Japanese Film Processing

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is a heartwarming tale about a girl’s adventure into the spirit world, full of ripe commentary on themes of capitalism and Westernization. I haven’t seen this movie since I first watched it as a four-year old, so it was interesting to see that No-Face was not nearly as scary as he was in my preschool mind.

Initial Reactions

This movie was crafted beautifully, and each frame looked like it was painstakingly labored upon to get the minute details in each shot. There is no motion blur to stitch together frames, and this causes the viewer to be able to key in on how artistic this whole thing is. You can probably pause at any moment in this movie and not see any weird motion or anatomically wonky people.

However, something interesting to also note that adds onto this is the framerate and how Studio Ghibli sometimes will hold frames. Something I noticed in the movie, especially when comparing it to other anime films (Akira, I’m looking at you), is that it felt sort of rigid at some points, especially since the lack of motion blur made it harder to connect each frame. Doing a little research, I found that some Japanese companies will employ what is called “Koma-uchi” (example video below, and spelled コマ打ち for all you little weebs who want to dig deeper), where they will hold an image for two or three frames instead of the usual one. This was originally done as a cost-saving measure, but over time it grew appeal as feeling more artistic and also sometimes giving a more natural feel than higher framerates. Studio Ghibli employs this variable timing, and as a consequence Spirited Away drops into lower framerates, getting as low as 8fps. Not that I’m complaining, I don’t mind looking at these beautiful images for an extra fraction of a second.

Themes/Analysis

The major message in this film is a critique on modern-day capitalism and the greed that stems from it. For starters, the whole reason Chihiro and her family got into this mess is because her parents decided to indulge themselves on food that wasn’t their own and assuring that they’d be fine because the dad has “credit cards.” Adding on to this, No-Face absorbs the emotions of the people around him, and when he enters the bathhouse he absorbs the greed that everyone has to the point where he starts eating other people. Something interesting to think about as well is how Zeniba contrasts against Yubaba, and how the latter became so embroiled in money. This leads me to believe the major antagonist film is not Yubaba, but instead the system that put her at the top and perpetuates this culture of monetary gain at the expense of others.

Final Thoughts

This movie was a fever dream. It had next to no quality to its name and was beautiful nonetheless. I think Quentin Tarantino’s appearance in a western just about summarizes the cultural slugfest this film wants to take you through. It refuses to take itself seriously and its self awareness really allowed me to just sit back and laugh. This film really is a hot mess in in truest form through its ridiculous sets, dialogue, and hilariously stereotypical western character tropes. 

The writing was probably the most interesting aspect of the film to me. It paradoxically felt so alien that it became hypnotic. Comparable to witnessing a trainwreck and not being able to look away. In a way, this film is almost genius in its mocking of the idea westerns exclusively belong to American culture. The film title itself incorporates American, Japanese, and Italian words to highlight the hotpot of cultural influences and criticize the idea of rigid cultural gatekeeping. That said, this movie really just wants to have fun. It indulges in a plethora of iconic tropes and shots in film and has an elegant ridiculousness to it. It really embodies giving the viewer an experience through invoking a beautiful appreciation from within. It’s able to poke fun at stereotypes and cultural cornerstones without it bring taken in a serious or offending way. While on the surface incredibly campy, this film’s self-assuredness makes it feel smart as if its non-chalant attitude to appear with any semblance of quality elevates to interesting cultural influence. Maybe most importantly, it’s funny! If it missed the mark in the comedic department this film would just be one long eye-roll that feels like a cash-grab or cheap attempt at relevancy but its humor ensures it is a good time. 

Suriyaki Western Django is unironically good. Its intentional campiness allows you to both laugh and consider the absurdity of obsession with film tropes and cultural imprints. It seems to bite off more than it can chew at times occasionally going so hyper-referential it loses the point but I didn’t really mind. Do not take it seriously and it is actually a semi-interesting piece of cinema. 

Sweet Bean wasn’t exactly what I expected from this movie. I knew it would be a shift from the movies that we had been watching. However, this movie wrecked me. After reading the synopsis I was ready for a fun cooking adventure with some sad elements. Instead, I was met with a tale of being an outcast and the pain it causes. As soon as I saw Tokue I looked at my friend and asked the odds that she dies by the end of the movie. Even though I knew it would happen it was still devastating.

Before I talk about the plot, I want to talk about the way this movie looks. It is stunning. There were a ton of long shots of nature and other things. In this way, it felt reminiscent of Ozu. I loved the way this movie presented itself. It was somber and very idyllic. In this way, it made the viewer very introspective. The shots of talking and other things were very close and personal. This helped the movie feel tight and like you were getting to know these people.

The story for this movie is very much about accepting yourself and finding happiness. Tokue was shoved out of society from a young age yet still found a way to be happy. Her whole purpose in this movie is to help Sentaro find his joy again. When we find this out it is too late for Sentaro to tell Tokue how he feels about their relationship. It was painful seeing him not say those last words to her. It felt like he was robbed. However, I liked the fact that he didn’t tell her his story. It makes it so much better knowing that Tokue didn’t know what he did. Instead, she simply saw the same pain she felt in him and wanted to help. Someone who was kicked out of society cares so much about the fellow people that she helps no matter how old she is. It was a truly moving story. When it all comes together, and you learn everything it puts everting into perspective.

As far as Japanese horror goes, this is not near the top of my list sadly. While I did appreciate some of the on-screen visuals and the atmosphere on display, the constant bouncing between two distinct plotlines and a rather muddled message that ended with a pretty jarring shift to an apocalyptic setting really bogged down any positive elements I saw here.

It seems like this movie came in around the height of the J-horror boom after Ring really caught the international attention, and this film set out to deliver further on ghost stories that avoided gore and violence over tension and atmosphere. Plenty of points were definitely unsettling, but overall, I feel like the plot fell victim to “this is only happening because every character has a lower IQ than average.” It’s an interesting enough premise, once I pieced together what it actually is, which is that the world of the dead is becoming overrun, and spirits are invading the world of the living, or so one of the characters claims. The devices that are used to help keep us connected are vulnerable to these invaders, and so the living become subject to their intense apathy and give up on life the same as these ghosts did. Rather than inflicting pain, they simply invite the living into their own isolation. “Death is unending loneliness, why should I be the only one to suffer it?” is a possible motivation here, although it is never explicitly stated beyond a confrontation with a spirit towards the films end.

My issue with all this is I’m still not sure what message this is sending out exactly, I don’t think it’s meant to be pure entertainment or just shlocky, I’m sure there’s some kind of commentary on human isolation, connections, budding technology and how this affects people socially. My best guess is that this is trying to confront the issues of “hikikomori” culture, especially as it was developing at the turn of the millennia, in that many people in Japan were beginning to live in total isolation, almost withdrawing entirely from society. "People don't really connect, you know. We're all totally separate." Many of the deaths in the movie are suicide victims who were living alone, forced into isolation by their work routines or other life circumstances. It’s a real and prevalent issue in Japan to this day, with many people passing away alone and going unnoticed for extended periods of time. Maybe this film is an attempt at painting an image of what can happen to the world should too many people give up on staying connected while living their lives in a more fulfilling manner, and instead resign themselves to being isolated and passing on alone. I still think that the ending sequences feel too obtuse compared to the way the film was set up, and that a less dramatic and more somber ending would have been more appropriate.

I must admit, I’m not really a fan of horror movies. Unless it is something quite unconventional to me (i.e. Hereditary), I’m often unable to really absorb myself in the atmosphere it calls for and find myself waiting for the final cheesy reveal. This movie is sort of somewhat an exception. On one hand, it is clearly unique and strays away from some of the gore and jump cuts often associated with the genre. However, the absurdity of Ringu and some of the cheesy effects were just too much for me. The distortion elements in regards to the killer tape were creative but they were so over the top in their attempt to be creepy that I just found myself wondering what was the point. It seemed to take itself way too seriously at several points when some humor could have seriously been used to undercut some of the absurdity. Some positives included the use of medium and long shots to build up suspense which was executed extremely well. The suspense was even further elevated with the countdown of the days throughout the film which continuously kept me engaged. This suspense almost feels wasted though with the reveal a copy of the tape is needed to avoid the monster. This was so unsatisfying and a borderline deus ex machina in what was shaping to be an interesting conclusion to this detective plot.  I also think there’s an interesting commentary on traditionalism vs modernity. The horror exacted throughout uses a VHS tape as a medium for its terror and the first victims we see are teenage girls. Furthermore, televisions are used repeatedly as a symbol of terror and are framed in such an ominous light. The film feels angry toward modernization and the ones who have been edged to the side in this ever-changing world. I think I should learn to appreciate the novelty of a film such as this and its clear impact on the culture despite my grumblings. It has some great effects for its time and it feels like it’s trying to be a genuine movie rather than just some cash grab. This is admittedly made harder by the subsequent films that would make this a blockbuster franchise. I think the hardest thing for me is the fact that this film just does not compare to some of the recent ones we’ve seen. I have been spoiled by the riches of incredible contemporary films and this feels like one watched more for the sake of filling the horror genre than actual invigorating film. While I applaud the use of numbers and long shots to build effective suspense, that is about all this film does for me and I do not see myself ever watching it again.

For This discussion post I will be discussing Swallowtail Butterfly by Shunji Iwai. The movie is about a group of immigrants living in the immigrant slums of Tokyo. Tokyo was called Yen Town as it was seen as a place to make money at that time, but also became the name that people called the immigrants who came there in search of money (which was summed up perfectly by the movies iconic introduction). Through there struggles they open a club (which was semi-successful until it was forced to close), they make money using Ryo Ranki’s tape and scamming the atm’s, and eventually have to deal with the Chinese mafia, law enforcement, and the dangers of the slum itself.

I think the introduction setting the premise for the entire movie was a smart choice on Iwai’s part, as it helps the viewer get a feel for what to expect in the movie. The way Ageha narrates it with the text flying across the screen also makes it very memorable and is a really strong first impression for the movie.

As for the themes of the movie, it definitely feels like it delves into racism and family. Racism seems like the most obvious theme of the movie, as the main characters of the movie are mostly Chinese immigrants, and as a result face a lot of racism at the hands of the Japanese people around them. Some good examples of this would be how the music agent got Fei Hong’s club closed down and got him arrested, how it was not possible for Chinese immigrants to actually own and manage the club in their name (and they had to get a Japanese person just so they could own the property), and the brutal treatment they got from law enforcement (especially Fei Hong, who I believe was killed by the interrogators/prison guards).

The other main theme I saw was that of family. This can be seen particularly in the strong bonds she forms between Glico and Fei Hong, who act as her older sister and brother. Ageha starts off with no connections and alone, to the point where she didn’t even had her own name. This shows how isolated she was at the beginning of the movie. It is through her interactions between Glico that she is able to get a name and is introduced to the other immigrants such as Fei Hong at the car repair shop and she is able to find a place among this new family. She is also able to connect with Fei Hong by learning Chinese.

The movie is also pretty violent, as would be expected with a crime drama. It honestly felt a bit like a Grand Theft Auto game at some points by just how ridiculous the action and fight scenes were. For example, the fight between the guy with the shot gun at the auto repair shop and the Chinese mafia guy with make-up where the shotgun guy just blows up the entire army of mafia guys and their trucks. It was an explosion that would’ve made Michael Bay proud. On top of that someone walks out of the shop behind him with a LITERAL ROCKET LAUNCHER. How did they even get their hands on a rocket launcher?!? It was fun to watch, but I couldn’t help but feel it was a bit over the top at times.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie and thought it was an entertaining crime drama. There were a lot of characters that I enjoyed such as Fei Hong and Ageha and I felt invested in their struggle. I did feel that the movie dragged on a bit and was hectic at times, but I would not say that it greatly affected my enjoyment of the movie.

Hana-Bi by Kitano Takeshi was an interesting experience; not so much in the plot but in the literal watching of the movie. I felt a sense of nostalgia while watching the movie even though I know I have never seen it before. It somewhat reminded me of the movies that would play on the Lifetime network back in the 90s which was an interesting thing to be reminded of. That was just a fun personal fact that I wanted to start this blog post off with. Hana-Bi is a movie which seems to revolve around 3 main characters, that being Nishi, Horibe, and Miyuki. Nishi is a retired cop who for most of the film wants to spend the rest of his time with Miyuki who is his wife. Miyuki is diagnosed with leukemia so she does not have much time to live. She is a very silent character (literally does not say a word until the very end of the film) and is a character who speaks mostly through body language. Finally, there is Horibe who was Nishi’s partner as a detective and is eventually injured and left paralyzed from the waist down.

Most of the plot consists of Nishi having a hard time getting over his past while being pestered by Yakuza members who he had worked with in order to help pay for Miyuki’s treatment. It is easy to see how depressed and stressed the character of Nishi is, even going as far as robbing a bank to be able to pay back the Yakuza and sever ties with them and the police force for good. Unfortunately, the Yakuza were not satisfied with the payment and had expected more from Nishi in the form of “interest” which does not sit well with Nishi who eventually kills them and is then put in even more trouble. The movie ends in a sorrowful fashion with both Miyuki and Nishi committing suicide together. The final words of the film are from Miyuki who says “Arigato. Gomen” both saying thank you and apologizing.

As for the imagery of the film, I have to say it was interesting and sometimes hard to put my finger on. Multiple times throughout the film you can see cartoonish portraits of flowers and other various objects. The only connection I can make with this is the hobby that Horibe picked up after his accident which was to paint. He paints portraits similar to the paintings that have been scattered throughout the film, making me wonder if they could have been his. I also think it is interesting to mention that the style of painting Horibe had picked up was pointillism, so I wonder if there was any meaning behind that as well. I also think the idea of flowers played a major role in the movie. A scene I had really liked was when Miyuki was watering the dead flowers and some guy began to berate her saying “No use watering dead flowers”. This angers Nishi and so he beats him up, granted I think it was a bit uncalled for but I think he reacted so intensely because he saw it as a metaphor for how he has been treating Miyuki. He was essentially trying to take care of someone who unfortunately was bound to die in the end.

­­­­­­­I loved this movie!! It was such a fun watch and I also felt it presented the absurdity of the discrimination that “non-Japanese” populations face in Japan, and did not really hold back in making its message clear. I thought it was going to be a Romeo and Juliet adaptation, but was very pleased with what it was actually about.

Being a Zainichi

The issue of identity and nationality are the main focus of this film, despite Sugihara occasionally reminding us that this is a love story. Sugihara’s status as a Zainichi affects everything he does and almost places limits on what he can and can’t do. He says he has dreams of becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but he also immediately says those are impossible when talking with Sakurai. He and Jong-Il talk about college and reaching high places in the workforce, but Sugihara just simply doesn’t believe in it because he feels he’s not in a position where those dreams are attainable. He also attributes his inclination to fight and to be a delinquent as attributes of being a Zainichi.

However, Sugihara eventually realizes that his status within Japanese society does not represent something tangible, or rather, that the box he has been put into doesn’t define him or have any real meaning in the grand scheme of things. He breaks himself out of this box in many different ways, sometimes without realizing it. For example, when his old classmate asks him to help get revenge for Jong-Il, Sugihara refuses because violence (something he associates with being Zainichi) is not necessary and is just a mindless, unnecessary choice to make. He also decides to go to college, which he previously saw no point in. The only thing holding him back from doing all of these things was the internal prejudices he had towards himself, and by the end of the film, he was able to overcome these obstacles.

I also liked that he had a lot of other characteristics than just being violent and boisterous. He was so focused on being a Zainichi that he didn’t really focus on how he enjoyed reading and learning, or how he liked music and was really excited to go to the opera. Considering how he was reading at a club, these characteristics were pretty obvious to the audience, so it was really nice to see him decide to go to college. (It was also nice to see him decide to pursue higher education because Jong-Il believed that he could… This is slightly off topic, but I gasped when he was stabbed and was very upset.)

Being a Boxing Referee

My favorite scene is probably when Sugihara gets horribly beaten up by his father near the end of the film. However it is not because of the beating, but instead the pure enthusiasm of the taxi driver going above and beyond to celebrate the father’s win.

It’s just so funny, I mean look at him. I love how excited he is that his generation’s representative was able to just overpower the younger generation.