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Watching the parents turn into pigs definitely would have traumatized me as a child. Thankfully, as an adult I can appreciate the technical aspect of this transition. I also really liked the voice acting. Chihiro sounds like a real girl while still expressing all the emotions well. To add to how no one is wholly evil, Yubaba also cares a lot for her giant child. None of the characters are entirely good as well, except for maybe Chihiro. Zeniba nearly kills Haku, and Haku is off doing evil deeds, though under the control of Yubaba. 

Miyazaki – Spirited Away

I don’t remember when exactly I first saw Spirited Away, but I remember being approximately elementary school age. Since, it had been so long I didn’t remember much about the plot and in turn I was really looking forward to watching it again. Though, because Spirited Away remains relevant to this day in pop culture, I was still familiar with the characters and the general premise. It didn’t disappoint in the slightest and I was thoroughly impressed with how high quality the animation was for being released in 2001. It was a bit shocking to realize that it’s over 20 years old despite looking like it could have been released recently. Knowing this high quality was most likely due to the fact that it’s mostly/all 2D hand-drawn animation, I became interested in finding out a little more about the processes. In my research I found out that Studio Ghibli has stated that in 2020 they currently had 60 animators and with a team of that size they are only able to come up with one minute of animation per month. Meaning a year equates to only 12 minutes worth of a movie (Spirited Away Changed Animation Forever. Here’s How | Time). Learning that was insane – I knew this kind of animation is especially difficult and often takes a long time, but I had no idea how long it actually took.  

Also, Spirited Away was a little darker than what I remember it being. I was thinking about, in the beginning, when Chihiro’s parents turn into pigs how that would probably be pretty scary to little kids, though I don’t think I remember being scared from watching this movie when I was younger. The storyline is straightforward and simple, but it’s excellently done, from the visuals to the voice acting and the soundtrack.  

I like how the antagonist-like characters aren’t entirely “evil” either. Yubaba allows Chihiro to work at the bathhouse despite being human and keeps her promises to her. And though No-Face causes trouble at the bathhouse by eating people (and excessive amounts of food) under the guise he was paying in gold; he ends up throwing up everyone unharmed and finding a nice place to belong at Zeniba’s house. Gluttony was definitely the most emphasized sin to me in this movie, with Chihiro’s parents and No-Face. With two of the characters being river spirits, a dialogue about the real-world issue of pollution was introduced too.

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Spirited Away

              Despite calling myself an anime fan, I have only watched one Ghibli movie, so I am happy to have experienced another one. It’s easy to see how influential this movie, and Ghibli in general, have been to both Eastern and Western media. Like Godzilla, much of the film is already familiar. Seeing the soot sprites instantly made me understand that the dust sprites from Stardew Valley were directly inspired by this movie. It explains why the dust sprites drop coal as well. Characters like No Face and the Moomin looking mouse I have seen countless times. Several shots like when Chihiro and Haku run through the garden of flowers, Chihiro by the bridge, and No Face washed by the waves are all iconic. I’m pretty sure there was a Twitter trend for drawing Yababa’s room as well. It would be difficult for such a movie to reach my high expectations, but I’m honestly not disappointed.

              I love animation as a media. It is my favorite as it allows much more creativity and flexibility than in live action. I think Spirited Away does an amazing job in utilizing its medium. The setting is so vivid and would be difficult to express another way. Animation and art style are pleasing too and aren’t as exaggerated as in other animated movies, which helps it stay grounded. It also allows the horror aspects to hit harder. Seeing Chihiro’s parents turn into pigs scared me more than anything Ringu or Pulse did and triggered unpleasant memories of Animal Farm. Greed seems to be a running theme in this film. Chihiro’s parents suffer their fate due to eating the spirit’s food. No Face greedily eats anything and everything offered to him, and the workers at the bathhouse scramble for the gold that leaks from No Face. This is even more obvious when contrasted with Chihiro, who steadfastly refuses the gold offered to her. She even states that she doesn’t need the gold, which makes me wonder why the other employees were so desperate. I wonder if it’s a subtle way to criticize capitalism. People act irrationally when faced with large amounts of money. It’s part of the reason why the environment is so damaged, which is reflected through the two river dragons.

              One of my favorite aspects of this movie was the character designs. Chihiro’s color palette helps identify her with Haku, Lin, and Bo. The salmon color is incorporated into Bo and Lin’s clothing. Chihiro’s green shirt and purple hairband associates her with Haku, who has green eyes and hair and a purple belt. Yababa seems to be inspired by Baba Yaga, which also seems to be the inspiration for Howl’s Castle. This might explain Kamaji’s bird feet even though he evokes the image of a harvestman. No Face is also incredibly simple yet iconic, sort of like a mascot. This makes me think part of Spirited Away’s popularity can be attributed to No Face and the Soot Sprites, kind of reminding me of Sanrio and its mascots.

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I really do feel like this film is a hot mess too, but I think I enjoyed it a lot less. I think I struggle to find humor in dark situations. I appreciate how it incorporates several cultures in fun references and such, but more importantly in the world building. The architecture are very Western, but things like costume choice or clothing reflect Eastern aesthetics. I can’t fully grasp all the spaghetti Western references though, and I am not sure if that impeded my enjoyment of the film. The only references I really got were at the very end, so maybe it’s worth a rewatch once I brush up on this genre.

Suriyaki Western Django

This movie was a fever dream. It had next to no quality to its name and was beautiful nonetheless. I think Quentin Tarantino’s appearance in a western just about summarizes the cultural slugfest this film wants to take you through. It refuses to take itself seriously and its self awareness really allowed me to just sit back and laugh. This film really is a hot mess in in truest form through its ridiculous sets, dialogue, and hilariously stereotypical western character tropes. 

The writing was probably the most interesting aspect of the film to me. It paradoxically felt so alien that it became hypnotic. Comparable to witnessing a trainwreck and not being able to look away. In a way, this film is almost genius in its mocking of the idea westerns exclusively belong to American culture. The film title itself incorporates American, Japanese, and Italian words to highlight the hotpot of cultural influences and criticize the idea of rigid cultural gatekeeping. That said, this movie really just wants to have fun. It indulges in a plethora of iconic tropes and shots in film and has an elegant ridiculousness to it. It really embodies giving the viewer an experience through invoking a beautiful appreciation from within. It’s able to poke fun at stereotypes and cultural cornerstones without it bring taken in a serious or offending way. While on the surface incredibly campy, this film’s self-assuredness makes it feel smart as if its non-chalant attitude to appear with any semblance of quality elevates to interesting cultural influence. Maybe most importantly, it’s funny! If it missed the mark in the comedic department this film would just be one long eye-roll that feels like a cash-grab or cheap attempt at relevancy but its humor ensures it is a good time. 

Suriyaki Western Django is unironically good. Its intentional campiness allows you to both laugh and consider the absurdity of obsession with film tropes and cultural imprints. It seems to bite off more than it can chew at times occasionally going so hyper-referential it loses the point but I didn’t really mind. Do not take it seriously and it is actually a semi-interesting piece of cinema. 

and i mean… come on there’s tarantino

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Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)

              A film inspired by the spaghetti Western genre, which in turn was influenced by Akira Kurosawa’s jidaigeki films. It has come a full circle.

This film is clearly not meant to be taken seriously. The scenery at the start looks like it was ripped straight from a high school production. Various sound effects resemble cartoon sounds. One of the characters even says that he is an anime otaku at heart. This movie feels like it is parodying various aspects of Western films, but at the same time there are moments where it also felt like it wanted to be taken seriously, especially at the end when the gunman leaves. I wish it leaned into either being humorous or serious more. I find it hard to laugh at the silly moments when there is so much violence going on, but I also can’t take it seriously with the over-the-top sound effects.

I do like how the film mixes cultures though. The leader of the Genji uses a samurai sword and tells someone to feel the blade, rather than see it. A torii gate occupies the entrance of the town named Yuta, Nevata, clearly meant to imitate Yukon, Nevada. The characters have Japanese names, but the film is almost entirely in English. This film is a product of globalization, a mixing of cultures that is still new to the world, and I appreciate that a lot. The blend doesn’t mean that each culture is lost though, which I think it indicated by the red-white hybrid rose. Each color is distinct and do not completely blend to make a pink rose.

A lot of the characters were cliché too. The silent, cool gunman that is a stranger to the main conflict but gets involved anyways. The woman with a troubled past, vying for revenge and waiting for the right time to strike. Though not exactly, she has the same energy as a femme fatale character. I feel like I have seen the main characters before, which impeded on my ability to feel for the characters. The constant fighting and death made me want to connect with the characters less, because inevitably they would die. Maybe that is why I found this movie to be kind of boring. Of course, the spectacle is flashy, and the costumes and settings are cool, but I don’t feel like I have a reason to care.

However, my favorite part was the ending. The gunman leaves with a fist of gold, likely a reference to A Fistful of Dollars, and Heihachi finally opens his eyes and utters his first words. The child finally finds the courage to face reality, though this development feels unearned. He the text says he eventually travels to Italy and takes the name Django, which is again a rather obvious reference.

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I also love found family stories!! They are so heart-warming and make me misty-eyed. The representation of three generations was cute. I like that you pointed out the freedom symbolism too. I forgot about Wakana and how she wanted to go to high school. The incorporation of nature was appreciated. Tokue getting a cherry tree herself fits well with how she was introduced, during spring with a backdrop of cherry blossoms. 

Sweet Bean (2015)

I was worried I would find this movie hard to watch due to its slow pacing and minimal dialogue. I watched it at like 12 am and I was really afraid I would fall asleep. But this movie actually managed to not only to not put me to sleep but it actually kept my interest the whole way through. I don’t think I would have wanted the pacing to change or for there to be more dialogue, it fit perfectly that the movie felt shorter than it really was once I finished. I also think that despite me being able roughly guess the plot within the first 15 minutes of the film, the emotional impact was still strong.

I also live laugh love a found family based story. I think often this is done with father figures, so having Tokue become a mother figure was a welcomed change for me. I think the dynamic between Tokue and Sentaro is fleshed out well, showing how both of them were the missing piece of human connection they needed. But the inclusion of Wakana is what made it more interesting to me. It wasn’t simply a man who lost his mother finding his mother in Tokue, it was a whole family that each helped one another grow in a way that couldn’t have been achieved with just 2 of them. Wakana I believe did look up to Sentaro as a sort of father figure as well, given that we never saw or heard about her father, I think she was looking for that in him. They all 3 were misfits, though Tokue suffered the most from societal pressures, and the only place they were safe from judgment was with one another. This really showed through when Sentaro refuse to fire Tokue and when they visted her at her home, both Wakana and Sentaro did not seem to be afraid of the patients.

This movie goes into the sadness of ostracization, Tokue was outcasted since she was young. The times she seemed the happiest was when she was serving people, talking and interacting with them. It is a small thing we do every day, but we can easily take for granted. This contrasted with Sentaro’s character who had the shop and in the beginning was wanting customers to hurry and leave. I think that’s why the dorayaki shop was a great place for the film to be based around. Small shops like that are known more so for their customer service, and social nature. Everyone usually knows and loves the people who work there. It is an inherently social and more intimate space than larger establishments or even small shops that sell more goods.

A lot of freedom symbolism in this film as well. The bird in the cage which represented all 3 of the characters. Wakana who could not go to high school and work toward the future she yearned for, Tokue who was outcasted her whole life, and Sentaro being in debt and stuck working for someone he seemingly hates. In the end they found love and compassion with one another and freedom once Tokue died, they both began to take steps toward a life they could enjoy.

The nature establishing shots were stunning and after we find out that the leprosy patients have trees planted over their graves, these long nature shots make more sense in the film.

Overall, I loved this film. My mother and I bot shed a few tears and wanted to try dorayaki by the end of the movie.

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Sweet Bean (2015)

              One of the articles we read for Pulse argued that there were two main phases of Japanese cinema; the first emphasized the natural beauty of Japan, and the next portrays Japan as manufactured and desolate. Sweet Bean feels like a return to the previous phase while also incorporating some human made aspects of the setting. The camera takes the time to admire trees and flowers but gives the same look of adoration for the temples and buildings that exist in harmony with its environment.

              Sweet Bean was also a slow burn. It takes place over the time of a year, which is shown by the changing leaves. This allows the film to create a homely atmosphere, especially with the low angle, intimate scenes of when the characters are making the dorayaki. The camera is almost like a child, standing on its tippy toes to peek at what the characters are cooking up. Time is taken on each shot, which allows the movie to show, rather than tell the audience what the characters are feeling. Dialogue is scarce, comparatively. When there is a dip in customers for the dorayaki shop, the camera doesn’t bother to look out the window, focusing on Tokue and Sentaro. This feels wrong, but neither character really addresses it vocally, sharing glances instead. There is also a scene where Wakana visits the dorayaki shop and finds Sentaro with a bottle of wine. He quickly hides it, but both Wakana and the audience knows he’s been drinking. The same bottle of wine appears again, subtly telling the audience about Sentaro’s emotional state while maintaining Sentaro’s stoic appearance. The only break in his expression is at the end, which is the emotional climax of the film. Another example of subtle characterization was with Wakana’s family. Her mother uses her room to smoke, telling her boyfriend that she will make something for him next time, while Wakana is in the kitchen. The mother carelessly spills beer on her daughter’s possession as well. She seems to realize she did something wrong but worsens the mood by telling Wakana that she has to get rid of the canary.

              Additionally, there is an overarching theme about freedom. Wakana’s bird, Marvey, is initially held in a cage as a pet. Tokue also tells the schoolgirls to do what they want in life, advice Tokue did not have the freedom to pursue. Sentaro is burdened by his past, still in debt after his arrest. The characters grow over the course of the movie, and the bird gets set free, symbolizing Tokue and Sentaro’s freedom. Tokue passes away. Sentaro opens his own dorayaki shop, enthusiastically selling his product. I wish Wakana’s fate was shown though. There was this cute theme with Tokue being the grandmother, Sentaro being the dad, and Wakana being the daughter, but not knowing Wakana’s ending feels like something is missing.

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Honestly, how critical you are of the movie is incredible, I love it. The film was definitely super confusing. I thought about why the ghosts were killing more people when they were already too crowded; my rationalization was that the ghosts appear in sealed spaces, and they become lonely. They kill another person to drag them to keep the ghost company. But then where does the technology come in? Harue did theorize that the ghosts just wanted to trap them in loneliness, but I think that was her projecting. I personally interpreted her saying that she was never alone after discovering the invisible ghost as her theory being disproven.

Pulse

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse hits on horror tropes incredibly well in the beginning but falls off really hard in the end. In addition to this, I feel like the idea of ghosts invading the world, specifically through the internet, to be a bit too confusing and full of missteps.

Initial Reactions

If this movie had ended thirty minutes earlier, my opinion about this would have been a lot different. The post-apocalyptic feel of this movie in the last half-hour strayed away from the creepy atmosphere that was present throughout the other parts of this movie, and kind of ruined it as a horror movie in my opinion. The shot of the cargo plane crashing into the city was a bit dumb and reeked of a desire to fit into action films, which this movie was most definitely not.

I also do not understand the concept of the ghosts and their powers. In the movie, Harue says that since the ghosts are being overcrowded in their own dimension, they were pouring over into ours and trying to claim it, and because of this, the ghosts weren’t trying to kill us but trap us in our loneliness. This 100% makes sense as a concept, and I thought that this was a great and original idea for the danger in the movie, but we never got closure as to what happens to the people who turn to ashes. As it stands, it appears as if the ghosts do lead them to death, since their ghosts are also present, but doesn’t this defeat the whole purpose of the ghosts invading the world, since the recently killed are now ghosts and take up space in whatever dimension they’re cramped in? The only rationalization I can make is that they get lead to some other pocket dimension of their loneliness (which would have been amazing if Kurosawa could’ve visualized that in the movie), but I that’s too much of a stretch for me to make, as well as a weird solution for the ghosts to make, since they could’ve just gone and inhabited those dimensions instead of invading ours.

Themes/Analysis

The major theme in this movie is about loneliness: the victims all have a sense of loneliness, and the ghosts trap people in their loneliness. However, I think this theme was strayed from (again) in the final thirty minutes in the decision to recognize this whole thing as a global phenomenon. The fact that this is being recognized and experienced by the entire world kind of takes away from the loneliness aspect, because there’s now an implicit understanding that “Hey, everybody’s going through the same thing as I am, I’m not alone.” There’s a feeling of unity in struggle, which detracts from the theme. It can be occurring worldwide, I just think that it would’ve been better if it was a silent killer, which could have also touched on a theme of failure in not recognizing depression as something serious.

Final Thoughts

I just wish this movie concluded earlier; the last half-hour really mucked it up for me. Amazing concept, insanely creepy atmosphere for the first ninety minutes, but then it turned into I Am Legend and completely turned me off.

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Pulse (2001)

              I used to be so scared of horror movies, but I wonder if I have grown too jaded. Coraline and Ib were both pieces of media that kept me up for an entire week. In my opinion, the atmosphere of these stories was the scariest component, but neither this movie nor Ringu have really affected me. The struggles of growing old is real.

One of the prevailing themes in Pulse is loneliness, and how humans have such a hard time connecting with others. Even when they do, they tend to hurt each other, signified by the simulation programmed by a random graduate student. Additionally, Kurosawa tends to place the camera a bit further from the characters. This helps emphasize how small and insignificant each person is, especially when set in an empty background. Furthermore, characters speaking to each other are often placed screens of spaces away from each other, so the camera has to swing back and forth between people when they speak, which kind of reminds me of Swallowtail Butterfly. Again, this style leaves the actors as the only person in a particular frame, emphasizing how alone everyone is. Only in some moments of vulnerability do the characters appear near each other, like with Harue and Kawashima on the train. I also loved the use of light in this film. Since the objects of fear are shadows and dark figures, every lingering shot made me search the screen for a potential ghost. Every shady shape was suspicious. Since compositions often left a lot of negative space, there was also plenty of room for ghosts. The shadows are not always immediately obvious either, so shots from behind characters work especially well. We as the audience search the space for something wrong just as are the in-story characters.

Ringu chooses to also forego jumpscares in favor of building a creepy atmosphere and suspense, but the camera is generally closer and facing the character, letting the audience more clearly see the reactions of fear. This allowed the final scene when Sadako’s current form was finally revealed to have more of an impact.

The shadows left from those who passed away reminded me vividly of the shadows left by those who were killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It makes me wonder if part of the reason technology is regarded so negatively is due to its ability to inflict violence and destruction. The film even shows a huge explosion when the airplane crashes, as ashes from the smears themselves swirl in the skies, which particularly stuck out due to its scale compared to everything else.

I read somewhere that Pulse was made in a time that hikikomori was on the rise, and I wonder if that is why the first people to go were all men, barring the main character, Kawashima. Traditionally, men are supposed to work to provide for the family, and the men disappearing first symbolizes the breakdown of these values.

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I agree that this film was more of a mystery than horror film. Definitely horror elements, but its more unnerving and suspenseful than horror in my opinion. Takayama says that Sadako’s father was something not of this world, but I personally think the doctor is the dad. This would give Yoichi and Sadako some parallels, which makes the film more interesting. The ending though, I am less sure about. I think the film wants the audience to think that Asakawa is going to show the cursed video to her dad, but I think that would be out of character for Asakawa. Also as a reporter, I feel like it would be so easy to show the video to someone else, especially to a colleague. 

Ringu

This was a fun watch, especially after some of the more abstract films we have seen recently. This was my second time watching Ringu and I have to say it was a lot less scary this time around. 

As much as this film is regarded as a horror film I feel that this definition does not do the film justice, in my opinion, the film is more of a supernatural mystery with some horror elements. 

The film is primarily focus on Asakawa’s journalist work (though this is more akin to detective work in the film) with Takayama’s supernatural/psychic abilities filling in the gaps that the real world cannot. The divorced couple (who are both insanely good looking btw) complement each other both in their work and their interactions; though in every scene there is an underlying sense of regret and maybe even sadness. We are not given a reason for their divorce and the film/ plot forces the two to work together, suggesting that they should try to rekindle their relationship. In a way this makes Takayama’s death more tragic as it is unexpected and destroys any chance of their relationship being mended. 

The film’s focus on the supernatural, specifically on people with unnatural abilities distinguishes itself from the American remake which is far more focused on the journalism/investigative aspect of Sadako and her appearance.

The film has an interesting approach to how it gives information to its audiences, some of it is given directly to us such as how the tape works whereas other information is withheld from us. For instance, we only learn about the way to escape the curse after Asakawa has already figured it out. This is why I view the film more as a mystery than a horror. The two big ambiguities of the film are, who is Sadako’s father and what is Asakawa going to do at her dad’s house. I believe that Asakawa was going to her dad’s house with the intention of getting him to watch the tape so that the curse would be lifted from her son. As for Sadako’s father, the film puts forward the idea that the scientist is her father, making her murder more tragic and giving her a reason for her anger. However, another option I saw (I have no idea where I saw this lol) is that Sadako’s father is some sort of eldritch monster from the sea that got freaky with her mom. This explains why her mother would sit at the sea everyday and why she spoke in a non-human language and why Sadako had the ability to kill people. I have no proof of this I just thought it was interesting. 

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Ringu (1998)

              I was so excited to see this movie. I have only heard about Sadako through other pieces of media that reference her, but I have never seen the original film. I didn’t find the film to be frightening though, which came to a surprise to me. I often find stories and ghosts and such to be sad, rather than scary. For me, it read as a heart-breaking tale under all the flashy editing.

              I was disappointed that Sada got treated so poorly by the people around her and the movie. I didn’t seem like Sada was cruel or anything when she was alive. She killed the reporter that tried to slander her mother, but we don’t even know if that was on purpose. I interpreted it as Sada feeling anger towards the reporter, which caused her to accidentally kill the man. I also think its sad that Sada was murdered by her own father. Ryuji mentions that Dr. Heihachiro was not Sada’s father, but rather something out of this world. This line seemed super strange to me. In fact, Ryuji mentions a couple of times how those with psychic abilities are “not of this world.” He seems to, to some degree, be able to read people’s memories, which is similar to Shizuko’s power. Is Ryuji implying that he is also an alien force? He seems to consider himself to be a normal person—he is a professor and interacts normally with his student—so why apply this logic to people with similar powers? Ryuji implying that Yoichi should maybe just die was a line that took me by surprise too. There are a few parallels between Yoichi and Sada, both having a parent with psychological powers and both being creepy children. Ryuji’s line might have been a way to show the audience that he hates his own power. It seems that it played a role in his divorce, and he actively avoids using his power. His lashing out might be just misdirected aggression (like with cats).

              Though the sound effects and editing are dramatic, the camera work felt much more muted, which adds to the suspenseful nature of the film. I noticed that there were several shots that had the characters moving towards the camera. In this way, whatever the characters are aiming for is obstructed from the audience’s view. This was especially noticeable in the scene where Shizuko’s brother appears, and the rest of the characters snap their gaze to the camera which is in the point of view of the brother approaching the rest of the crowd. The sound that plays when the dates are displayed sound incredibly familiar though, and it has been bothering me for days. Perhaps the screeching noises are just that iconic. I also really liked the freeze frame of the victims’ last face. Their expressions are twisted in horror, and the editing makes it seem like an old-timey picture. It is almost like the victims are creating their own version of Sada’s video.

              I wish the film dug into more about how the nature of the curse. Apparently, the condition to break free of the curse is to show the video to another person. So why bother finding Sada’s body in the first place? Of course, the characters in the story do not have that knowledge, but it’s a strange narrative decision, in my opinion. We do get to find out more about the lore, but it ultimately doesn’t lead into anything.

              It is also interesting that the Sada’s curse seems to persist to the afterlife, obligating the victim to show the video to another person. Yoichi says that Tomoko told him to watch the video, and Reiko sees Ryuji pointing at the copied video. This makes me think that the curse will spread, regardless of whether the people watching the video dies or show another person the video.

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I thought the movie went on really long too. I think the only comparable film we’ve watched in terms of length was Seven Samurai. Like you said, the film addresses a lot of topics which is why I think it’s so long, but since it’s so nonlinear I felt like I missed some major plot points. I’m still not sure why the “My Way” cassette tape was so important, though I did really appreciate it being in the mafia man’s stomach, since the cassette film resembled intestines. This feels like something you have to watch a couple of times to really get a good grasp on it.

Swallowtail Butterfly

I really enjoyed this movie, it was very different from what we have watched so far. There were moments where the film felt like it was dragging on a bit but then it would get interesting again, that being said I feel like it could have been a bit shorter.

For me this film was criticising many different things such as the effects of drugs, the opportunities uneducated women have for employment and organised crime, but at the centre of all this is a critique of capitalism and xenophobia. All of the Yentown’s are both poor and immigrants in search of better opportunities and money. Due to the xenophobia of the Japanese they are treated like outcasts and forced to live in slums. Their inability to make money in a capitalist society means they have few if any opportunities to improve their living conditions. This continuous cycle and its issues is many shown through the women in the film, who must sell their bodies in order to make an income, emphasising the way capitalism uses people as a means of profit. SImilarly, many of the Japanese characters look down on the Yentowns, viewing them as beneath them which enables the systems of oppression that keeps theYentown’s poor and why the 2nd gen americans are still considered outsiders despite being born and raised in Japan.

Despite the film’s critique of xenophobia and capitalism through Yentown’s poverty, the characters are still shown as a (somewhat) happy community, enjoying social gatherings and parties whilst also working and living together. The Yentowns may literally be poor but they are rich in other ways. It is only once they get ahold of the money that their community begins to fall apart. In this sense the film again criticises capitalism by showing its corrupting nature, how it forces people into poverty but then drives them apart when the have money. However, the movie ends with Ageha and her gang redistributing money to Yentown, suggesting that when money is not used for personal material gain but rather a greater good or community it can be a positive force for change.

Overall, I think this was a great movie, with some insane editing and very funny and heartfelt moments   

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Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)

              Like the last film we watched, Swallowtail Butterfly explores how those who are different are treated poorly in Japanese society. The people of Yentown are not given the same rights as a Japanese citizen; when Feihong and Glico buy the Yentown Club, it is signed under someone else’s name. The people are also under constant police scrutiny and experience violence when under arrest. The Caucasian band members who were born in Japan, therefore Japanese citizens, also complain about their treatment.

              Though poor, the ragtag team of friends seem to have a good time. They are close-knit and seem to have fun doing whatever to earn money. However once enough money has been accrued, it drives the people apart. Glico, for such a central character, seems to go missing for a large chunk of the film once she becomes a pop star, which emphasizes how far removed she is from Ageha and Feihong now.

              The movie also seems to be shot mostly using handheld, which reminds me a lot of watching a music video or a recording of a live performance. Various colored lights are used to set the mood as well, the most apparent to me is how spotty light can be, like when a scene is shot under a swinging light or near a fan. It’s an interesting way to make the scene more cluttered to stress the messiness of the setting, like in Rashomon with its concept of justice.

              Since there are so many different cultures in Yentown, it makes sense that the characters speak multiple languages. I really like that the film does this, because I feel like it adds another layer to analyze. For example, at the end Ageha speaks Chinese to Ran and also tells him that she runs a shop with Glico. I interpreted this as a sign that Ageha has continued to practice Chinese, probably as a way to connect with Glico and honor Feihong, who initially teaches her the language. I also think that her speaking Chinese in combination with mentioning Glico is a way to hint that Ageha knows of Ran’s relation with Glico but chooses not to reunite them, maybe as a way to protect her since Feihong was killed after getting caught with the fake bill, which was a strategy invented by Ran. Switching between languages midsentence was a nice touch as well, however I wish the subtitles somehow indicated this. Watching this movie with the subtitles felt like I was watching a dubbed anime on Netflix with the subtitles; what the characters say do not always match the subtitles word for word but still meant about the same thing. It was also a little tiring to hear Chinese but read English. Sometimes the subs cut out completely too. While Mao Fu charged to attack right before his whole crew gets wiped out, he lets out a war cry of sorts. He is telling his opponent to basically “come at me bro,” but there were no subtitles in this short segment.

              Additionally, butterflies are often used for symbolism, especially in terms of a free spirit and beauty. This obviously fits with the ideas of Glico and Ageha, but I think it is also significant that the butterfly is specifically the swallowtail. The swallow is an important bird in Chinese culture symbolizing femininity and good fortune, which fits well with Glico especially. Furthermore, the nest of the swallow bird is considered a delicacy as well and is usually served as something sweet, which is in line with Glico’s name. Something that is probably coincidental is that swallowtail butterflies refer to the family Papillonidae, which is the most on the nose name ever, basically meaning family of butterflies, while Ageha’s name is also a rather direct name.

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You are so right, the score went so hard. I read that Joe Hasaishi, the composer, collaborated with Kitano several times as well, so perhaps that contributed to it. I am also really glad that you pointed out some of the symbolism, because I missed out on a lot of it. I was wondering if the specific flowers meant anything in terms of flower language. I think that is why there is a dash in the title Hana-bi, to put emphasis on the hana part. 

Hana-bi

Firstly, the music goes so hard. But i love how it sets us up emotionally and sometimes follows through, but other times does the opposite. like in the opening scene it was this nice kind of emotional song playing but then it stopped, and the kid washes the car/got kicked which made the humor more humorous through the breaking of expectations. I thought they were going to fight or talk bout something interesting but no, just kicked

FLOWERS EVERYWHERE:

I got a lot of thoughts on the flower and firework symbolism throughout the film.

The term hana-bi is made up of flower and fire. And they are fleeting like the life of a flower and of anything else. In relation to Nishi, his time with his wife is fleeting and with Horibe too. Unlike Nishi who knew his time was limited with his family though, Horibe had no known that he would lose his family and be alone until after they had already left. Like a firework, boom then gone. :(

Regarding the artwork of flowers being placed on human and animal heads, flowers are stagnant, they can’t move but they are desired. By being placed on moving creatures, it shows how Horibe was struggling to come to terms with his paralysis and loneliness.

This relationship between Horibe as well as Nishi’s wife and flowers if furthered as they are often cut to following a flowers appearance. Like when they were playing cards in the car, Nishi’s wife had flowers and as soon as it was shown it cut to Horibe on the beach.

This is driven home again with the watering of the dead flowers, showing Nishi’s wife is going to die but is still yearning to live.

Loosely related is the changing of seasons. It was spring with flowers blooming, and then it became winter which forbodes end and death. Which is what happens. Nishi kills Yakuza members, gets arrested and separate from his wife who is implied to soon die, and Horibe is contemplating suicide by the end of the film.

Other things of note:

Horibes is really only seen in two scenes: the beach and his home. Regarding the beach, it functions to show his distress, he can no longer swim yet he is always peering off to the water. Additionally, the ocean has always represented possibility and future, but he feels as if he is a drift now without one. Also, beaches are where family often spend leisure together but now, he is alone.

I noticed a tick that Nori would do when he was under pressure/stressed. He would blink and twitch his mouth. (it may be the actor and not a choice but it still works well with the character). This is interested as it is common with not only people with anxiety but also various forms of PTSD.

[sprout3391]

Hana-bi

Hana-bi feels like a modern film shot several decades ago.

The film starts with some obvious foreshadowing, with “drop dead” on a wall, which fades to the car the detectives are in taking the same place. The lines of both shot correspond with each other. The transitions in general are really smooth. My favorite was when Nishi shoots a yakuza member, the film cuts to Horibe dumping red paint on his painting. Another example was when Horibe was shopping for flowers, the flowers he sees makes him flashback to the paintings he has done for the flowers.

Speaking of Horibe’s paintings, I did some brief research for this movie since I liked it so much, and it’s got some interesting facts. Some of the paintings shown were done by the director himself, Takeshi Kitano. These paintings were made when Kitano was recovering from his motorcycle accident that left part of his face paralyzed. This is also why we see Nishi’s face twitch since Nishi was played by the director as well. This makes me think that that is also why a number of his paintings has the subject’s face covered with a flower, as a way to cover for his disfigured face with something pretty. Therefore, it feels to me that this film was made as a way for Kitano to work through his own trauma. I also learned that before directing this movie, Kitano was a comedian, so this film, which won a Golden Lion, helped transition his reputation from a comedian to a real film director. Additionally, the girl trying to fly the kite at the end is also Kitano’s daughter. Her presence is another reason why I think this film was very personal to Kitano. As Nishi and his wife’s daughter passed away at such a young age, it is sort of poetic. From a far, that shot could almost pass as a family spending time on the beach, with the parents adoringly watching their daughter do her best to get the kite afloat. This makes the subsequent scene of Nishi and Miyuki committing suicide in front of her sort of humorous, but in a really dark way.

Whether Nishi shot himself and his wife or the two cops at the end is sort of open-ended, there is really no doubt in my mind that it was suicide, rather than homicide. The cut to Horibe’s painting, adorned with the word suicide gave it away the most to me, but I think it also makes sense in relation to the character’s personality. Nishi is violent, but still cares deeply. With the money he stole, he bought Horibe art supplies and a beret, things Horibe only mentioned once. Nishi also gives a package to Tanaka’s wife, which makes me think he feels responsible for Tanaka’s passing. It wouldn’t make sense for Nishi to shoot two former colleagues of his.

Nishi and Miyuki’s relationship was also really heartwarming. In the beginning, it seems like they were sort of cold towards each other, but as the movie progressed, we see them enjoying each other’s company. It feels like not many words were shared in between them, but the way they giggle at each other like schoolchildren was very cute. Nishi clearly doesn’t care too much about etiquette, we can infer that since he rings the bell on his own right after another tourist tells his kid that they can’t do that and messes up the zen garden. Miyuki laughs at Nishi’s antics. I wonder if Nishi does these things because he feels like it, or if he does it to entertain his wife.

Overall, I really liked this film. It felt very personal yet melancholic, giving me a lot to think about. The juxtaposition of Horibe’s artistic journey complementing Nishi’s journey was done very well, and I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely.

[sprout3391]

I had no idea about the discrimination against Koreans in Japan either, so I am glad you did more research on it. I love learning about the context of films!

A lot of this movie reminded me of others, and sometimes I can’t quite put my finger on what. The quick cuts made me think of something, but I’m not sure what. Sakurai confessing her love in such an awkward way reminded me of The Shape of Voice though, with the female lead confessing her feelings and the male lead misunderstanding her, thinking that she was talking about the moon.

I think it was funny that Sugihara calls the movie a love story, when to me it didn’t come across as one. More of a coming-of-age genre, but I guess those two can be closely related. I suppose to a teenager, he would focus on the romantic aspect, but the scenes about discrimination and Jong-Il’s death made much more of an impression on me.

GO!

This was by far the most enjoyable film we have watched so far for me. I think this will remain pretty high on my list of favorites from the course until we get into the horror genre.

Honestly, I was not aware of the treatment of Koreans in Japan and this movie encouraged me to do some more research. While the movie showed a lot of the individually-faced racism that is experienced, a lot of the institutionalized racism wasn’t depicted. Specifically, the education system is a prime example of where Koreans in Japan are disadvantaged which is shown a bit in the film. In Japan, there are Korean schools due to the high population (both North and South). In 2003, the Japanese government made graduates from most international schools as well as Japanese schools eligible for the university entrance exam, but this was not extended to most Korean schools (specifically North Korean) placing the students at a disadvantage. While this happened in 2003 and the movie was in 2001, it makes sense why Jong-Il and Sugihara’s father wanted him to go to Japanese school and change his citizenship in order to even have a chance at going to university. This was an option that was not available to the others not only because of basic prejudice but also legislature. There are other disadvantages that they face, and if anyone is interested I was reading up on it here: https://minorityrights.org/minorities/koreans/ and found it helped contextualize the movie a bit, especially the history.

The opening scene where Sugihara is playing basketball but pauses to tell us that it was a love story reminded me of something and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Until right now. It was The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) where Kuzco stops the movie to tell us that the film is about him and not Pacha. I think its funny because it was around the same time so it was likely a 2000s trend but I couldn’t stop thinking about how I had seen that scene before when I was watching and I am glad I finally remembered where I saw it before.

I liked that this movie touched on how while we’re all connected to our ethnicity/race/nationality etc., we aren’t defined by it. Sugihara can’t change that he is Korean, even if he changed it officially. But he gets to decide who he is in other ways. In whom he loves, his future, his actions. I think he like many others struggle with labels and being labeled that we forget that first and foremost you are yourself. Not your country, not your gender, not your race, not your sexuality. That’s part of it but you are you as a whole.

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Go (2001)

I can’t believe we finally made it to the 21st century. I finally understand at least some of the pop culture references.

Anyways, the rebellious youth theme instantly made me think of Cruel Story of Youth, especially after Sugihara says, “I thought hard about my futureless existence.” Sugihara’s youth was filled with violence, with many classmates challenging him to fight. I’m glad that Sugihara manages to find a goal, going to university, but I am sad that it was at the cost of Jong-Il’s death. Sugihara also refuses Tawake’s call for revenge, stating that it would not be something Jong-Il would want. I also wondered a lot if any of the violence portrayed was punished by the police. I wonder if Jong-Il’s killer was arrested, or if Mr. Kim faced any consequences for beating up a student. We only see the police arrest Sugihara and Tawake, which makes me think the director is pointing out how the Korean-Japanese were treated by the police differently compared to the Japanese.

The stuttering shots also reminded me of something, but I can’t quite remember what. I want to say Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. But a cooler scene was the spinning shot while Tawake and Sugihara kick a deflated soccer ball around, then transitions to Jong-Il and Sugihara talking. It conveyed time passing, like with Ugetsu and its shot where the wife appears one last time.

Additionally, Go starts with a Shakespeare quote, which I think outlines the main theme of the movie well. The quote basically says that the name of something does not really change what that something is, like how Sugihara and Sakurai not sharing their first-names does not change who they are as humans. The quote also shows that the labels given to the various characters do not define them. Sugihara may be Korean-Japanese but sharing this information with Sakurai does not change him as a person.

A smaller thing I noticed was that the film shows that every time the mom left, the dad punches a hole in the wall. The film focuses a little on the first two holes as they happen, but by the end there were like five holes. We see that after the dad was informed of his loss in business and loss of a brother, so I wonder if the holes indicated how upset the dad was over these losses or if the mom left another three times. I saw that Sakurai when she was introduced wore a lot of bright pinks, which foreshadowed her first name. This also made her stand out next to Sugihara, who wore dark blues. Furthermore, after Jong-Il’s funeral, Sugihara wore black while Sakurai wore a white dress. Obviously the dark clothing indicates grief, but I think Sakurai wore white to represent how Sugihara hopes that Sakurai can be a pillar of support after losing a good friend. That illusion is shattered though once the clothing came off. Finally, at the end Sakurai wore blue clothing, which I believe indicates how she understands Sugihara a little better and was willing to change the beliefs she was taught.

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I also think the opening scene set the tone of the movie really well. You mentioned the business man foolishly ordering the same foods because they didn’t understand French cuisine, but what made that scene entertaining to me was the reactions of the business men. After the bag-carrying man orders, all the higher ranking men were bright red, making the movie feel a bit absurd. The scene with the lady teaching spaghetti etiquette also gave me the absurdist feeling. I like the little vignettes a lot too. It made the movie feel like it was about the world, rather than just about Tampopo and her crew. 

I’m glad you pointed out the connection between sexuality and food as well. I feel like hunger for food is often used to symbolize sexual hunger. Though I didn’t really interpret food as a symbol of power, I thought of it as a symbol of connection, but I think both work.

Tampopo

Tampopo was a joke take on a “spaghetti western,” or in this case a “ramen western,” taken too far. Despite this, I think the film was very successful in achieving the desired effect, so while it might not be my favorite, I can still appreciate the film for what it is.

One thing that I enjoyed about this movie was definitely the diverging plotlines that all tied together throughout the film. While it seemed sporadic at times, these changes of pace help to keep the viewer watching. If all of these plotlines were separated, I do not think they could stand alone. This isn’t to say they are not good, they just need each other in order to create a full storyline. 

The breaking of the fourth wall in this film, set the tone for how viewers should watch and interpret the film. From this first instance, the man in the white suit shows us that this film isn’t too be taken seriously but will still critique the way people act in the real world. Examples of this that are easy to see come from the business men who all order the same food in an attempt to kiss up to their superiors.

This movie also has a strange connection between food an sexuality. I’m not sure if there is some deeper meaning here, but food in the film becomes a symbol of power. As such, the narrative follows Mrs. Tanpopo as she attempts to become a premiere ramen chef, trying to get a hold of this power and prestige. 

I can’t end this blog post without discussing Goro’s literal take on a ramen western. The literal play on words that are likely the inspiration behind the whole film come to fruition in Goro’s cowboyish attire and chaotic good nature of being. The connection between truckers being Japan’s modern cowboys is a funny thought, but one that has some sense to it overall. 

To conclude, this film is successful in what it set out to do, namely create a comedic ramen western, but it is not one of my favorite films that I have seen in this class.