I actually do not like Japanese cinema. I have never really seen a Japanese live action movie where I go "wow that was a really good movie!"
The only one I ever was somewhat interested in was Battle Royale and that grew old really quick when you realized that, like a lot of Japanese movies, it was mainly for the shock value that it was interesting.
Lira
quote:
Originally posted by Joss Weatherby
The only one I ever was somewhat interested in was Battle Royale and that grew old really quick when you realized that, like a lot of Japanese movies, it was mainly for the shock value that it was interesting.
I think I'm the only person I know that watched BR and completely ignored the violence and focused only in the drama. Perhaps it reminded me way too much of the people I hang out with and the place where I used to hang out with them, but I got all philosophical after watching it asking myself what I'd do for what I believe was true.
Mind you, no one could be sure the other necklaces would indeed detonate. For all we know, he could've planted a bomb in that kid's necklace (because of the grudge Beat Kitano held against him), and it went off just to impress everyone else.
I don't know if the (graphic) novel had any more info on this, but this is why I enjoyed Battle Royale. Besides, it was cute to see the teens declaring their love for one another and stuff... reminded me of high school.
Joss Weatherby
quote:
Originally posted by Lira
I think I'm the only person I know that watched BR and completely ignored the violence and focused only in the drama. Perhaps it reminded me way too much of the people I hang out with and the place where I used to hang out with them, but I got all philosophical after watching it asking myself what I'd do for what I believe was true.
Mind you, no one could be sure the other necklaces would indeed detonate. For all we know, he could've planted a bomb in that kid's necklace (because of the grudge Beat Kitano held against him), and it went off just to impress everyone else.
I don't know if the (graphic) novel had any more info on this, but this is why I enjoyed Battle Royale. Besides, it was cute to see the teens declaring their love for one another and stuff... reminded me of high school.
You can assume they were all explosive from the horrible sequel when they are storming the beach. God damn that movie sucked... The ing rugby scene... what the was that ?
epicaricacy
i'll vote if you include cunty granny macpherson in the list.
do it, the linguist inside all of us compels you.
SYSTEM-J
Lira, I don't know why you put samurai on the same level as goblins and Jedi. The samurai actually existed, and during Sengoku Jidai they actually did fight massive battles.
And Battle Royale is rubbish.
Lira
quote:
Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
Lira, I don't know why you put samurai on the same level as goblins and Jedi. The samurai actually existed, and during Sengoku Jidai they actually did fight massive battles.
Ninjas, gladiators, knights, and strawberry cheesecakes also exist(ed). I just can't relate to them. At all. Like I said, their existence is so particular and restricted to a certain cultural background that I find it hard to appreciate stories with them.
EgosXII
quote:
Originally posted by Lira
Ninjas, gladiators, knights, and strawberry cheesecakes also exist(ed). I just can't relate to them. At all. Like I said, their existence is so particular and restricted to a certain cultural background that I find it hard to appreciate stories with them.
It's scary how xenophobic you must be from this statement... :eyes:
SYSTEM-J
quote:
Originally posted by Lira
Ninjas, gladiators, knights, and strawberry cheesecakes also exist(ed). I just can't relate to them. At all. Like I said, their existence is so particular and restricted to a certain cultural background that I find it hard to appreciate stories with them.
What? Samurai may have had certain codes and cultural trappings, but they're essentially just soldiers. Soldiers appear in every age and every culture. War is one of the greatest themes of art. Even a film focused on the particularities of Japanese culture that created samurai (or European culture that created knights) is at most focalising a universal theme through a particular cultural attitude.
Besides, your reasoning makes absolutely no sense with regards Kurosawa's samurai films, given the constant dialogue they had with other cultures. Seven Samurai and Yojimbo were famously influential on American culture and were both remade into Westerns, while several of his other films, notably Ran, were adaptations of Shakespeare plays. I can't give any credence at all to a claim that samurai films are restricted to certain cultural backgrounds.
I focus on Ran because it features literally thousands of samurai, and yet the film is about a man who sheds blood and wages war for most of his life and then tries (unsuccessfully) to make peace without facing the repercussions of his actions. This theme of not being able to escape past transgressions isn't even just about war, it's an idea that can apply to every single person's life. To write this film off as culturally particular because a lot of people carry katanas and do battle in fields is mind-bogglingly misguided.
Lira
quote:
Originally posted by EgosXII
It's scary how xenophobic you must be from this statement... :eyes:
How xenophobic can someone who likes foreign films be? :p
It can be used to describe stuff in my own country as well. For example, there are some films from the North-east that are so "ethnic" that I just can't appreciate it. Can I be xenophobic when it's something from my own background?
quote:
Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
What? Samurai may have had certain codes and cultural trappings, but they're essentially just soldiers. Soldiers appear in every age and every culture. War is one of the greatest themes of art.
And it's a theme I can't relate to. I studied in a military school for seven years (Middle School and High School), run by the Military, my father works for the Air Force, and I still can't even care about any of their themes. I tend to either empathise with the civilians, such as in "Grave of the Fireflies", or with the soldiers when the military code cannot be sustained, such as in "No Man's Land".
quote:
Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
Besides, your reasoning makes absolutely no sense
I'm not trying to make sense. I'm just speculating about why I find these themes utterly boring. If I gave you the reasons why I like my fiancée, it would be of no value to you, and you wouldn't instantly fancy someone simply because some person convinced you a girl is attractive.
Likewise, even if you show me that the reasons I gave are flawed, all I can do is go back to the drawing board and see what it is about my tastes that I don't understand. I don't even think it needs to be consistent, actually...
quote:
Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
I focus on Ran because it features literally thousands of samurai, and yet the film is about a man who sheds blood and wages war for most of his life and then tries (unsuccessfully) to make peace without facing the repercussions of his actions. This theme of not being able to escape past transgressions isn't even just about war, it's an idea that can apply to every single person's life. To write this film off as culturally particular because a lot of people carry katanas and do battle in fields is mind-bogglingly misguided.
Actually, I was talking about 7 Samurai, the Last Samurai, Samurai Champloo and Samurai What-have-you... I didn't notice you were talking about yet another film.
I don't think I've ever seen Ran. I don't like to judge a film I haven't seen so I'll just watch it and then tell what I think...
SYSTEM-J
quote:
Originally posted by Lira
I'm not trying to make sense. I'm just speculating about why I find these themes utterly boring. If I gave you the reasons why I like my fiancée, it would be of no value to you, and you wouldn't instantly fancy someone simply because some person convinced you a girl is attractive.
That works if you're talking about the intangible reason why you don't feel any spark for excessively "ethnic" (or whatever) films, but it doesn't really justify considering samurai as excessively culturally specific subject matter in the first place. Your dislike of war is surely unrelated, because war is the precise opposite of culturally specific.
Also, you can't really consider a corny Americand period action film like The Last Samurai to be Japanese cinema.
Trancefxs
Battle Royale is shock for kids, go check out Tetsuo: the Iron Man and then we can talk again.
I don't know if the soundtrack by Chu Ishikawa was ahead of his time, but it further added to the film value.
