Snippitts of Illusions

Japanese cinema

Japanese cinema.
I found that I really enjoy japanese films.
Not necessarily anime, though Myouzoki (sp) is quite adept at what he does.
No i'm talking live action.
Kurasawa i've become a large fan of over the past few years.
I love his samurai movies: Yojimbo, Ran, The Hidden Fortress.
I've only seen one of his movies that isn't set in medieval japan (technically Yojimbo isn't medieval, more or less in the early 1800's) that's a movie called "Dreams"
I liked dreams.
It is a beautiful, surreal movie; many short tales, some of them tragic, some of the poignant, some unfinished. Dreams is very cool. You have to be in the right mood for it though.
Another, similarly surreal film is one by Takeshi Kitano entitled Dolls.
It's a love story, a perfectly tragic love story, actually three perfectly tragic love stories.
I would say that they are all bitter sweet, but that wouldn't be accurate, nor would be singling one out as bittersweet be accurate.
They are all tragic, but only because of the actions the people took; Usually the men.
There is despair, longing, penance in this film. Made all the more haunting by the beautiful cinematography and imagery.
If you're in the mood for an art film, and don't mind feeling a little depressed by the ultimate outcome of the movie (but never the less moved) get "Dolls"

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 3:36 PM