May 05, 2012: “As Good as it Gets”

Ever once in a while I have a dish made by someone else that is truly inspiring. The most inspiring chef I know is Yoshio and has been for quite some time, now. He made me a mushroom omelette once, that I made each and every single day until I had it right (the way he made it!) A while back he made me a delicious summer salad, and this is my attempt to reproduce it. This one is bit involved, but worth it. It is  cold salad, so you want to keep veggies chilled and cook the noodles a little before serving time to bring them to a cool temp.

“As Good as it Gets” Noodle Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 Bundle (136g.) Udon Noodle          1/2 Sheet Nori
• 4 Baby Zucchini                                    1 Tblsp. Grated Ginger
• 4 Baby Bella Mushrooms                     1 Egg
• 1/4C. Shredded Daikon                      4 Grape (or gourmet) Tomatoes

Boil noodles in H2O with a little sal de mer and a few drops of oil for no more than 5 minutes. Immediately rinse with cool H2O. Drain well. Dribble a little oil over noodles and mix. Cool in fridge.

On a dry cutting board, with a very sharp knife, slice the nori in 3″ X  1/4″ strips and out aside. Scramble egg and add a dribble of mirin. Over low-medium heat on a 6″ non-stick pan add a dribble or corn oil, and fry egg for about a minute, flip and cook for a few seconds and remove to plate. This egg mixture is called tamago. Cut ends off zucchini and quarter. Slice baby bella mushroom thin. Put aside. Grate ginger and daikon separately (the ginger will color daikon, best to grate daikon first.) I put a little rice vinegar in each daikon and ginger to keep fresh.

Make dressing: 1/2 Tsp. Olive oil + 1 Tsp. Mirin + 1  Tblsp. each Rice Vinegar and Shoyu

You may now assemble the salad. Section tomatoes, if not bite size. Slice tamago thinly. Place noodles in each bowl, cover with veggies and tamago strips. Top with dressing and then nori and toasted sesame seeds.

Loving, as I do, cooking and films, this recipe gets yet another inspiration and that is from the 1997 movie “As Good as it Gets.” In this Jack Nicholson plays the terrible curmudgeon Melvin Udall. Melvin is so out of touch with his fellow-man that he manages to out-Scrooge Scrooge! He is relentlessly vicious to his gay neighbor, Simon Bishop, played by Gregg Kinnear. Melvin’s long-suffering waitress-turned-love interest is Carol Connelly played by Helen Hunt.

Melvin’s journey from terrible human to passable (and dare I say, thoughtful) person is a long one, managing to irritate just about everyone he meets, as he goes through his arch. The audience quickly recognizes the glass house that Melvin is living in: his obsessive-compulsive behavior coupled with his mean-spirit and tantrums of a child, and one cannot help but wish Melvin just STOP throwing his stones, but he continues with painful regularity. It’s funny that Melvin makes his living writing crappy romances as he is about as far from romantic as possible, and sings “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” when he is as out of touch with both brightness and life as one can be.

Melvin’s first chink in his substantial armor: a sweet puppy belonging to his much-beleagered neighbor, Simon. Melvin is forced to take on the puppy when Simon is beaten up.

The movie has a lot of gem moments, including but not limited to: Gregg Kinnear’s brave and funny imitation of Jack Nicholson and two of my favorite directors (Lawrence Kasdan and Harold Ramis) as actors in bit parts. There are a number of very funny and acidic one-liners, as well as a few very sweet and poignant ones, from the film, but this is the dialog that inspired today’s recipe: [The scene is in a car that the three leads have taken on a road trip. Simon has just opened up to Carol. Melvin is jealous because he is not even close to that kind of openness.]

Carol (to Simon): “Hey, we all have these terrible stories to get over, and you…”

Melvin: “That’s not true. Some of us have great stories, pretty stories…that take place at lakes, with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car…but a lot of people, that’s their story: good times…noodle salad!”

So, there you have it…inspiration from a really fantastic chef and a wonderful movie. This recipe is truly “as good as it gets!”

March 24, 2012: Writhing About On Moors

"Jane Eyre" 2011 What's up with the Brontes and moors anyway?

For a while, I’ve been toying with writing an article on Japanese writers and directors telling classic English stories. When I found a new version of “Jane Eyre” (2011) and saw that the director with a Japanese name, yet one that I was unfamiliar with, I thought I had a score! It was only after watching the movie, that I did my research on the director, Cary Fukunaga, and found out he is actually American, raised in California, so I shelved my original idea for the time being.

I found I was stuck in another way also. Sometimes I see a film which has everything I could possible ask for and somehow it still falls flat. I often attribute this to “mood” and it’s usually not worth pursuing, but “Jane Eyre” was different. It got such solid high marks on just about every aspect, that I just couldn’t figure out why I just didn’t LOVE it!

So, all that is good: I thought Cary Fukunaga did a very good job directing. I have never read Charlotte Bronté’s original, but I admire the courage of a newish director taking on a much-loved (and often produced) classic. I’ve seen his “Sin Nombre” at the library and will snap it up the next time I’m there. I’m also looking forward to his “No Blood, No Guts, No Glory” about a spy and Union soldiers as they try to pull off a heist that will put an early end to the Civil War. His commentary on “Jane Eyre” was a tad dry as he focused on the technical (although he warned us he was going to, at the beginning.) I was more interested what drew him to this particular story. Fukunaga’s story of the stallion that had a…ahem…crush on Michael Fassbender was worth any of those parched moments. I believe this makes Fassbender the only actor I know to have his appeal cross not only genders, but species!

Next: production value was top-notch! Really good cinematography using realistic light sources (like candlelight and fire) a la “Barry Lyndon.” Excellent costumes, makeup, and locations set the mood very well. Dario Marianelli who picked up the Oscar for “Atonement” did the music. The story was well done and had a blend of genres: romance, gothic horror, action, drama, with a tiny bit a humor thrown in.

Next: acting. This movie had a pretty much dream-team for me. Michael Fassbender (300; Inglourius Basterds) plays the male lead, Edward Rochester. Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) played the female lead of Jane. Dame Judi Dench plays Mrs. Fairfax and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) plays St. John Rivers. Fassbender as Rochester is the ultimate bad-boy. He will get no high marks on his “daddy” scores but other than that, he is the guy every girl wants to turn around. His rough good looks seems to work just fine as many female reviewers praised him as choice eye-candy. I bet he takes that rugged lopsided grin to bed each night with reviews like that (lucky SOB!) Mia Wasikowska was a bit of surprise, for me. I thought her as a choice of “Alice” in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” was…well…unique, but outside of her looking just like the original Tenniel illustrations of the vorpal warrior, I couldn’t really see her as Alice. But, she was just wonderful as Jane. Strong-willed, self-possessed, intelligent, a very strong female lead. Judi Dench…well…if there was a film called “Dame Judi Reads the Back of the Cereal Box”…I’d watch it. She adds some good background and some light humor, then graciously allows the leads to take over.

Of course, all the fans of the original story have some criticism of the film: largely that pieces of the story were left out. But, c’mon folks, film-makers have to get films down under two hours so the ones of us who don’t know the original will go in the first place! But, I had no pre-conceived notions, never having read the original, so I was still plagued: liking every single piece, I still did not like the sum total! Why?!!!

After, mulling it over, the part I liked the least was the tortured love story. Too much writhing about on the moors! It was…just so…Heathcliff-ish!!! “Oooooooh!” was my next thought. “Waitaminute…Heathcliff…moors..Oh, yeah, that’s another Bronté story, isn’t it?” A quick fact-check away confirmed “Wuthering Heights” is Emily Bronté’s story!

So, I figure the movie is fine…it’s just my personal Bronté issue that gets in my own way. Someday, maybe some kind female will explain three things that just don’t permeate through my bachelor noggin: purses, curtains, and the Bronté sisters!

November 30, 2011: “American Pastime”

There is this prejudice I just have to get over, and that is that I have it in my mind that I hate any film that has a sports orientation. Although a rather harmless one, and certainly only affecting me,  like most prejudices they exist only in the mind, have little to do with reality, and invariably limit growth. So, there were these two movies on the library shelf that I have been avoiding forever, even ‘tho I was pretty sure that a part of me would really like them. The first was “Invictus” that I saw last month. Loved it. C’mon. Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela? One of my most favorite poems in the title? Why did I wait so long? And, after that experience, why did I wait another month to try “American Pastime?” Why? Well, that’s the part of myself  I struggle with.

“American Pastime” begins as a an American utopia: it’s title sequence uses a blend of documentary footage of 1941 combined with movie stills to tell a quick story of a group of young integrated friends as they grow up in California. The movie starts as these friends are hanging out upstairs, talking about their loves: jazz, baseball, and their favorite movie stars. Their parents are downstairs organizing a cookout for them all. I love the quick pan of the food on the table where you get to see corn on the cob, spaghetti with sauce, and riceballs (and what I think is okonomiyaki!!!) all together on one table. This is an America that was supposed to be. Unfortunately, December 7th, 1941, the “Day of Infamy,” changed all of that.

Within the first few minutes of the film, the Nomura family (father, mother, and two teenage brothers) are packed up, along with 120,000 others of Japanese-Americans, told to sell all they own, and are shipped off inland, the Nomuras to Utah to be interred in the Topaz Relocation Center.

I’ve written about this black chapter of American history before in my article “Kiri’s Piano” and I readdress it here, because I still find it hard to believe that America interred it’s own citizens with no proof of collusion with an enemy. Yes, America was at war, but we were at war with the Germans and Italians at the same time, yet only Japanese-Americans were interred.

The Nomura family, along with their fellow internees, try to form a sense of normalcy in their new and rather bleak surroundings. The deal with the bigotry of not only their guards, but also a few of the townspeople, as they go into town to buy supplies to improve their camp. One of the things I like about “American Pastime” is that the bigotry is dealt with in a realistic way. They show people the way they really are: not every one of the townspeople is hostile, some of those who are, change to the better. Some will simply, never let go of their hatred. The bond that all the people have in common is the game. Baseball is the cultural glue of the American people and as long as you play well (physically and ethically) it doesn’t matter what your heritage is. Dignity and mutual respect can be achieved through excellence.

“American Pastime” is not a perfect movie. It tries a little too hard to stuff many worthwhile topics into the film: bigotry in time of war: issues between fathers and sons, between brothers, between lovers: all very noble topics, but a little too much for one film. Still if you like dramas based on real life, or (unlike me) have no issues with sports films, “American Pastime” could be the film for you.

Check out the “making of” part of the DVD. They interview some of the Japanese-American heroes of the 422nd Regimental Combat Team (the  most decorated in US Armed history.) They also interview the actors, and to quote one who sums up well the notion that dignity can come through a game says, “There are more important things in life, but sometimes it takes a game to understand them.”

June 30, 2011: Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran”

Here’s a premise: take an ancient Celtic legend of a semi-mythical King of Britain (“King Leir”), then have this rewritten 500 years later by the bard William Shakespeare (“King Lear”), then let this steep in literary consciousness for almost 400 years, then have one of the greatest directors of the 20thC. rewrite the story, mixing in a real life 16thC. Japanese historical figure and a “Noh” theatric style. THIS is “Ran” (1985) directed by Akira Kurosawa, as his last truly epic film.

Much like “Saving Private Ryan” “Ran” is a film about a war, but focusing on the ultimate futility of war. Unlike the character of King Lear in Shakespeare’s play, who is basically innocent but gets caught up in the machinations of those around him, the King Hidetora in “Ran” is guilty of horrible crimes against his enemies. He  has built up a karmic debt for all the misery that befalls him and is eventually forced to revisit all of his past violent deeds. Also, unlike “King Lear” in “Ran” instead of daughters showing filial honor/dishonor, it is sons, neatly color-coded to be able to track their armies. Taro (yellow) is the oldest and is first bequeathed the kingdom by Hidetora. Second oldest is Jiro (red) becomes a contender to Taro’s inheritance. Both these older sons pretend devotion to their father, but the minute he relinquishes power, they try to totally exclude him from his own kingdom. Hidetora’s youngest son, Saburo (blue) is truly respectful and  loyal to his father, but is not perceived so by Hidetora, because Saburo tells his father the truth, not what he wants to hear.

Much like the Shakespeare play, “Ran” is full of delicious minor characters that flesh out the play. There is the clown, Kyomi, who has both funny and poignant moments. Lady  Kaede is truly Machiavellian: a physically and mentally worthy villain, and one of the strongest woman characters in cinema. As evil as she is, Kaede acts not without reason as Hidetora has destroyed her family. Kaede is offset by Lady Sue, while suffering the same loss at Hidetora’s hands, has adopted Buddhist ways and is a truly good and forgiving person. My favorite is Kurogare, Jiro’s vassal, who constantly gives the best advice (that Jiro foolishly never takes)  and pits himself against the evils of Lady Kaede.

“Ran” which means “chaos” or “revolt” has some of the best battle scenes in cinema. Grand in scale, it’s hard to believe Kurosawa could pull a film of this magnitude off in a pre-digital era, like: building a $1.5 million castle just to burn it to the ground! 1500 extras, 250 horses, beautiful costumes, gorgeous sets, “Ran” is huge!!! If you want to see a film the way they used to make them (and really never will again) see Kurosawa’s “Ran!”

May 12, 2011: Movie Review “Grave of the Fireflies”

I’ve never been a huge anime fan, but I try to stay open to film styles in general. I remember seeing “Spirited Away” (2001) in theaters and enjoyed it, so when I found consistent high ratings for “Grave of the Fireflies” (1988) I was intrigued.

The story is set place  in Japan, 1945, at the end of WWII. The main characters are Seita, a boy of about 12 years old and his sister, Setsuko who is about 3-4 years old. I’m not giving anything away by saying that the whole film is a series of events before the two children’s death, as Seita’s first words recount that this is the night he died and with Setsuko’s absence, her death is implied as well. So, I want to be upfront and say that “Grave of the Fireflies” is not the most “cheery” film out there, but rather, is a poignant study of effects of war on innocents and the nobility of humans struggling under hard conditions.

The city of Kobe, where Seita and Setsuko live, is firebombed and they lose their mother. Their father is absent serving in the military, so they are sent to their aunt’s house in Nishinomiya. The unsympathetic aunt plays a kind of subtle wicked stepmother who resents the added burden of the extra kids in a time of shortages of war. Seita picks up on this, and has the idea of moving he and his sister to a nearby shelter in the woods. At first, this is a kind of an adventure which gives the children freedom to explore  life in kind of Tom Sawyer way. They have time to establish themselves, experience nature and reminisce about the better times of their life. They find  a nearby field full of  fireflies that they capture to fill their shelter with their light. The next day, as Setsuko is burying the dead fireflies, Seita finds out that the aunt has told Setsuko that their mother is dead (something Seita desperately wanted to spare Setsuko.) Eventually, conditions decay. Despite Seita’s best efforts, Setsuko is wasting away from malnutrition and soon she dies.

Despite this rather morose setup, “Grave of the Fireflies” is, surprisingly, a film about the beauty of those simple moments of life that we all take for granted: playing on the beach, the sour taste of  pickled plum, chasing butterflies, the playfulness of our children, the sweet taste of fruit drops, the memories that fill our life…and if you’ve ever spent a night in a field of fireflies you understand the magic of nature. All this, and more, is packed into “Grave of the Fireflies” while not ignoring the sadness inherent in life.

“Grave of the Fireflies” is not quite a perfect film. Viewers will find at least one major logic flaw that momentarily  detracts from the story line, but what the film lacks in logic, it makes up for in heart. One comment that I have read over and over is that “Grave of the Fireflies” is one of those films that sits with the viewer for some time after. It is based on the novel by Akiyuki Nosaka who, during the war, lost his younger sister to malnutrition in a similar way that Seita loses Setsuko. The novel was Nosaka’s way to come to terms with this.

I’ve always considered that fireflies were (at least partial)  inspiration to the plethora of Edwardian faery stories. Certainly, any creature that manufactures its own light to shine as a beacon, as it flies through the night air, is envocative of many things to the human imagination: magical spirits, ghosts, the soul, etc. As she is burying the fireflies, Setsuko asks Seita “Why do all the fireflies die so soon?” A very human question indeed…but, of course, we are all fireflies.

March 08, 2011: Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”

When I found my library stocked Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” I was psyched! When I found that this Criterion Collection had 3 DVDs stocked with extras including a tag-team of different commentators, and several documentaries about Kurosawa, I was even more excited! Imagine having everything I could possibly want to know about one of the greatest films, by one of the world’s greatest directors (“SS” was one of Kurosawa’s personal favorites.) Before you see “SS,” try to get the Criterion version which has the full 3+1/2 hours of Kurosawa’s vision. I know, 3+1/2 hours of a foreign film seems like a lot, but honestly, when it was over, I could have easily watched more. Most of the reason it has to be this long is “SS” has many good characters (in addition to the main seven samurai, there are many villagers) who play important roles and are worth every bit of Kurosawa’s rich exploration and development.

“Seven Samurai (1954)” is considered by many to be the greatest Japanese film ever made. It revolutionized Kurosawa’s career and allowed him to make the “Jidai Geki” or “Period-style Film” truly his own. “SS” went on to inspire many films, (the first being its American remake “The Magnificent Seven” 1960.)

The story takes place in 1467, feudal Japan, during a time of civil war. “Ronin” or masterless samurai, threaten to sack a village of farmers as soon as the harvest is in. The farmers, incapable of defending themselves, attempt to bribe other starving “ronin” with their meager supplies of food too help defend their village, when the time comes to do so. The villagers are impressed with the heroic actions of Kanbê (played by Takashi Shimura) a samurai who rescues a woman and her child from a kidnapper, by posing as a Buddhist monk. Kanbê proves to be everything right with the code of Bushido (warrior code of ethics of a samurai) he lives by. He is wise, strong, even-tempered, kind, patient, funny, a brilliant strategist, and a perfect leader. He puts other ronin through trials to test their spirit and ability and soon comes up with a team of seven to help the villagers. Each of these has a distinct personality and ability that adds to the group. These skills will all come into play as the bandits raiding the village outnumber the samurai about 6:1!

This film has been criticized as being anti-democratic, but I think that falls a little flat considering the time period Kurosawa made this. Certainly, a anti-democratic film would do nothing for Japan, at this time, and would have been a flop in foreign markets, if this were true. I think “Seven Samurai” is a film about people at their best: individuals who come together with stoicism under hard times. The seven become a group to protect the defenseless with strength, honor and integrity. The film actually shows the flaws of a feudal caste system and the ultimate downfall of the samurai because of them.

A suggestion: watch it through and then watch it again with the commentary, which is full of insights of Japanese culture and history and tons of film facts! While doing research for this article, I found another remake is in production this year, set in modern day Thailand. No, PLEASE! Not necessary! I guess Hollywood is running outta good stories!

…and if the term “Jidai Geki” seems a little familiar to you, so did it to me, as well. A little checking on the “Star Wars” fanboy sites confirmed that this is where Lucas came up with the term: “Jedi!”

February 03, 2011: Review of “Silk”

Every once in a while it’s good to review a film that maybe not everyone will like or even appreciate. Such a film is “Silk” (2007) directed by François Girard and starring Michael Pitt as Hervé Joncour and Kiera Knightly as his wife, Hélène.

Set in the 1860′s and starting in Eastern France, the story is of the struggle to get silk production going in France. The French silkworms are dying from a disease and the only option is for someone to go to the orient to obtain a new crop of eggs. Under the direction of the local silk weaver, Baldabiou (Alfred Molina) the town sends the mayor’s son, Hervé, across Europe, through the steeps of Russia and clandestinely into Japan. There, Hervé meets the local daimyo (local samurai leader) and a mysterious girl that he is drawn to. The first trip is a success, but future trips by Hervé are needed, each time leaving Hélène behind, Hervé also faces increasing dangers as a rebellion starts up in Japan. It is clear that for each of these trips, Hervé is falling more and more for “the girl” (he never learns her name.)

Classifying this movie is challenging. Mmmmm…well, take a Merchant/Ivory film, throw in a little sex, OR take “The Last Samurai” and remove every single action sequence and cast the lead as a sort of “anti-Cruise.” One of the films biggest problems is Michael Pitt as the lead Hervé. I don’t ever remember a lead with more of a deadpan, stale delivery. Susie Figgis has cast many a good many leads in her career, and I guess everyone has her off day, but what were you thinking casting Pitt against the likes of Knightly and Alfred Molina. There’s one scene where Molina does more with a cigar and his eyebrows than what Pitt can dig up with his spoken lines!

OK, so one poor choice doesn’t have to ruin the whole film. I haven’t read the book (by  Alessandro Baricco, which I understand is much better than the film…as they usually are) but the story is OK. Again, think Merchant/Ivory. If you like those you probably will like this one. One thing: the film is shot beautifully! The steeps of Russia, Winter in pre-industrial Japan, Summer in the East of France…just gorgeous! I liked the music choices, costumes, the general high production value, and I even appreciated (after a few seconds) the deliberate choice NOT to have subtitles of the Japanese, which made the story more authentic.

So.”Silk.” Not for everyone. A decent rental. Make it a weekend when you have had plenty of sleep and settle in for a slow-moving, but gorgeous film with a few flaws.

October 17, 2010: Kobayashi’s “Hara Kiri”

Although, Masaki Kobayashi’s “Hara Kiri” is a dramatic and telling film, let’s get two problems with it out of the way: the first is the title. I recognize that “Hara Kiri” (literally “slit-belley”) was probably a more known term, by Westerners, as the name for the Japanese ceremony of “seppuku” or ritual self-disembowelment of a samurai warrior for some disgrace or failure. “Hara kiri” is the more rude form of the word and although Westerners may not be able to understand the reasoning of such an act, you can’t deny the strength and fortitude of someone committed to such an act, so let’s give it the respect of at least the proper name. Also, in my ongoing struggle with the translators, I don’t know what the characters are actually saying, but I’m pretty sure that terms like “lily-livered” and “upsy-daisy” were not spoken in 17thC. feudal Japan (in fact…I don’t think they are so common phrases today in Western vernacular)!

So, vernacular aside, “Hara Kiri” is a good film about the struggle of individual man against the power of the state. In this sense, “Hara Kiri” is a kind of anti-samurai movie, showing how a totalitarian state disregards the struggles of individuals under its government. When you see the empty samurai uniform on display in the governor’s mansion, it represents everything the state can be at its worst: big, scary, threatening…but totally empty and devoid of any feeling or soul.

The film starts with a “ronin” (masterless samurai) by the name of Hanshiro Tsugumo visiting the household of Lord Seito, who is the leader of the ruling Iyi family. As a ronin, Hanshiro is down on his luck and asks to perform seppuku in the courtyard of the household, due to the shame of his position. Lord Seito is counseled by his retainers that this is a gambit by Hanshiro to either gain a position in the government, or else be given a handout and suggests that he be allowed to continue with his self-execution or else word will spread and other ronin will be drawn as “ants to a mound of sugar.”

To scare Hanshiro off, Lord Seito tells a story of an earlier visit by another ronin, by the name of Motome who tried the very same gambit, and whose bluff was called with the most dire consequences. It turns out that Motome had pawned his swords and had replaced his swords with bamboo ones. As  a samurai’s sword is his “soul” in this culture, Motome reeks disdain from the Iyi family and is ordered to proceed seppuku with a blade that “couldn’t cut tofu!”

Hanshiro is not put off by the story and is committed to proceed, with the only request that he only be able to tell a story. In that story, Hanshiro reveals his own agenda, and his history with the  ronin, Motome.

One caution with this film: Motome’s self-execution, while very essential to the storyline…it is very hard to watch! There’s something about that scene that made me squirm more than any of the  ”Saw” or “Hostel” type films ever could!

October 05, 2010: Ozu’s “Tokyo Story”

Often I see a film that under the right circumstances, I should love, yet I walk away feeling a little let down after seeing it. Usually, all the major pieces necessary (good acting, writing, direction and of course…photography) are present, but somehow I still find them a little lacking. I usually attribute this feeling to a particular mood I have at the time of viewing, but after seeing Yasujiro Ozu’s masterpiece “Tokyo Story” today, I realized that there is more than a passing mood to appreciate a truly good film. The best term I can come up with is “openness.” Being open to a film seems to make all the difference. I knew enough about “Tokyo Story” that one would have to have a special frame on mind to watch it. One thing that helped me was to have watched one of Ozu’s previous films (“The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice” see my August 25th review of this film) so I knew Ozu’s style: that his best films focus on Japanese post-war, middle class and deal with family issues. I could tell by the film’s length (over two hours) that I need to watch the film with a bit of Patience (deliberately capitalized…any film with two hours of subtitles needs Patience.) I also knew that Ozu can be slow-paced, as he takes his time to draw out personalities of his characters and I knew that this is considered his most “plotted” and more melodramatic of his films. I also read a few reviews of the film and it seems that people either love “Tokyo Story” or hate it.

So. Instead of giving you a lot of details about the film, I want you to trust me and just to see “Tokyo Story” with “openness.” In general, the film is about family and the inherent lessons about life that can be learned, via family. If you are Japanese, you’ve probably lived through issues that come up in this film, and if you are Western I promise you will recognize personality traits of characters of the family Ozu portrays. Also, the film’s most important feature is that it concentrates on the Japanese zen-like concept of “mono no aware” or “the sweet sadness of life” which is that at the moment you experience the most profound joy of your life you are also aware that that moment is temporary. If all of this is not quite enough to give you impels to see “Tokyo Story,” another draw (for me, at least) was that this film was rated in the top ten best film of all time in several lists that I found! Give yourself some time, patience, a little “openness” and give “Tokyo Story” a try.

September 07, 2010: Kurosawa’s “Sanjuro”

I am slowly working my way through all the Kurosawa films that I have missed seeing over the years as well as revisiting some old favorites. Last week I saw “Sanjuro” from 1961. Sanjuro is a story of a conflict between a samurai clan’s chamberlain and superintendent. It seems that when the clan’s leader is out of town, these two are in charge and there has been corruption to the point that nine retainers take it into their own hand to find out who, and deal with the culprit. The nine young men meet clandestinely to discuss their plans. Unknown to them, is a ronin (a masterless samurai who is Sanjuro, played by Toshiro Mifune) who is sleeping in another room and who overhears their plans. The retainers have already picked the superintendent as the innocent one (mostly on the basis of his good looks) and are prepared to go against the chamberlain. Out steps Sanjuro, unkempt, scratching, and moody (as they have woken him up) to tell them that they are all wrong and why. This starts a pattern that runs throughout the film: the young men, making spontaneous decisions and running pell-mell into trouble with Sanjuro pulling them back and saving their lives over and over. Of course, the young retainers initially  stand up to Sanjuro, but as he almost immediately saves their lives, they quickly trust him and he becomes their ad hoc leader. The group cannot rescue the chamberlain from the superintendent’s retainers, but they can save his wife and daughter. These two add a much-needed yin to an (up to this point) yang energy. The mother chastises Sanjuro for being “too sharp, like a sword” after he has killed several men in their rescue and reminds him that “good swords are kept in their scabbards.” They also coax Sanjuro’s name out of him. Up to this point of the film the ronin is the quintessential “man with no name” prevalent in many of Kurosawa’s films as well as many of the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns. Looking out into a courtyard, he sees a camilla tree and proclaims his name to be “Tsubaki Sajuro” (“Camilla 30-year-old”.)

“Sanjuro” has a good story, fine acting, good fight scenes, but I was most surprised (and pleased) by the understated humor: Sanjuro’s lackadaisical, unkempt manner is fun to watch Mifune perform. His constant attempts to catch a nap, while receiving constant “reports” from the retainers is a riot, but the most amusing was the captured guard from the superintendent’s side who would act as a mini Greek chorus, except he is constantly banished (or is banishing himself) to the closet.

Two small criticisms of “Sanjuro”: One is that, as a non-Japanese speaker, I rely on the subtitles to relay accurate meaning. When a character is subtitled as saying “No, No” when even my unpracticed ear hears “Yes, Yes” it throws the whole trust in the translators away. Also, I thought it odd that Sanjuro could put away a room full of men with absolutely no blood on him, his sword or the men! I had no idea that Kurosawa was saving all the blood for the final showdown with the superintendent’s chief henchman. Then it comes across as cartoonish, a Monty Python-like caricature. Other than these two faults, Sanjuro is a good period piece, well worth a rental.