To Live (1994) [Film Review]

To Live; or, The Irony of Existence

What did you name our son?

           “Don’t-Gamble”

This weeks’ review will be about a Chinese historical epic film directed by Zhang Yimou and the only motion picture from his filmography that was actually banned in mainland China.

Release Info 

Directed by: Zhang Yimou Starring: Ge You, Gong Li, Liu Tanchi, Fei Deng

Language: Mandarin Original Title: Huózhe Movie Industry: PRC Runtime: 125 min

Plot

Meet Xu Fugui (Ge You), a wealthy property owner and a compulsive gambler with a strong tendency to lose. At one of the gambling sessions, he actually loses his family house, rendering in this way his wife Jiazhen (Gong Li) and children homeless. Nevertheless, Fugui finds a way to make a living. He travels through China with a shadow puppet troupe, raising in this manner enough money to open up a shop. Unfortunately, his run of luck is abruptly stopped by the Second World War, or, to be more precise, the conflict between the Kuomitang and the Communists. When Fugui returns to his hometown as Mao Zedong takes control of the country, a penniless family has to learn how to survive in the People’s Republic of China.

The irony of fate

The movie is based on a novel by the Chinese novelist Yu Hua who grew up in the times of Cultural Revolution which had a profound, and negative, influence on him. Both the book and the film are a direct critique of Communism. The action of To Live begins in the 1930s, the period when there were still class boundaries within Chinese society. Thus obviously, Fugui, with his family fortune, belonged to the Upper Class. However, losing everything he owned paradoxically saved him from getting killed by the Communists. Instead of him, the guy who won the house was publically slaughtered. In addition, Fugui assured the kindness of local authorities by presenting a congratulatory letter from the revolutionary army (for entertaining the communist soldiers with his puppets everyday). These are the elements of black comedy that Zhang Yimou conveys in the story. Nevertheless, To Live is primarily a hardcore drama.

Parental instincts

The story is not so much about the survival of a nuclear family in extreme circumstances, but the inevitable failure to do so. Whereas Fugui entertains fellow comrades with his feudal puppets, Jiazhen works hard every morning distributing water, not mentioning the children: Fengxia (Fei Deng) and Youqing (Liu Tanchi) who constantly have to show their “spirit of comradeship” at school. Yet, Communism as an unlawful system, in fact, deprives Fugui and Jiazhen of their children in the most tragic way possible. In the end, the family survives the worst (sort of) but the price they had to pay for “life” involved a lot of suffering.

Recommendations

I recommend this movie to anyone who is very into political matters and would like to finally see something that exposes Communism for what it actually is, a ruthless brain-washing criminal system run by the tyrants, for the tyrants. Yet, the image of China presented in the picture may seem as an already outdated one (for as we all know China is constantly expanding economically); nevertheless, the movie’s still worth watching for a vivid depiction of the Cultural Revolution. In addition, if you enjoy Zhang Yimou films, it’s a must watch.

Overall score: 8/10

The Japanese Wife (2010) [Film Review]

The Japanese Wife; or, Love in letters

This Indian film review will focus on a critically acclaimed, epistolary romantic film by Aparna Sen (Mr. and Mrs. Iyer) about the impossible love formed between two people from distant cultures.

Release Info 

Directed by: Aparna Sen Starring: Rahul Bose, Chigusa Takaku, Raima Sen

Language: Bengali, English, Japanese Movie Industry: Tollywood Runtime: 120 min

Plot

Meet Snehmoy Chatterjee (Rahul Bose), a math’s teacher in a remote Bengali village who decides to respond to an advertisement in a magazine and in this way gets in touch with a Japanese pen friend Miyage (Chigusa Takaku). Surprisingly, after extensively writing to each other and emotionally opening-up, the two resolve to exchange wedding vows through the letters, becoming “husband and wife”. Throughout the period of seventeen years this “letter marriage” between Snehmoy and Miayge, who have never seen each other, is put to extreme tests when unexpected problems hit the displaced couple.

Marriage at a distance

Aparna Sen took a huge risk with this particular movie, especially considering it’s highly improbable in real life main premise: a man and a woman, who have never met throughout their lives, form a lasting and faithful relationship through the letters. This sounds like an idea for a Jane Austen novel, not a proper movie; yet, the story strangely works on  screen. Maybe, the main thing responsible for the digestibility of The Japanese Wife is the way in which the main characters are presented. Snehmoy is not an Indian Mr Perfect from Bollywood, but a hardworking, poor teacher who lives with his aunt Maashi (Moushumi Chatterjee) and a widow Sandhya (Raima Sen). On the other hand, Miyage is also parent-less and quite poor (hence the two cannot afford to buy plane tickets), but she also suffers from cancer. Miyage’s illness is the binding point between her and Snehmoy, for when the teacher finds out about his wife’s illness, he goes on numerous pilgrimages to Calcutta in order to find a good oncologist who would be able to diagnose Miyage’s cancer without her actually being there… This kind of naive sacrifice is what makes Snehmoy a likeable character.

Interestingly, the issue of sexual purity is also brought up in the story. Whereas, Miyage leads a lonely existence in Japan, Snehmoy lives with the young and attractive Sandhya and her small son, both taken in by Snehmoy’s aunt. Paradoxically Sandhya seems to be a perfect match for Snehmoy, a real possibility to form a happy family, but nevertheless, our protagonist does not engage in any emotional or physical connection with the woman, remaining devoted only to Miyage.

The visual style of the movie is also worth mentioning. In contrast to such box-office hits as Eat Pray Love or The Best Marigold Hotel, India was not presented as a filthy third-rate country, but the beauty of its countryside was brought to the foreground. Snehmoy seems to live in a paradise in the middle of nowhere and so as Miayge (though we don’t get to see much of Japan from her perspective). Yet, while surrounded by wonderful nature (rivers, forests, green plains) the two platonic star-crossed lovers still live in extreme isolation from other people, seeking comfort only in writing to each other.

Recommendations

I recommend The Japanese Wife to everyone who likes a slow, yet charming study of human relations without any stereotypical romantic trash. Unlike Tollywood mainstream films, this movie grows on you and leaves you thinking: Can platonic love be really possible today? Definitely worth seeing.

Overall Score: 8/10

Stray Dog (1949) [Film Review]

Stray Dog; or, Lethal Weapon in Japanese style

If it wasn't a Colt...

         ...it'd have been a Browning.

Before Akira Kurosawa became famous internationally with his critically acclaimed picture called Rashomon, he directed a string of seven movies that made his name recognisable throughout Japan. The last of these early movies, made in 1949, was Kurosawa’s take on the noir genre entitled Stray Dog.

Release Info

Directed by:Akira Kurosawa Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji
Language: Japanese Original Title: Nora Inu Runtime: 122 min

Plot

It’s a same old story. A cop is riding in a trolley, he is surrounded by a thick crowd of passengers, exhausting heat is pouring down from the sky, and the cop’s gun gets snatched... Thus, a rookie detective Murakami has to delve deep into the underworld of poverty and crime in order to retrieve his precious colt. When it turns out that the stolen gun is used in a robbery and later in a murder, Murakami teams up with an experienced homicide detective Sato and now the two cops are chasing after a mysterious culprit with the colt, nicknamed by them as Stray Dog.

Cops’n Guns

Stray Dog is a highly unusual selection in Kurosawa’s repertoire. Hell, it stands out as a sore thumb from his tales about samurai, nostalgic dramas, or human interest stories. Actually, Stray Dog is the very first type of a buddy cop movie. Even though Kurosawa did not have high regard for this particular entry in his filmography, it cannot be denied that even today the movie has a real impact on the viewer.

We follow the story of Murakami, a hard-boiled and impatient police officer who acts first and thinks later. The cop is so ashamed by the loss of his gun that is even able to spend days and nights hopelessly looting on the backstreets of Tokyo so as to track down any gun dealer. Unfortunately, his official gun is already in usage of a very dangerous man and only the assistance of a police veteran Sato can help Murakami to stop the menace. Surprisingly, during an intensive investigation, the involuntary partners grow quite fond of each other. Murakami’s youthful spirit is a great equaliser for Sato’s sentimentality forbearing, which enables them to get closer and closer to Stray Dog by following a long line of questionable leads. As a result, it is even more heartbreaking to watch when the two cops have to risk with their lives in the final, extremely ironic and grotesque, sequence of the movie.

Another social statement from good old Kurosawa

Of course, it wouldn’t be his movie, if there hadn’t been a special message for the audience. In Stray Dog, Kurosawa makes his first attempt to “justify the wrongdoer”. As the story develops, the viewers together with Murakami and Sato gradually discover that Stray Dog is just a scared and desperate man, a pitiful victim of circumstances who made some bad choices after WWII. However, such presentation of a villain does not clearly work here, at least in my perception. I can understand that a man pushed to his limits can eventually resolve to buy an illegal gun and rob somebody, but also resort to murdering someone? This is way out of the line. Kurosawa did much better job with transforming a villain into an anti-hero in case of his later movie called High and Low (already reviewed). At least in that movie, the kidnapper wasn’t shooting anybody.

Recommendations

I safely recommend this film to everyone who is a fan of Kurosawa and noir genre in general. Because honestly, this is a detective/buddy cop flick at its best with awesome performances delivered by young Toshiro Mifune and already acclaimed Takashi Shimura. Stray Dog is a unique gem that every movie buff should watch.

Overall Score: 8/10