Lost In Translation

Eijanika

The cover above for Eijanika (1981) is a VHS cover since this Shohei Imamura classic is now out of print, and I got a DVD copy with English subtitles from what I think is a Hong Kong-based company based on the Chinese/English subtitles. It was recommended to me by a friend, but it would not have taken much to get me to watch it, since I was already an Imamura fan. He is probably my second favorite Japanese director after Akira Kurosawa. I was compelled to see this film since I have been reading a book about the cultural history of Tokyo called Tokyo: A Cultural History by Stephen Mansfield (which I just finished reading and will review soon). This incident was mentioned in the book, and it was seen as a social/political protest at the start of the Meiji restoration that originated in Kansai (Kyoto and Osaka) and involved dancing festivals. Thus, there is a lot of song and dance in Imamura's film. I thought about why it didn't get much international recognition like most of his films. I arrived at the conclusion that the film was 1) too long, clocking in at 151 minutes and 2) was concerned with what most people would call an obscure historical event. Although, for me, it is one of the most interesting moments in Japanese history since this is where they decided to modernized and disband samurai shogunates after being forced to open the country for trade by Admiral Perry and the US. The speed and vigor of their efforts to modernize were astonishing and within decades they were considered a world power after defeating the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. But this isn't a film about the upper classes, it is essentially about the common folk-earthy women who enjoy the earthly pleasures and who survive by any means possible. And also of the men of the earth who do the dirty work for the bosses and revel in  the risk of personal harm. For me it was a fascinating, entertaining, and essential chapter of the Imamura oeuvre.      

War Dances

Sherman Alexie was born and raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington not far from my hometown of Spokane, Washington. He is from the same generation as me and I read and enjoyed his first book of stories and poems, The Business of Fancydancing from 1992. But I never followed up on his writing for some reason. I often think the premise of some of his work didn't appeal to me on some level for some reason. But I recently read and enjoyed the short story "War Dances" from the The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2010, so I decided to read the collection from 2010. This collection is a combination of poems and short stories. Some of it is uneven, but there are several aspects of the writing that is very specific to the region where Alexie and I grew up-so there are shared memories of places like the Fox theater, the YMCA on Maple, Gonzaga University, and the art of making mix tapes among other things. So I think I will investigate other short story collections and try a novel or two as well.

Naked City

I first became aware of Jules Dassin's Naked City (1948) when I was doing research on Akira Kurosawa's film Stray Dog (1949) for an academic paper I was writing on the film. Kurosawa cited the film as inspiration for his film. This can be seen in the documentary style footage he uses, as well as the police procedural aspect of the film, and lastly in the mentor-protege relationship mirrored by Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura of Howard Duff and Barry Fitzgerald. Naked City was itself inspired by the true crime photos of Weegee (a tabloid photographer named Arthur Felling who served as an adviser tot he film). It eventually became a long running TV series as well. There's no doubt that there is some spectacular on location shooting all over New York and especially at the end of the film, where they shoot on the Williamsburg Bridge. This film gets the Criterion treatment with audio commentary by Naked City screenwriter Malvin Wald, a video interview with NYU film professor Dana Polan, an analysis of the film's locations by Celluoid Skyline author James Sandes, footage of Jules Dassin from his 2004 appearance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the theatrical trailer, and a new essay by Luc Sante and production notes from producer Mark Hellinger to Dassin.

Men At Arms

I am very found of Evelyn Waugh's writing and this year I have decided to tackle the Sword of Honor trilogy, and I have just finished the first volume, Men At Arms (1952). It is the story of 35 year old Guy Crouchback's enlistment into the military at the start of World War II. It is said to have been based on Waugh's own experiences as an older man enlisting. It is something of a British "Catch-22" in the satire and absurdities of the military. That being said it is almost more the story of Coruchback's fellow officer Apthorpe, an eccentric fellow. His main story is an episode of high farce, the two have a battle of wits and military discipline over an Edwardian thunder-box (portable toilet) from which Crouchback observes, amused and detached. I'm very much looking forward to the next installment.

Early Summer

I recently realized that I had not seen one of Yasujiro Ozu's most celebrated films, Early Summer (1951). Thus, I felt the need to correct this omission right away. I mistakenly thought I had seen it. First of all the title is similar to that of Early Spring and End of Summer, both of which are included in this box set of late Ozu films that I have. It is also one episode of the Noriko Trilogy (three films with Setsuko Hara playing a character named Noriko-the other two being Tokyo Story and Late Spring). It was one of Ozu's own favorites and  another look at the dissolution of a family: one that had three generations under one roof-a rarity for Ozu. I have to admit I think I like this film as much as Tokyo Story and Late Spring, if not more. here are some interesting digressions from his usual visual style as well. The cast is filled with Ozu regulars besides Hara like Chishu Ryu, Kuniko Miyake, and Shujiu Sano among others. As usual there are some great extras, especially the late Donald Riche's commentary where he suggests that Ozu derived his visual style from watching the films of Ernst Lubitch among others. Apparently Ozu kept a diary and he often went to the theater. The other extras include Ozu Films from Behind the Scene a conversation about Ozu and his working methods between child-actor and sound technician Kojiro Suematsu, assistant cameraman Takashi Kawamata, and producer Shizuo Yamanouchi, the original theatrical trailer, an essay by scholar David Bordwell, and an article about Ozu by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. This is essential film viewing for anyone serious about film.

Brozers'

While I was on the east side of town I decided to check out a burger shop I'd been meaning to visit for some time, Brozers', in Ningycho. It is certainly one of the top 10 burgers in town. See the neatly folded lettuce, toasted buns, crisp onions and fresh tomatoes. I also like the fact that they serve french fries and onion rings with a pickle as a garnish: bonus points for squeeze bottles.

Sin Nombre

I was inspired to search out Cary Joji Fukunaga's debut directorial feature, Sin Nombre (2009) after seeing his impressive Jane Eyre. It is a project that took him four years to realize as he did the research for the film by traveling the trains in Mexico. It is a very assured debut with excellent cinematography. The film is all in Spanish and is filmed in Mexico with an all-Latino cast. It is the story of a Honduran girl trying to make her way to America who crosses paths with a gang banger on the run. Fukunaga won a directing award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. I curious to see what else Fukunaga will do in his career.

Kiyosumi Teien

I've been reading Stephen Mansfieled's book, Tokyo A Cultural History, and it was discussing some of the city parks and I had realized that I hadn't been to Kiyosumi Teien. I corrected this on Saturday.

Police Tactics

I'm making my way through Kinji Fukasaku's The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor & Humanity and the latest installment is the fourth in the series of five, Police Tactics (1974). In this series while the yakuza skirmishes get out of hand the authorities start to crack down on organized crime in preparation of the 1964 Olympics, which will put Japan on the world stage. Takeda (Akira Kobayashi) is unable to keep his underlings in order as they take matters into their own hands killing a boss in neutral territory. The slimy Uchimoto informs on his own men when they try for retribution by killing a rival. The end result finds the protagonist, Hirono (Bunta Sugawara), in jail. Boss Yamamori avoids assassination but is also roused by the police.

Junren

I recently learned that a branch of the well-established Sapporo ramen shop, Junren, is in Ebisu, so I checked it out earlier this week. I tried the spicy miso ramen which has chunky bits of pork along with garlic, ginger with aged puri puri (softer than al dente) noodles. I'll be back for sure.