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Probably gonna end up skipping GBU and circling back around to it. Being in the mood for a long western has just bottlenecked this project for me. I'll get another review up hopefully this weekend
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Aug 1, 2019 00:41
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For those who want to follow along at home*, Ran is playing at the Rio tonight, 2100. Great thread Jivjov, been reading it from the start. I've watched a lot of Kurosawa because of it, cheers! *Home must be Vancouver, in this case.
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Aug 5, 2019 02:00
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Hey so I did that thing where I neglected my thread for a couple months. Sorry about that! I did skip ahead to the next Ghibli film since I was really feeling up to a nice lil animated piece. The Cat Returns Released July 20th 2002, Directed by Hiroyuki Morita This was a real lovely little film and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I think this is the type of thing that Ghibli films are best at; slice-of-life mixed with some fantasy elements without being a full on fantastical adventure. To tie it into this film...its like a special blend of tea. You can't guarantee the flavor, but its gonna be nice. Like many other Ghibli films, there's some "life lesson" stuff mixed in here along with the straight plot, with our protagonist, Haru, learning to be more confident in herself and be a bit more assertive over the course of the story. She starts out as a fairly heroic figure, literally risking her life to save the Prince from being run over by a truck...but she's got flaws too. She oversleeps and is disorganized, she gave a hesitant non-committal answer that led to her arranged marriage to the Prince. Her adventure helps her prove to herself that she can be a decisive person all the time, not just in moments of instinct. Bringing back the Baron from Whisper of the Heart is a delightful idea! He's a fun swashbuckling presence, and I really like the idea of these Ghibli films not necessarily being in continuity with each other but all existing at right angles to one another, intersecting at neat little points. Kinda reminds me of things like the Final Fantasy series. The Baron as a character absolutely couldn't carry a film on his own as written...but he works as a great deuteragonist. We don't really see anything resembling flaws from him, but he's a neat fun supporting presence. Overall, this is just another one of those Ghibli films that leaves me with a smile. Its not a three course meal...nor is it candy and junkfood. This is the ham sandwich and a banana of movies; simple, filling, pleasant. Up Next: The Tale of Zatoichi Released April 12th 1962, Directed by Kenji Misumi EDIT: Happy Belated 4th Anniversary to this thread, and Actual 4th Anniversary of the first Miyazaki film I watched for the thread.
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Sep 3, 2019 01:25
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 The Tale of Zatoichi Released April 12th 1962, Directed by Kenji Misaim I find myself really enjoying period samurai films, and it's nice to see a non-Kurosawa one, just to enjoy some differences in style and tone. I really enjoyed a lot of the camera work in this one; to my eye, many shots were very utilitarian and rote...which made the occasional crash zoom or odd angle/framing all the more impactful. It's like an exclamation point put to film. The final big yakuza battle having diagetic music and sound effects was also an inspired choice. Zatoichi feels both similar and distinct from characters like the nameless samurai from Yojimbo. Honestly the closest comparative I have takes me all the way back to Sanshiro Sugata. Ichi feels really uniquely flawed, blindness is a serious impairment for a fighter, after all. The film treads a fine line between presenting blindness realistically and making him being blind a superpower rather than a handicap...but I think the movie overall hits more than it misses. The acting contributes quite a bit, with many small moments like feeling out for ledges with his toes, or never ever reaching for something that he would need handed to him standing out. I found myself not really caring much about the overall plot of two rival yakuza gangs...but I was very invested in the smaller story of Ichi and Hirate's....rivalry? Competition? Encounters? It's all very tropey, but presented very well. We get some of the "personal honor versus sheer effectiveness" debate that I noticed in some early Kurosawa work, what with a ronin fighting ill rather than sully his reputation by being associated with firearms. And the final conflict between the two was a great subversion of the one strike fight common in the genre...it ends up dragging juuuuuust far enough past that point. I would love to watch all of the Zatoichi films if they stay this good...but in a 26 entry series, I deeply fear diminishing returns. Up Next: High and Low Released March 1st 1963, Directed by Akira Kurosawa jivjov fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Aug 10, 2020 |
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Sep 3, 2019 05:07
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Tragic lack of House (Obayashi, 1977) here.
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Sep 16, 2019 14:57
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sean10mm posted:Tragic lack of House (Obayashi, 1977) here. I can add it to the bonus reviews pile!
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Sep 16, 2019 19:43
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jivjov posted:I can add it to the bonus reviews pile! This is like saving the steak for dessert.
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Sep 17, 2019 15:00
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Franchescanado posted:This is like saving the steak for dessert. Historically I've worked in bonus reviews in the same rough chronological order; not put them all at the end
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Sep 17, 2019 23:36
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 High and Low Released March 1st 1963, Directed by Akira Kurosawa This one didn't go anywhere near the directions I thought it was going to. I was expecting the bulk of the film to be about Toshiro Mifune's character, Gondo, coming around on paying the ransom for a kid who wasn't his...but that all gets wrapped up in the first act and the rest of the movie feels more like Stray Dog, a "chase down the kidnapper" procedural. In some ways that's kinda nice, as a straight exploration of a character and their choices and the human condition is something we've seen from Kurosawa several times before, but in other ways it sorta feels like the two arcs of the movie don't quite fit together as seamlessly as they could. There was also quite a lot of talk about the corporate politics of Gondo's shoe company that really didn't seem to go anywhere. Neat worldbuilding, but didn't really seem to serve the plot much, other than being a justification for Gondo's money issues. As always, Mifune himself was on top form, I really bought the struggle of Gondo trying to decide whether or not to do the right thing and pay the ransom. I like that he didn't have a big flashbulb change of heart, and it was always a slightly grudging thing for him. On the other hand, the police detectives felt more like stock stereotypes more than distinct characters. Nothing about them was bad...but just felt kinda rote. The police investigation itself is accompanied by some shots and sequences I really liked. I'm always fond of heist-style planning montages, and when the cops are all trying to figure out where the kidnapper is phoning from there's some fun montages of seeing which phone booths have good views, interviewing passersby, etc. Good stuff! Overall, this movie felt a little bit rote, but Kurosawa being rote is still a darn enjoyable film. Up Next: Howl's Moving Castle Released November 20th 2004, Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
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Sep 19, 2019 01:20
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 Howl's Moving Castle Released November 20th 2004, Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Here we have a really strong anti-war, pro-love film from Hayao Miyazaki. This should surprise no one, given the man's attitude, demeanor, body of work....but yeah, this one is pretty heavily on the nose. Also common to Studio Ghibli films is the really fascinating world depicted. I could just see life bursting out of every frame, as if there are a million and one other stories happening just around the corner from Sophie and Howl. I've come to recognize that that's one of the things I appreciate most about these films. The worldbuilding is done just by having frame after frame, cityscape after cityscape, verdant field after verdant field so chock full of little detail that it really seems like a camera was set up in the real world, rather than this being a drawn and animated piece. And some of the detail work really is astounding. For being abhorrent weapons of war, the various air machines are incredibly well designed and animated. It probably all circles back around into Miyazaki's love of planes and flying. My cursory research into the film tells me that it was considered a bold move to have an old woman (or, at least, a young woman trapped in the form of an old woman) be the leading character...and I think that's sort of the danger in doing a retrospective review series like this. For me, this movie isn't some new bold decision, its something that came out very nearly 15 years ago and is well loved. I don't have that hurdle to get over because I'm coming to the film post-facto. I'm really not sure why this review in particular has become a metacommentary in a very conversational style, but I guess I'm just rolling with it. I kinda wish I hadn't slept on Ghibli films for so long...but I guess the cool thing is that I'm in a position to come to all of the films at my leisure and have them easily and readily available in their original language and presentation, which is really nice. I really enjoyed this one, though if I had to bring up a little quibble, it feels like the movie was at war with itself on if it was going to be Sophie's story or the war's story. While clearly the main idea was to see everything from Sophie's perspective, there's quite a lot of time spent on the machinations of wizards and witches and demons that doesn't really seem to pan out as I would have hoped. Its certainly not a bad thing to have that subplot...but I feel like it was either a bit underdeveloped, or a bit too forward for background elements. The war story needed to slide one way or the other to make the whole movie come together. Next up, a bonus review of a film recommended by a few people upthread! Up Next: Tokyo Story Released November 3rd 1953, Directed by Yasujirō Ozu
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Sep 30, 2019 02:02
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Somewhat related, but I had a chance to attend Joe Hisashi in concert this past weekend where he and the orchestra played a number of songs from spirted away, totoro, and several Takeshi Kitano films. Highly recommended if you ever get the opportunity. It has also inspired me to watch more Kitano films.
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Oct 1, 2019 06:05
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Just finished Tokyo Story. Gonna need to stew on this one a bit before I write up a full review...but drat that was a hell of a feature.
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Dec 1, 2019 05:26
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 Tokyo Story Released November 3rd 1953, Directed by Yasujirō Ozu This one was not what I expected in the slightest. I'm not really sure what I expected, but a slow, thoughtful, intimate treatise on aging, mortality, and separating from one's children wasn't really on the list. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the plot itself; despite being almost two hours and twenty minutes long, the film is incredibly straightforward. All the twists and turns come from the characters themselves, not any sort of convoluted plotting. I kinda wish I did have more to say on the plot...but I'll leave it at how heartbreaking it was. All the kids were too busy for their aging parents, and then they'd never have the chance to change that. I've mentioned worldbuilding in several of my reviews before now, and this is another film that does it very, very well. All of the characters feel believable and real. They all have things going on in and around the direct plot of this movie and none of them feel like they exist solely to be a character. My favorite example of this is Shūkichi's alcoholism. Yes it comes up in the movie, yes there's an entire sequence devoted to him getting too drunk out on the town...but his character isn't completely defined by this trait, nor is the sequence we see said to be his only experience with drinking too much. "Shūkichi struggles with drinking" is a fact of the entire world here, not just a fact of this plot. On a production note, this film was incredibly raw. For all the interior scenes, even when doing a shot-reverse shot conversation, the camera is just sitting there right in the midst of things. Its almost like you-the-viewer is another member of the family, sitting there, but silent. Everything is very intimate. Most travel is completely skipped, so all we're seeing is the important conversations (or lack of conversations) in these people's lives. "Cramped" is the wrong word, but that's sorta how it feels. There's just not enough room on these sets, in this story, for us to be, and yet here we are watching this family drama unfold. Overall, I'm very glad this was recommended to me and I took the time to watch it. Up next, one more bonus review of a film with "Story" in the title! Up Next: Cruel Gun Story Released February 1st 1964, Directed by Takumi Furukawa
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Dec 1, 2019 14:47
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Tokyo Story is the Ozu I've been saving whenever I'm next in a really bad rut of movie watching and need something good to pull me out of it. Cruel Gun Story is pretty fun- though that whole Nikkatsu Noir boxset is worth a watch.
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Dec 1, 2019 18:48
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 Cruel Gun Story Released February 1st 1964, Directed by Takumi Furukawa I was really really enjoying the first two acts of this one, but the ending really dragged it down for me. I'm a sucker for a good heist film, and the assembly of the crew, the arrangement of the plan (especially the "flash forward" to the idealized iteration of the heist!), and the heist itself were really fun! I'm always a sucker for the "Things almost go wrong 2 or 3 times before they actually go off the rails" trope. But after the heist itself is pulled off, the double crosses come a little too hot and heavy for my liking. When I'm watching a heist, I don't mind if one person or a duo suddenly has a secret agenda...but this one made me distrust literally everyone except our lead and didn't give me a whole lot to sink my teeth into on exactly why. And the "shot the wrong man" ending felt more comically nihilistic rather than any kind of tragic or pitiable. All in all, pretty lukewarm on the movie as a whole. I still plan on checking out the rest of the Nikkatsu Noir boxset eventually though. Up Next: Red Beard Released April 3rd 1965, Directed by Akira Kurosawa
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Dec 2, 2019 04:10
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 Red Beard Released April 3rd 1965, Directed by Akira Kurosawa I end my 2019 by watching the end of Akira Kurosawa's long and illustrious partnership with Toshiro Mifune. I don't know why, but I had somehow gotten it into my head that this one was another Shakespearean-style adaptation, so I was pleasantly surprised that, while it is an adaptation, it fits right in to the Kurosawa mold of a character exploration with a side dose of sick people! All said, I really enjoyed this one. Mifune got quite a bit to do, playing a nicer-Doctor-House-in-Japan, and he even gets an action scene that really feels like it was a near fourth wall break just to showcase Mifune beating up guys. I also really want to call out the set design and the Kurosawa hallmark environmental effects. The little clinic had a fantastic sense of presence and space; its a really rich setting with character all its own, not just a location for story...but unlike something like The Lower Depths, the story is allowed to range beyond its walls. And then there's stuff like the rain and wind and snow and earthquakes...this is a story set in the world. Despite the medical setting, there's no sterility here. Things are dirty and occasionally hazardous. The character journey of Dr. Yasumoto is also really fun to watch. Is it earth shattering or novel? No, not really. Its a fairly bog standard "selfish man learns the error of his ways" type journey...but this one digs into the guts of what that kind of character transformation would require someone to experience. The three hour runtime is put to good use, Yasumoto's turn doesn't feel rushed or unearned at all by the end of things. All around a good film, and its bittersweet to know I don't have any more Kurosawa-Mifune power features to look forward to. Up Next: Tales from Earthsea Released July 29th 2006, Directed by Goro Miyazaki
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Jan 1, 2020 04:26
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I find Red Beard to be a huge slog tbh. It may not be Kurosawa's absolute worst (Like its not Most Beautiful bad at least), but I just don't think the central relationship between the doctors is at all interesting and that action scene you mentioned is like one of the most out of place things in Kurosawa's entire career. Real shame that the Kurosawa/Mifune collaborations ended here and not on High & Low or something. Raxivace fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Jan 1, 2020 |
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Jan 1, 2020 04:44
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jivjov posted:Up Next: Tales from Earthsea Released July 29th 2006, Directed by Goro Miyazaki Be afraid. Be very afraid.
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Jan 1, 2020 05:28
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Raxivace posted:I find Red Beard to be a huge slog tbh. It may not be Kurosawa's absolute worst (Like its not Most Beautiful bad at least), but I just don't think the central relationship between the doctors is at all interesting and that action scene you mentioned is like one of the most out of place things in Kurosawa's entire career. I ended up splitting this one over two nights at the intermission since I had to work early this morning, so maybe having that break in the middle helped keep it from feeling like a slog to me? The fight scene is absolutely out of place...but I accepted it as being a moment for Mifune the actor not Red Beard the character and just went with it
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Jan 1, 2020 05:35
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I just remember one scene of a dying woman trying to reach a window (?). It's been a long time since I've seen it.
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Jan 1, 2020 22:30
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mllaneza posted:Be afraid. Be very afraid. This movie is loving gorgeous, it's gonna have to take a hard swerve to lose me after the opening 15 minutes
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Jan 4, 2020 18:12
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Can I recommend Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters? It’s one of the best movie watching experiences I’ve ever had.
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Jan 4, 2020 20:53
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 Tales from Earthsea Released July 29th 2006, Directed by Goro Miyazaki This one has a bad rap that I don't think it deserves. About 15 minutes into this one, I decided it was one of the most beautiful Studio Ghibli features I had ever seen. And this holds up through the rest of the film. I read, but don't know the veracity of, the factoid that the elder Hayao Miyazaki had done a lot of work on Hort Town before passing the project off to his son...and that's something I could absolutely buy. Hort Town has that ineffable Miyazaki quality of feeling like a delightful (though a bit run-down, in this case) settlement with dozens of other stories happening just out of frame from the story we're following. The world of Earthsea as a whole gives me really big fantasy vibes that I like quite a bit, it's like Breath of the Wild with a dash of Shannara. The tired and decrepit nature of the world with pockets of thriving human civilization is just a high-concept setting that really speaks to me. The characters in Earthsea are typical fantasy archetypes...with just enough distinct substance to dig into. Sparrowhawk is the wandering archmage, Arren is the troubled youth, Theru is the runaway child with a dark secret....its nothing particularly earth shattering or new...but its comfortable and familiar, like a favorite meal. My only bit character complaint is Cob...who I felt was hewing WAY too close to the pervasive stereotype of effeminate men being evil. The movie plays with the idea that Cob is disguising himself with magic....but that ultimately is seen as his desire for youth and immortality rather than anything with regards to a gender role or gendered appearance. Overall, this is a solid entry in the Studio Ghibli lineup, with good messages about the nature of mortality and the concept of inner darkness. There are some lingering questions at the end, like what's going to happen with the whole "Arren killed the king, who is also his father" thing...but leaving the world in a vague state rather than wrapping everything up with a pat little bow is absolutely a valid storytelling choice. Before we go back to Kurosawa, I just can't bear not slipping in a little more love for Toshiro Mifune, so: Up Next: Hell in the Pacific Released December 18th 1968. Directed by John Boorman jivjov fucked around with this message at 18:42 on May 30, 2020 |
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Jan 4, 2020 20:54
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SleepCousinDeath posted:Can I recommend Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters? It’s one of the best movie watching experiences I’ve ever had. It has been added to the list.
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Jan 4, 2020 21:06
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I haven't seen Tales from Earthsea, it's definitely a film that is controversial in fan circles for differing from the books. Here is a response from Ursula K. LeGuin, the author: https://web.archive.org/web/20110717214649/http://www.ursulakleguin.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html I think she has mellowed a little on some of the issues, like that of race, as she learned more about Japanese depictions, but don't quote me on that. At least it's better than the SyFy adaptation.
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Jan 5, 2020 05:07
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Yeah, my cursory reading indicated the feelings went from "you made a good movie, but it doesn't represent my work" to "oh god you ruined my work" to "well, it exists, and my stuff exists, and that's fine" over the years
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Jan 5, 2020 05:11
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Le Guin was ultimately happier with the Studio Ghibli adaption than the SciFi Channel one, and by a wide margin. Personally, I just thought it was cliched as hell and had nothing of it's own about it. Have you read any Mishima ? I've read a few of his short stories in an English course that took some risks with material. Examples include a story with a suicide that takes 3 pages between cutting the carotid and the sweet release of death. That had some real impact.. I've seen 4 Chapters, but it's a hell of a ride. Enjoy.
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Jan 5, 2020 05:31
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I'm going to do something I've never done before and review a film out of its intended order. Here's a quick background on why this is: Every few months, me and around ten of my friends hold a film "festival" in which we all submit a movie based around a theme prompt, then we democratically determine 5 of our submissions to watch through over the course of a day, punctuated with discussion and food breaks. This last Saturday, we held the 5th iteration of this group cinema effort, with the theme of Triumph. The final movie of the day was The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Since I just watched it, it was fresh in my mind, and we all sat around and talked about it for a bit...I figured I might as well do the thread review for it as well.  The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Released November 23rd 2013, Directed by Isao Takahata Off the bat, I just want to say that this might be one of the best looking animated films that I've ever had the pleasure of watching. The watercolor style just pops off the screen so well, and virtually any given still from the movie could be framed and hung on my wall. As for the story itself...it was a very enigmatic one. The Princess herself seems to simultaneously have quite a bit of agency while also being completely beholden to the whims of others. Her adoptive Earth father is able to just uproot (no pun intended) her entire life and virtually imprison her in a mansion she never wanted...but she's then able to send her five powerful suitors off to the ends of the world on a fruitless chase. Then she gets psudeo-tricked into "calling" out to her original space moon family (after the literal Emperor assaults her), who come and more or less kidnap her back. Its a study in contrasts, and one I found most intriguing was the struggle between the patriarchal structure of society versus a young woman with literal cosmic power. It never felt like it was beating me over the head with a "gently caress the patriarchy" lesson...but that came through just in the telling of the tale. This seems like a fable kept to the original style rather than "Disney-fied". Its bittersweet, even if all our main characters survive. It teaches some harder lessons about growing up and things changing with less sugarcoating than the average kid's message movie. I finished this one up feeling a bit melancholy and introspective, rather than uplifted. Up Next: Hell in the Pacific Released December 18th 1968. Directed by John Boorman
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Feb 5, 2020 06:07
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 Hell in the Pacific Released December 18th 1968. Directed by John Boorman Holy hell I'm glad I slotted this one in as a farewell to Toshiro Mifune, cause he's excellent in this. The back and forth between the American and the Japanese man is already a great premise, and Mifune just takes that premise and runs with it. Even without subtitles, its pretty easy to tell exactly what he's saying and communicating. Not to discredit Lee Marvin...but given that I share a language with him, I find it easier to just nod and accept him at face value. The evovling relationship between the two stranded men is a nailbiter to watch play out...but up until the point when the build the raft it has an air of inevitability. These two men HAVE to work together because it is plainly obvious neither will survive alone. The real meat of the story comes very late when the reach the abandoned military outpost and have a modicum of security, what with having shelter and supplies. Mifune becoming enraged by the magazine depictions of Japanese casualties and POWs while Marvin's rage comes from the idea that Japanese people don't believe in god really skews the sympathetic perspective pretty firmly in favor of Mifune. We gotta talk about the ending though...having them be randomly shelled out of nowhere is....not great. The alternate ending (my cursory research is unclear on if its the "intended" ending or not) with the pair going their separate ways...but still stranded...feels much better. I know it would be a completely different film if they ended having found their way back to civilization, but that was honestly what I had been expecting the whole time. I was expecting the ambiguity to stem from what would happen to them after getting "home", not on if they'd ever get home or not. But as it stands, I like the idea of a tentative alliance crumbling to pieces after the introduction of alcohol. Striping away their inhibitions left them at the whims of passion. Overall a really good watch. Up Next: 2020 Kansas City Japanese Film Festival
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Feb 23, 2020 04:42
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 Mifune: The Last Samurai Released November 25th 2016. Directed by Steven Okazaki First off...I didn't actually mean to double feature this with Hell in the Pacific...but I accidently clicked play on a rental and I didn't want to not actually watch it in the three day window and accidently waste my money. So. Documentary about Mifune time. Off the bat...I wasn't a huge fan of Keanu's narration. He wasn't...bad, but he felt really really dry. And not in the dry sardonic way he plays some roles. I think he just loses a lot of nuance when you can see his facial expressions and body language. But the narrator is, generally, not the focal point of a documentary. On Mifune himself, I found this look into his life to be a little too surface level for my tastes. Probably came from not having the man himself around to speak on his life, nor his most famous collaborator, Akira Kurosawa. We're left with co-stars sharing (good) anecdotes, Spielberg sharing inspirations, and Mifune's eldest son sharing reminiscences. Everyone seems to agree that Mifune was a very private and reclusive man, even his more boisterous hobbies like racing cars and heavy drinking seemed to be a veneer over a more private self...and that leaves the documentary feeling a bit more like a wikipedia article than a feature film...but it was still an interesting look at the career trajectory of one of Japan's most famous actors. Up Next: 2020 Kansas City Japanese Film Festival
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Feb 23, 2020 06:32
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Another year, another Kansas City Japanese Film Festival! Something I've noticed from documenting them like I have been, ever year I've gone there's been one movie I've seen before and three brand new to me. That's a solid distribution. My Neighbor Totoro Released April 16th 1988, Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Totoro is always such a good time. There were a couple kids in the audience and everyone was having an absolute blast. I'm absolutely enamored with the rural Japanese setting.  Summer Days with Coo Released July 28th 2007, Directed by Keiichi Hara I was not at all expecting the feels trip this one took me on. I'm lowkey kinda glad it wasn't 100% idyllic...but I could have used a content warning on dog trauma.  Wolf Children Released July 21st 2012, Directed by Mamoru Hosoda This one was heartbreaking in a really good way. Loved the duality of the Yuki and Ame's choices. It also felt like two movies in one, in a good way. It was a huge movie that never felt poorly paced or plodding.  Rurouni Kenshin: Origins Released August 25th 2012, Directed by Keishi Ōtomo This is definitely a live-action adaptation of a shonen manga series, alright. Would have liked to see a sub-90 minute version, and maybe some more stylization to the action beyond “slow-mo” Up Next: Dodes'ka-den Released October 31 1970. Directed by Akira Kurosawa jivjov fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Feb 24, 2020 |
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Feb 23, 2020 17:55
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 Dodes'ka-den Released October 31 1970. Directed by Akira Kurosawa Kurosawa's color debut is certainly a...strange piece. The interlaced vignettes serve to make this simultaneously disjointed and cohesive. There isn't one solid through-line of plot...but all of these disparate happenings feel inexorably connected and part of the same world. The linking character of Roku, with his imaginary trolly car, was less integral to the goings on that I originally assumed going in...but he really is the thread that binds this miserable community together. I see a lot of Kurosawa-isms in this world, which is probably what drew him to want to direct this work. People with illnesses, people with issues, people with strange tics, people in terrible situations of their own making and people in terrible situations not of their own making...this looks and feels nothing like Kurosawa's other works...but at the same time bears the same flavor. The use of color is so striking in this film...in some scenes everything looks normal...and then there's a pan over to something BRIGHT AND GARISH, and then there's the handful of full on hallucinations and imaginations that just leap off the screen. Skin tones vary wildly and carry so many implications about characters, walls and doors are setpieces in their own right rather than just scenery. Dodes'ka-den really feels like a giant playground for all things color, and its really a drat shame that there aren't more color Kurosawas. The actual experience of watching and engaging with this film was, honestly, rather brutal. The vignettes are almost universally bleak and horrid, and while it was definitely a worthwhile watch I don't think this is one I'll be revisiting too terribly often. Up Next: Ponyo Released July 19th 2008. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
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Apr 6, 2020 05:25
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Sorry for the temporary death of the thread. One would have thought quarantine would have had me watching loads of movies but I just haven't really been feeling it. I'll try to get to Ponyo tomorrow or Saturday
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Apr 30, 2020 04:46
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jivjov posted:Sorry for the temporary death of the thread. One would have thought quarantine would have had me watching loads of movies but I just haven't really been feeling it. I'll try to get to Ponyo tomorrow or Saturday That'll make you feel better ! It's a hella sweet movie, and Tina Fey is solid as the mom.
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Apr 30, 2020 07:31
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 Ponyo Released July 19th 2008. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki What a delightful and charming tale of growing up! It really does fit into the Miyazaki mold of exploring childhood and responsibility, wish a dash of magic on top. I do like that this one does end with pretty solid happiness all around, without the touch of bittersweetness that sometimes sneaks into the story resolution of Ghibli films; there's nothing wrong with there being some bad with the good...but sometimes its nice to just have the happy ending. I also really enjoyed there not really being a villain of the piece at all. Fujimoto causes some problems...but he's first and foremost just a distressed father looking to rescue his kid. There's a touch of the "hey humans, maybe stop polluting the environment?" theme that crops up from time to time in Ghibli films, but its much less prominent than in other films. Overall this one was simple, straightforward, beautiful, sweet, and happy. The best film to watch during the age of the COVID-19 quarantine. Up Next: Lady Snowblood Released December 1st 1973. Directed by Toshiya Fujita
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May 10, 2020 18:17
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As an addendum that I didn't want in the body of the main review itself...it fucks me up that Ponyo came out after I graduated high school.
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May 10, 2020 18:18
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jivjov posted:As an addendum that I didn't want in the body of the main review itself...it fucks me up that Ponyo came out after I graduated high school. Yeah, it's been a looooong road since then. It's a truly adorable movie all the way through, and the English voice cast did a superb job.
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May 10, 2020 19:03
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I went with the subbed version, but i do see that that dub has some great names in it
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May 10, 2020 19:59
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 Lady Snowblood Released December 1st 1973. Directed by Toshiya Fujita I watched this Thursday morning. Then my basement flooded, my main drain backed up, and my dryer shorted out. My review here is gonna be a bit...short and scattershot since all my thoughts on watching were kinda pushed out of my head. I liked this, but it seemed almost too over the top in execution while still taking itself seriously in concept. Like, there was a misalignment in the process somewhere. Definitely can see the inspiration this provided to stuff like Kill Bill and other revenge flicks. Love the interplay of using a network of crooks to find specific targets. Up Next: Dersu Uzala Released August 2nd 1975. Directed by Akira Kurosawa
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May 30, 2020 23:06
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| # ? May 15, 2024 16:40 |
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In the event of forums existence collapse, I'll still be posting my reviews on my Letterboxd. https://letterboxd.com/jivjov/
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Jun 24, 2020 13:28
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