who strong and fought the cultural restraints to help her country. I understood it was based on a real-life person. There were details in the film; however, that I found a bit confusing and believed slowed down the storytelling. After sittiing in the seminar, I can't help but look at those scenes in a different light.
There are direct references to the power of "ancestors" in the film, and although the portrayal of such figures is a bit comical in the film, it still carries its powerful message across. In fact the film itself, is full of cultural references to the country of China, and I want to buld a lesson around some of those aspects in the future. I am not sure whether this is factual, but Mulan's archrivals in the film appear to be somehow related to the Mongols or the Manchus. The film is not clear about the references, or maybe I should give it a second look.
I am definitely going back to give it a second look and see how it reflects or adapts some of the ideas and themes our seminar explores. Whatever happens, I might never be able to look at the same artwork and production the same way again.
Shower is a movie based on two brothers and their father. The eldest brother is DaMing he is educated and very much in the corporate world "enjoying" all the benefits of modern technology (Trophy wife, cell phones, computers, etc...). DaMing misinterprets a drawing/letter from his mentally retarded brother, believing that his father has died DaMing reluctantly returns to his home to a tried part of Bejing to put family business in order.
DaMing is embarassed by his father because he runs a bathhouse and of his brother because he is mentally challenged. He feels superior to his family because he escaped the backward town that represents his father's world, and because of his own hard won material "success."
The true beauty of this movie is that DaMing begins to see his father through a different lens. His father, Mr. Liu, is not just a bathhouse owner, he is a marriage counscellor, a sage and a valuable leader in the community. The father dies at the end of the movie. DaMing, in the end, realizes that with all his education and gifts he is really caught up in a meaningless rat race and that his father was the real sucess. He sees his father as a very important man, who labored in love. The community seems as though it cannot exsist without Mr. Liu. With big shoes to fill DaMing sheds the material world/modernity to take care of his brother, the bathouse and the community. He takes on his fathers role as the community pillar. This movie is a must see. I don't know how to use this movie in my curriculum--but I might just find a way!
Frank
A quick note on the "Last Samurai." i found that the climatic battle scene (once permission is secured) is actually quite useful in depicting the imbalance of power between Europe and the rest of the world during the periods of colonialism and imperialism. I know that this shoows Japanese shooting Japanes (mostly) and the period is a bit late, but it gives a good show of firearms versus hand weapons. It really gets the point across.
David D
Not having visited the actual Japanese landscape, I can't validate or disagree with some of the opinions of our seminar's participants. However, I still find some very commendable aspects in this film about Japanese history. There are several elements, especially in the middle section of the film where the audience is allowed to observe the village's social structure. Elements in the art decoration showing the architecture and set designs of the homes and costume design can be teaching tools to show our students how societies have changed throughout history.
There are also opportunities in this part of the film that depict some of the social norms of this village. They present the western perspective and its eastern counterpart. Ken Watanabe's performance as a multi-layered leader in his community teaches us elements of the philosophy behind those were expected to be role models for a community, with their strength and integrity.
In this part of the film there is also a beautiful montage, accompanied by Cruise's character narrative that shows the village's different inhabitant throughout the transition of time and a foreigner's perspective (could be our own's). What I find commendable about this film is that it is willing to go beyond the military conflict and presents a more comprehensive view of a society different from ours, which might not exist anymore.
Since I teach a unit in poetry to 8th graders, most people can understand that this is a very difficult task, without the appropriate visual and audio support. Sometimes, our students are unable to connect with the motiff and imagery presented by the suthor. Everyone knows that metaphors are not exactly plain English.
There is a sense of spirituality and inner beautify underlying in "The Last Samurai", particularly in the middle of the film, as Nathan Algren (Tom Cruises) comes to understand the differences between the West and East. There is one particular moment when Nathan has an epiphany as Katsumoto poetically refers to the vulnerabilty of humans and people should live every moment as if it were their last. This is presented in a poetic manner as Katsumoto uses the cherry blossoms to illustrate the point. At this moment I couldn't help but go back to our meeting on poetry, its emphasis on transitory moments, and how its design is linked inextricably between nature and our human make up.
One last point about the film's teachable moments. Historically, one can make reference to the styles of fighting, with their weapons, strategies, as well, as the religious identification of Japanese and Buddhism, with its tenets to foster equality and respect among human beings. One of the most important points in the story is how someone is able to adapt himself to another culture, understand its difference (for the most part), and realize there might be more than just his own point of view.
"To Live" is truly one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is about 3 hours long, but seems like three days because one is exhausted at the end of the movie. The film is set in China suring the 1940 thru 1960s. It relates to the "Red Guard" and "Cultural Revolution." I don't care to show entire movies in my classroom but for this movie I will break my own rule. This movie can be used in U.S. and World History "Cold War" era units. I might use it as a suppliment to Mao in my Gov. class.
After viewing this movie I will have my students answer an essay question.
Q: After viewing "To Live," what might Fugui have done differently in his lifetime to make his life easier?
A: Nothing
Frank
Like Hero, this film is not just an action movie, but shows life during a tumultuous period in the Tang Dynasty. While the Tang is usually described as a golden age in China with magnificent achievements in art and literature, this film shows that not everyone enjoyed these benefits, and there were many willing to revolt against the high living elites that ruled the empire. While this is of course a fictionalized story, it is based on revolts and plots against the government that did actually occur. The limited amount of people who actually benefitted from the great art, literature, and overall prosperity throughout history is a point I often try to make. It is important in understanding one of the key reasons that empires fell, the development of a corrupt, pleasure seeking, and neglectful ruling class, whether in Rome, Baghdad, Kyoto, or Changan. This film shows the absolute power of the imperial court, and how it used many methods to bring down those who opposed them. It also is unique in showing some of the cultural attributes of the time, in particular, the wonderful dance that Zhang Ziyi does in the first part of the movie. The costuming is terrific also, and its variety, along with the different locales and perspectives from the characters, shows China as a very complex and richly nuanced society, with a great deal of intrigue and passion
involved in all the events of the time. I think that is one of the things that films add to the rather dry descriptions of textbooks. They allow us to see the strong emotions and the effects on people's lives that were associated with the events so matter of factly presented in textbooks.
The House of Flying Daggers is a beautiful movie that combines a love story, martial arts, strong women, and magical action. Like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, there is a strong woman and incredible scenes where the fighters are battling in the tops of bamboo, etc.
I saw little that I would use in a classroom, however. If you taught cinematography or film, this movie would be a good one to include. The scenery is gorgeous, the action interesting, perspectives unusual, etc.
There is too little to gain in showing it in an English or history class. The setting and plot seem like they could be of value in school: the story takes place in China in 859 (apx), when the Tang Dynasty has become corrupt and hidden fighters are rebelling. But the story doesn't seem realistic or historically accurate. Some possible scenes that could be used:
* There is a short segment when an officer describes how he will torture a prisoner and shows the torturing machine.
* The young woman who is the main character says she is fighting to revenge her father's death (filial piety)
* There are beautiful photos of the Chinese landscape: vistas showing fall trees, bamboo forests, fields of flowers. However, the action of the people in these scenes would distract students from paying much attention to the scenery. (fighting, chasing, kissing, etc.)
In sum, it is an entertaining movie for private viewership, but I see little that could be used in a classroom.
Director Zhang Yimou also directed: HERO, JU DOU, RAISE THE RED LANTERN.
Synopsis
THE LAST EMPEROR is the true story of Pu Yi, the last monarch of a China that changed drastically during his lifetime. Though he comes to power at the age of three and is waited on hand and foot by an army of servants and consorts, Pu Yi is politically powerless. His life becomes a tortuous struggle with this reality, as he is used as a puppet by the Japanese and later reeducated by the communists. Bernardo Bertolucci's award-winning film is epic, lavish, and poignant.
My review:
While this movie was released in 1999, I had it listed on my "to watch" list until recently. This movie is interesting, yet difficult to sit through (very long). It gets tiring and a bit confusing in the latter part. However, I believe it has segments that could be used in the classroom.
Because it attempts to be historically accurate (I will have to trust that it is), there are some beautiful sections that show what the Chinese emperor's life was like in the early part of the 20th century. Pu Yi comes to the Forbidden City as a child, and it is impressive to see the interior of the Forbidden City, how Emperors are treated, and the number of staff required to serve him.
Prior to seeing this movie, I had difficulty imagining what life was like for an Emperor, how isolated his life was from the Chinese people, how little interest he had in their affairs. This isolationism was probably a fact of life through much of Chinese history, and this movie could help to show why Chinese leaders had to use military strength to maintain their positions because they were so separate from the people they served.
The entire first 2/3 of the movie takes place in the Forbidden City -- a huge collection of buildings dedicated to the Emperor and those who take care of him. While the country's leadership changed periodically, Pu Yi was kept only as a figurehead, and the space over which he could move within the complex was reduced. There were conflicts among the staff and problems as his staff was reduced. Perhaps this section could be shown as a look at the daily life of an under-age, powerless leader who is pacified with daily actiivties (tennis, tutoring, etc.) while the country undergoes political strife all around his cocoon.
The latter third of the movie deals with Pu Yi's life after he is forced out of the Forbidden City. His ego, naivete and powerlessness result in his working with the Japanese, which causes the death of many of his countrymen. The Chinese then hate him, his wife hates him, and the Communisits put him in a re-education camp. This section is rather dark, the action is unclear, and I think it would be difficult to show in a classroom. It would, perhaps, be useful in showing a "re-education camp" situation, but I don't know how realistic that portrayal was. It seemed rather tame from what I imagined; the prisoners worked and were educated and tested for many years.
In all, this movie offers glimpses of imperial life and the Forbidden City during the 20th Century and insight into the life of a puppet emperor who seems happy to enjoy the life of luxury and has little interest in the people over which he is supposed to rule.
I was reading through the recommended books and movies in this forum and saw a notation on the movie Women of the Dunes. It is very old (I saw it about 30 years ago) and in black & white.
Did I enjoy watching it? Not really. It is rather depressing. However, it is one of those movies that sticks with you. I think of it often; its images and the situation are haunting. I think about the choices the characters made and the author's message and how it reflects the Japanese philosophy. It would be an interesting movie to show in a film class, but probably would not be useful in a regular school program.
The story is: a women lives alone at the bottom of a sand pit, and her job is to fill up buckets of sand which are sent by pulley to the top. If she stops filling buckets, her house will be buried, and she can't escape. The story is about what happens when a visitor comes, they begin to work together on the task, and she has a choice of leaving the situation.
The symbolism is interesting; here is a woman who is making no progress, who is simply keeping herself from being buried, much as I think housewives may feel on a daily basis. Her life is bleak, joyless, mundane...and yet she keeps plugging away. When a visitor comes to break the monotony, the two of them have to decide how to change the routine, whether to try to escape, etc. A relationship changes the entire dynamics of her life.
Like many Japanese movies, there is no good guy or bad guy, no right path or wrong path, just a look at a situation and options. Life is not wonderful, it is mundane and frustrating, but there is hope that some light may brighten the road, however transitory.
So, if you're in the mood for a movie that makes you think, this one would fit the bill. In the classroom? I don't see an application...but there's no right or wrong answer to that question... : -)
I was making a list of films recommended in our seminar and thought it might be useful to post them for others to consider.
Japanese Inn: the story of Japan for three centuries as seen through one inn (Tokugawa era)
The Ballad of Naryama: 1980's
To Live: 3-hour epic with subtitles, 50 years, history of Japan (reviewed in film section)
Gonza the Spear Man: uncle is training boy to be Samuri, mother teaches gentler arts; what is required of Samuri
Small Happiness: birth of girl in Chinese family, 50 minutes
Happy Times (highly recommended)
JuDou
JSA (Joint Secruity Area) - about Korean DMZ
Gung Ho
Roshaman - 4 perspectives of same situation
I just finished watching "The Weeping Camel." This film was produced by a German consotium in Mongolia.
The film is primarily a look at the lives of Mongolian Camel herders. The people and events are contemorary, but the life style is such that it could be just about anytime in the last 2 or 3 millenia. The story revolves around a female camel that gives birth then rejects the colt. The family attempt to get the mother to accept the colt, but she will not. So, the famil send off two of their sons to retrieve a mucician to come and perform in a ceremony to unite the mother and child.
The film is quite well made and is an intersting look into the lives and culture of these people. Again, other than plastic tubs and a couple of tv and radio references, this film could be depicting just aboput any time in the last couple of thousand years. This is the best part of the film, you get a good overview of their lives and culture. You also get a good view of how hard their lives are as they tie down their gers(most people use the Russian word 'yurt' which is actually a different structure) in the face of a strong storm.
As for the classroom, I would never show the whole film as it would be too "slow" for most students, no explosions, comedy or much "action." There is actually very little dialogue in the film which is subtitled (another detractor for showing it to students). I might use a few clips to demonstate the life style and the environment. This is another stong part of the film as it has many spectacular vista shots of the Gobi desert.
It could also be useful if you were wnating to show images of camels as the film is filled with them and their various antics, whci include their wistful gazes and spitting when annoyed. The camels are real scene stealers.
Overall, it is a wonderful film with limited usefulness in the classroom.
David Dandridge
Last Samurai summary: Set in Japan during the 1870s, (yet filmed in New Zealand) "The Last Samurai" conveys the tale of Capt. Nathan Algren (a very pompous and melodramatic Tom Cruise), as an American military officer hired by the young Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to dispose of the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren falls in love with the Samurai way and grows to love the people, which puts him in the center of a battle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.
I knew going into this movie that everything would tend to focus toward Tom Cruise, but that he was in no way the last Samurai. I learned that the "last Samurai" were indeed a people. I found it arrogant of the director to assume that a visit to the emporer was a natural thing. However, I did like the relationships built between Cruise, Katsumoto, and Taka. One thing that struck me as sad was the tremendous loss of life due to "dying with honor". Watching this film was very interesting, though the snow was a weird touch!
I want to add another film review, Lost In Translation. What a wonderful film, a bit odd at times but thoroughly enjoyable with several hilarious scenes. Basic summary: A famous film actor goes to Japan to make some wiskey commercials (he's being paid $2 million). He hates it and has a series of encounters with a young American women who is there with her husband and she also is not happy in Japan.
Not many uses for the classroom unless you are trying to make a point about translations. There is a great scene when he is actually shooting the commercial with a director who only speaks Japanese and a translator who appears to alter/embelish her translations. A hilarious few minutes.
David Dandridge
The movie Quitting, directed by Zhang Yang, is the story of a real life Chinese actor and his battle with drugs and finally his recovery with the support of a very loving family. Jia Hongsheng and his family, the orderlies, and friends are the actual people playing themselves. The irony in this is that Jia uses the excuse of quitting acting because its phony.
His parents realize that their son is heavily into drugs and his father opts for early retirement and they move in with their son and their daughter (the sister) who has been enabling Jia. Jia is disgusted with his parents, repeatedly calling them “peasants” because they are not from a city. He is critical of how they speak and so forth. The parents basically serve him, wait on him hand and foot and he continues to disrespect them. He is obsessed with John Lennon and starts saying that he is the son of Lennon, denying the lineage he has from his parents. This sends his mother over the edge. Perhaps the director is making a commentary about the influence of the west, breaking up the lineage.
Once he becomes clean, he embraces his Chinese heritage and no longer claims to be the progeny of John Lennon. At about the half way point you realize that this has become a stage play and you see the separate rooms of the apartment divided from the new focal point of the audience, a very nice touch in my opinion. I really liked all the symbolism.
The film is rated R, however I did not notice any really violent scenes, the worst was when he slapped his father. Additionally, there were no truly illicit graphic drug scenes. Although this is not something I could show my students, basically because it would not fit into the Social Studies standards and of course its rating, I think it would be meaningful to them in that it covers a lot of topics and problems they are having, such as drug issues, identity, caring parents, etc. I enjoyed the film.
Frank,
I just recently watched "To Live" based on your recommendation during class. It was a fantastic film, an epic story following the family over a long period of time.
I plan to use it in my classes also but of course I would not be able to show the whole film but might need to show just certain clips. I agree that it is an excellent film to use in a government class as well as economics. When reviewing economic systems the film does a good job of showing the transition from an agricultural economy to a centrally planned economy and the sacrifices made by the people for the good of the state, such as the metal collection quota. Additionally, the symbolism of Mao as the dictator was everywhere, depicted on posters, murals, etc. It was so pervasive in the movie I think that the students may actually remember what it all is in 5 years. One could also tie in propaganda, public opinion and those types of issues wit this film.
A Major Korean hit (hilarious if you like Fast Times at Ridgemont High type films)
genre: youth oriented comedy
setting; high school, roller rink, small town
synopsis: BMOC (although a thug, flunky, falls and gets straight-A girl, nearly loses his status and cool factor when another tough kid transfers to the school. Major a$$ kicking by boys and girls throughout and hilarious adolescent situations.
warning: rife with foul language but some scenes are presentable
Class Use (w/caution)
connections to US culture: young love/lust, 1st kiss, thugs, bullies, rumbles, defending the innocent, brand name conciousness, BMOC.
differences: respect for authority, punishment, banned Prince songs (censorship), intense emergency drills, martial arts
Delightful, hilarious & sad- 2 thumbs up
genre: situational comedy
setting; city, modern day
synopsis: 50 year old bachelor desparate to find a wife- he does (his 18th fiancee) but can't afford her. Lies (his specialty) his way to her heart, she pawns off her blind ex-step daughter Wu (her father moved away, mom dead) on him, he pities/protects Wu, and coerces his friends to help & lie w/him to support Wu's independence from evil stepmother.
rating: ok for classroom
Class Use
connections to US culture: Cinderella characters, free enterprise, love, relationships, materialism
differences: respect for authority, courtship
Ruang Rak Noi Nid Mahasan (Last Life in the Universe) is a Japanese film primarily set in Thailand. The film was very different and eccentric but was again a beauty to look at. Kenji is working as a librarian in Thailand and fantasizes about his own suicide. His fantasies are played out and the viewer is not always sure if you’re in one of his fantasies or if it is actually happening. He’s a loner and is obviously severely depressed. He wears monochromatic light blue which goes with the color of his very clean fastidiously organized apartment and he is definitely the poster child for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
A bizarre chain of events leads him to a Thai girl named Noi who is a complete sloppy filthy disaster and he actually begins to connect with her. Initially there is a huge language barrier and they speak English to communicate with each other (Noi is also trying to learn Japanese). The end is bizarre, lots of death, hit men, jealous ex-boyfriends, and the spirit of Noi’s dead sister. Again, not appropriate for the classroom (unless it is a film class), but the film definitely had its merits.
Note to self: actually read the back summary of the movie before renting it and not rely on a good DVD cover with no rating. This is the latest installment of a Chinese movie I viewed and it is without a doubt the most bizarre and sick film I’ve seen in a long time. I would never show this to students or subject anyone I know to watching it. The River, a film by Tsai Ming-Liang follows a weird family that lives in Taipei, the son who apparently contracts some excruciating neck condition after playing a floating dead body in a movie that was being filmed. This event lasted all of 1 minute. The mother and father sleep in separate bedrooms and you later learn that she is dating a porno distributor and the father frequents homosexual bathhouses. The are generally always eating some sort of take-out food and the apartment appears not to have a real kitchen.
I’ll spare all the twisted weird details. Unlike other Chinese films I’ve seen this one did not have the aesthetic beauty and cool camera angles. It actually had these long drawn out shots that lasted to long and made the film just drag on. But perhaps the director did this on purpose to show how drawn out and painful their lives are. As with the other film I saw which took place in Taipei, there was very little dialogue, but unlike it no visual eye candy.
Miike's films are not appropriate for classrooms. He does, however, stand alongside Miyazake, Wong Kar-Wei, and Hou Hsiao-Hsien as one of the important figures in contemporary Asian cinema. Miike appears to be a filmmaker whose renown is inevitable in circles that regard experimental film as worthwhile and controversy as a partner in art. He is prolific, making 24+ films between 1999-2002. His movies are unpredictable in every way, always making for an interesting viewing. It's been said that he will make any movie he's asked to. Miike's movies are always memorable, for every time I encounter someone whose heard of him, there are always scenes burned into their consciousness to discuss. I should mention that Miike has a reputation of making amazingly grotesque and gruesome thrillers.
He is most famous for the movie Audition, a drama turned horror which upends any notions about the roles of Asian women with a final sequence that is tough for some to stomach. Other notable movies are Visitor Q (quite possibly the most dysfunctional family EVER), Gozu (the ending has been called the "most disturbingly graphic" scene in cinema), Ichi the killer (intense well shot & edited mind bender, though not a good movie to be a woman character in), and The Happiness of the Katakuris (a horror/musical/comedy).
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