Lost In Translation

Youth Of The Beast

Seijun Suzuki's Youth Of The Beast (1963) is another great example of how an auteur can elevate sub standard material. This was supposed to be another B level yakuza film, but Suzuki elevates the material. For example, the yakuza headquarters are extravagant. The first one that the hero, Joe Shishido is brought to is in a one way mirror fish bowl that looks out into the club from which he was summoned after running up an extravagant bill. Later, when he is brought to the rival's office is in the balcony of a movie theater with moving pictures being projected on the back wall. It is somewhat of a conventional revenge thriller where the "good cop" acts as a "bad guy" to get in with the guys he wants to exact revenge upon. It has all sorts of hardboiled elements: gangs, murder, drugs, and prostitution. I found it very fast-paced and entertaining, one of Suzuki's best films. The Criterion edition includes video interviews with Suzuki and Shishido from 2001, the original theatrical trailer, and an essay by critic Howard Hampton.

California Design, 1930 - 1965: "Living in a Modern Way"

Over the weekend I attended California Design, 1930 - 1965: "Living in a Modern Way" at the National Art Center, Tokyo in Nogizaka. There were a variety of artifacts on display from jewelry and clothes to cars and surf boards. I was glad to see exhibition space for graphic artist Saul Bass known for inventive movie posters for movies like Anatomy of a Murder. It was also my first time to see an Avanti Studebaker.

Run River

I first discovered Joan Didion as an essayist, but I am intrigued by her novels as well. I have read a couple novels, but decided to go back to her first Run River (1963) this time. I must admit that it was slow going at first, but about halfway through it really picked up and I was compelled to read through and see what happened next. The novel opens in medias res and goes into flash back of the people who populate what is known in California as "The Inland Empire" of the Sacramento Valley where ranchers and hops growers reside (incidentally the region comprised of Eastern Washington, North Idaho and Western Montana is also known as the Inland Empire and my birthplace). Didion revisited this area for her nonfiction book, Where I'm From. I suppose it would be one of those rare judgements in which I would rate the book three and a half stars, because of the slow start and lack of action that takes place early in the novel, but it makes up for it in the second half. The fact that it was her first novel is impressive, but it is not her finest work.

Jigoku

Nobu Nakagawa's film Jigoku (1960) was a horror film ahead of it's time that had some progressive and experimental aspects. On some levels it can also be perceived as camp and low budget. I don't think it is as interesting as other classic films of the supernatural like Masaki Kobayashi's Kawaidan, Kaneto Shindo's Onibaba or Kuroneko or Kenji Mizoguchi's classic Ugetsu. I think is somewhat of a curiosity and not essential viewing. The Criterion edition has "Building the Inferno," a new documentary on director Nobuo Nakagawa and the making of the film, the theatrical trailer, galleries of posters from selected Nakagawa and Shintoho studio films, and a booklet with a new essay by noted Asian-cinema critic Chuck Stephens.

Roti

Huveos Rancheros for brunch at Roti in Roppongi.

Proxy War

Proxy War (1973) is the third installment of Kinji Fukusaku's yakuza series Battles Without Honor & Humanity. In this installment Shozo Hirano (Bunta Sugawara) comes to the forefront as yakuza power plays come into play and implicate Hirano who is caught between a weasel-like colleague Uchimoto (Takeshi Kato) and the most recent boss Yamamori (Nobuo Kaneko). There is lots of violence that is chaotic and recorded by hand held camera to suggest realism. This series is concerned with the power play within and between the different yakuza families, but it seems that more about how they make their money would make for more entertaining films ala Goodfellas. A lot of the plot involves yakuza gathering for drinks or gambling and discussing changes in the hierarchy or getting attack by a rival family. This one leaves you wondering what Hirano will do in the next installment since he has tried to be reasonable but has been pushed into a corner.

Chinese Soba

Also known as ramen, from Monday in Chiba near Okubo station and Nihon University.

Sword Of The Beast

Hideo Gosha's (Meiji University graduate) Sword Of The Beast (1965) wastes no time in getting started with the action. Gennosuke (Mikijiro Hira) is a fugitive on the run after killing one of his superiors-he is revolting against the system that uses and abuses samurai. He ends up joining up with some illegal gold miners and ends up facing off with his former comrades but also fighting off would be assassins his new comrades. He has a great line when attacking the counselor of the comrade's clan, who says "Why kill me? We have no connection." To which Genosuke answers, "We do now, see you in hell!" (As he stabs the man). An entertaining film shoot on location complete with the sound track of summer complete with cicada and other sounds of nature.

BFI: Sweet Smell Of Success

Since I recently saw the film-noir classic Sweet Smell of Success, I thought I'd read the BFI book version of Sweet Smell Of Success (2010) by critic James Naremore. The book is divided into six sections. The first, Roman a Clef, is a discussion of Ernest Lehman's novella from which the screenplay was adapted. This is followed by "Twilight of the Gods," where Naremore looks at how Burt Lancaster's production company became interested in producing the film. Section three, "A Pain in the Stomach," discusses the planning of the film in which Lehman was removed as director much to his own relief, he was having a stress related disorder in relation to the production. He was replaced by Alexander Mackendrick. "Re-writing Re-writing Re-writing" looks at the constant adaptation of the original script by Clifford Odets, who was brought in to punch up the dialogue of the script, but was also successful in creating more tension and drama from the original script which relied too much on one on one exchanges. The fifth section, "Showtime" is a scene by scene analysis of the story. And "Aftermath and Retrospect" looks at the film's immediate reception, which was a disappointment. However, the film gained prestige over time and established a reputation as one of the better film noir movies of all-time.

Night Of The Iguana

The New Directions paperback copy of Tennessee Williams' masterpiece The Night of the Iguana (1961) has lots of great extras. It includes Williams' 1948 short story on which the play is based. I was inspired to read the play after seeing John Huston's great film version with Ava Gardener and Richard Burton. This volume includes an introduction written by American playwright Doug Wright, William's essay about the play "A Summer of Discovery," and an essay by scholar Kenneth Holdich "Acts of Grace." One of the biggest differences between the play and the film was the exclusion of the Germans. I found it somewhat baffling to know that there were Nazis in Mexico circa 1940 and in Williams' essay he states that they were there when he was there writing-hence their inclusion in the play. The short story is quite different from the play as well, but one can see which elements Williams drew from it for his play. I think this play is certainly one of Williams' superior works.