Lost In Translation

M House

My first visit to the newest addition to the Mercer cafe empire, M House, located on the hillside down from Garden Place. Eggs benedict and steak and eggs. There are two eggs benedict optiosn that are two pairings of different toppings. A new luxury brunch choice.

Senso

Luchino Visconti's Technicolor tragic romance, Senso (1954), is a big budget production and something of a departure from Visconti's earlier successes. The previous two films that I saw, Obessione and La Terra Trema were examples of Italian Neo-realism, while this one is much more romantic in its evocation of the past with sumptuous sets and costumes such as the striking opening sequence that takes place at an opera theater. The story takes place in nineteenth century Italy during the Italo-Prussian war and before Italy gains its independence. The story was based on a novella that was adapted and follows the torrid love affair between a married countess (Italian Alida Valli) and an officer of the occupying Prussian army (played by American Farley Granger). Originally, Visconti wanted Ingrid Bergman and Marlon Brando, but both turned down the opportunity. The soundtrack, the acting, and the art design, all create an extraordinary historical drama. The Criterion extras include: The Making of "Senso," a documentary featuring cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno, assistant director Francesco Rosi, costume designer Piero Tosi, and Caterina D'Amico, daughter of screenwriter Suso Cecchi D'Amico and author of Life and Work of Luchino Visconti, a visual essay by film scholar Peter Cowie. On the second disc: The Wanton Countess, a rarely seen English-language version of the film, Viva VERDI, a documentary on Visconti, Senso, and opera, and "Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti," a 1966 BBC program exploring Visconti's mastery of cinema, theater, and opera directions.

The Makioka Sisters-Review The Japan Times

My latest reivew from The Japan Times on Junichiro Tanizaki's classic, The Makioka Sisters.

Tale of Genji

The Tale Of Genji (1008 and the abridged edition by Edward Seidensticker in 1990) by Shikibu Murasaki is known as one of the first novels and a great literary masterpiece. I thought I should give it a try and read this in concert with Sedisnicker's memoir on the process, and realize now that he was referring to the unabridged edition that he was translating rather than this abridged one. However, I can't say I feel cheated, there is much to be admired in the novel: the look at the lives of the Heian upper classes, and specifically the exploits of a rake who has license to enjoy himself as much as possible until he is exiled for his behavior.  But there is much that is tedious as well: descriptions of clothing, art, flowery and inscrutable poems exchanged by characters. But I don't really feel the need to read Seidensticker's unabridged edition nor read Arthur Waley's authoritative text either to compare and contrast-that is for those specialist whoa re entrenched in uncovering life in the Heian era-a taste is enough for me.

Only Lovers Left Alive

I have to admit I was suspect about a vampire film from Jm Jarmusch, but I should have trusted the director's good taste and sensibility. The result is a cool, meditative and haunting love story, Only Lovers Left Alive (2013). The story focuses on the love affair between two ancient vampires, the chic and biblically named Eve (Tilda Swinton) and Adam (Tom Hiddleson). Adam is something of a musician and old school artifact collector, who uses outdated technology to connect with Eve, who as adapted-she has an iPhone after all. At the beginning of the film they are living in two separately haunting places, Adam in Detroit and Eve in Tangier, where the sage and irascible Marlowe (Jon Hurt) also resides. There are some sly references suggesting , that Marlowe is actually Shakespeare. Several of these types of references are peppered throughout the film. Jarmusch effectively ties an equally haunting score with nigh-time visages of both otherworldly places. Things unravel when Eve out of control younger sister, Ava (Mia Wasikowska) shows up on the scene and causes Adam to flee to Tangier with Eve, who had been visiting him. It was very entertaining and an unexpected triumph from Jarmusch.

Vacation Films 2014

On vacation and while flying I often see a quite a few films that are not worth extended discussion, however, some mention. Jon Farveau's Chef (2014) was a pretty conventional comedy for foodies and was not that memorable despite the infusion of Cuban culture and road trip locations in the film.

I enjoyed Veronica Mars (2014) much more having been a fan of the TV series, so it was great to see the gang get back together for the big screen version.

As much as I enjoyed Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014) and Chris Pratt's star-making role, it seemed like it was overrated to me, i.e. not that funny. But who wouldn't love a trigger happy, malevolent raccoon cyborg?

In honor of the death of Lauren Bacall I watched her classic debut To Have and Have Not (1944).

Revel

For my last meal in Seattle I went with Pat James to Revel, a fusion Asian restaurant in Fremont. We started with a pork belly, kimchi, and bean sprout pancake (or what we call chichimi here in Japan).

Accompanied by short rib, pickled shallot, and scallion dumplings.

For noodles we ordered the lemongrass beef, yu choi, and totamo.

Genji Days

Earlier this year I read Tokyo from Edo to Showa 1867-1989 by Edward Seidensnicker and enjoyed it immensely. Thus recently, I decided to read translator Seidensticker's memoirs, Genji Days (1977) of translating Murasaki Shibiku's timeless masterpiece, Tale of Genji, along with Sedensticker's translation as one of my summer projects. Of course this memoir is more than just an account of Seidensticker's struggles with translating the famous novel.  In the past I have read translations of his by such esteemed writers as Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima and Junichiro Tanizaki. Throughout the journal entries he often refers to these writers as well, especially Kawabata and Mishima since both of the m committed suicide during the writing of these journal entries that comprise the memoir, which take place largely form 1970-1974. He reveals that earlier in 1968, Mishima had essentially told Seidsticker that he was planning on killing himself, but Seidensticker was caught off guard by Kawabata's suicide that followed world recognition after winning the Nobel Prize and to which he attributes fatigue and inability to sleep as the most likely reasons for his suicide. Seidensticker makes observations about the volatile politics that were taking place in the US and on his campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. For example, he goes out of his way to see Huey Newton's speech at the campus. In another section, he discusses the ramifications of terrorist acts taken by young Japanese radicals in Tel Aviv. More often than not he is not impressed with the rhetoric and almost finds himself in opposition to the youth politics of the day, which he often sees as frivolous and not particularly deeply considered. There are more prosaic aspects such as his discussions of trips to the market, buying flowers, stop overs in Hawaii, visiting sex shops, and recording dreams. However, throughout the memoirs Seidensticker makes interesting observations about literature, Murasaki, Arthur Waley's influential translation, and The Tale of Genji. For example,he compares the essential loneliness of the American archetypal hero with that of the Japanese hero by saying:

In the one case it is because society has not yet come into being, in the other because an old tradition and old conventions still weigh heavily. In the one case geography keeps people apart, in the other the pigeonholes into which people are thrust by tradition.

He sees Murasaki as a pessimist due to the views on the decline of Buddhism and decay of court aristocracy, but an optimist in view of human nature, in that people strive to be good.  Furthermore, he states that she is more concerned to crystallize the moment in the flow of nature, and make it be still. In regards to his translation, says that he will refrain from "improving" upon Murasaki, but feels that it shouldn't be hard to improve on Waley in the directions  of quietness and unobtrusiveness. I found these memoirs though provoking and an enlightening look into the past and into the mind of a talented translator.

Seattle Summer 2014: Part Two

Top Pot Doughnuts, a Seattle institution.

Finally trying a Chipolte and surprised on how much Frioles in Tokyo has borrowed from them.

The Burke Museum Cafe is now run by UW housing and servies, but hasn't changed much from when I worked there as a student 24 years ago.

Cafe Solstice, my go to cafe in the U-District.

Ray's Boathouse, another Seattle institution that I worked at while in college.

 Whiskey bar in Ballard.

 

The U District.

Another old stomping ground, The College Inn Pub.

Anders using Car2Go. a car rental service.

Monsoon, a new Vietnam restaurant on Capitol Hill.

Wagyu beef carpaccio.

Deep fried spring rolls.

 

Ba Bar, a First Hill vietnamese restaurant.

Minced bean dumplings.

Shrimp satay with pickles.

last lunch stop, The Tamarind Tree, in the International District downtown.

Egg rolls and 33 Import.

Fresh spring rolls.

At the Vietnamese market in the Internaitonal district.

Durian.

The Cyclops in Belltown.

Gaje and Anders at Lava Lounge.

Belltown.

Rendezvous in Belltown.

Pecado Bueno in Fremont.

Pat and Anders at Al's Tavern.

Boyhood

Richard Linlater's Boyhood (2014) is an astonishing piece of film-making. Linklater created a film that gives the viewer the perspective of the life of a boy from age six to 18. Of course this fictional world includes family (the mother-Patricia Arquette, sister-Lorelai Linklater [the director's daughter], absent father-Ethan Hawke), friends, teachers, co-workers, etc.  It has many of the hall marks of a Linklater film: strong soundtrack (Wilco, Yo La Tengo, The Flaming Lips, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, etc.), non judgemental portrayals of youths drinking, smoking pot with no punishment or consequences, a classic muscle car (GTO not unlike that seen in Dazed and Confused), Ethan Hawke (he has appeared in 8 Linklater films), and an ambiguous ending (which is similar to all of the films in the "Sunrise" trilogy). Some things about the film that struck me were: 1) this child's boyhood occurs in the generation of screens, unlike my own, so obsessions with video games wasn't as a strong of influence on my generation 2) every life experience is different and this one differ as much in experiences as location-Texas that is remote from my own in Spokane, Washington 3) I felt somewhat old as there is a scene when the boy is preadolescence listening to his father talk about Wilco's "Hate It Here" from their 2007 album, Sky Blue Sky, and thinking it seemed just like yesterday when that album came out. There are several excellent set pieces throughout the film that set the tone for the life that unfolds over the three hours, which seems much shorter. Linklater makes several Ozu-like ellipses in the story in which he chooses to skip events like the formal divorce procedures and the graduation from high schoo, and pick up after these milestones instead. Some of the best ones occur between father and son, for example, at the end of the film when marlon has learned that his high school girlfriend has left him for a Lacrosse-playing college student, and his father gives him excellent advice saying that he need only be true to himself and not let the setback affect him and he will be always be alright. It may not add up to a tightly-scripted film with an obvious overall theme at the end, however, it feels satisfying nonetheless. It has many transcendent moments of lyrical beauty throughout. It is a hallmark in modern cinema.