Raindance Film Festival 2015: Fires on the Plain

At the less-than-half-full UK Premiere of Shinya Tsukamoto's 'Fires on the Plain' at London's 2015 Raindance Film Festival, the question seemingly everyone wanted to ask was: 'In light of recent changes to the Japanese constitution, what message did you want this film to say about war?' A question he pretty much answered - via an interpreter - as 'war is Hell.'

For me, you don't so much watch a Tsukamoto film as experience it. His 2014 adaptation / remake of Ooka Shohei's / Ichikawa Kon's book / film of the same name certainly fits that statement. He stated he wanted this film to remind people that war is not a positive thing; something he feels has been lost among the new generations of Japanese. With this film, he certainly sets some reminders.

A nameless solider, suffering from TB, is sent to see the medic during Japan's fighting in the Philippines. deemed not unwell enough to be there, he is subsequently sent back and forth between his base and the medical base, seemingly unwanted by either. The medical base destroyed by fire from above, he is left to wander aimlessly around the jungles and field of the Philippines, surviving as best he can.

Tsukamoto claims that he is faithful to the original novel, depicting the natural beauty of the Philippines against the violent, graphic and intense scenes of war; perhaps hinting at some sort of stupidity of war. Well, I've not read the book, or even seen the original film, so I can speak with great authority about this. However, there is a definite contrast between serenity and the frantic Hell of war, which Tsukamoto balances nicely.

As with all his films, there is quick, frantic camera work and intense acting to create a similar emotion in the viewer. However, as with his other films, there is always that feeling that it's on the edge of being comical/annoying in its frequency. War films always get a bit repetitive for me and are never the easiest viewing, and 'Fires on the Plain' is probably that. His previous films just about get the balance right by being entertaining in their urban settings. However, here perhaps the intensity gets a bit too much after a while, relieved only by shots of Filipino landscapes.

'Fires on the Plain' is not Tsukamoto's best work, though probably isn't his worst either. It is stapled all over with his standards of good cinematography, hand-held camera work and making use of a limited budget in an imaginative way. Maybe a larger budget would  have allowed him to do more and make a better film, maybe not. But one thing is definite: Tsukamoto is a clear master of creating some intense cinema, that'll leave you sitting un-comfortably (Garth Marenghi).

Every 14 Days...(20)

Boy (Kitano Takeshi)

I often read about Kitano being a modern-day renaissance man, adding painting, writing and everything else possible to his more famous film and comedy work. But apart from some of his artwork appearing in his films, I had never actually consumed any of it.

‘Boy’ is my first dip into one of his many other sides, but is fairly typical of some of the themes present in his films, if you take ‘his films’ to mean ‘Kids Return’. But I’m being facetious. ‘Boy’ is three, very simple short stories about 3 boys growing up in Japan. There is nothing particularly ground-breaking here, but simple tales about how young men find themselves in the world. The simplicity seems to mirror his script writing: starting with a  basic story and watching it evolve as the film is made. 

But they are nice enough stories, showing the Kitano is a man with many talents, though maybe creating something visual is where his real skill lies.

Days to read: 5

Days per book: 15.7

Lush Life (Richard Price)

I read the Richard Price novel 'Clockers' and found it to be brilliant - definitely one of the best books I have read in recent times. But, while good, the two subsequent books of his I have read have gradually decreased in quality. 'Samaritan' was the next read, followed now by 'Lush Life'.

'Lush Life' is very much a variation on a theme from 'Clockers' and 'Samaritan': Once again an innocent man is hounded by the police who believe his story to be false. It starts well, drawing the reader in, as Price is skilled at doing. However, where 'Clockers' and 'Samaritan' switch mainly between the stories of two lead characters, 'Lush Life' seems to continually switch between various different characters in bite-size chunks. Like a Dan Brown novel, this makes it easy to read, but does become difficult to keep you interested, constantly switching between characters with every other page.

While another overall satisfying read, it just doesn't draw me in as much as 'Clockers', and with lots of side stories for the various characters starts to drag going passed the half-way point. But, that said, you always get your money's worth with Price.

Days to read: 20

Days per book: 15.7

Each of Us (Ben Moor)

After reading ‘More Trees to Climb’, all I wanted to do was see Ben Moor live. That isn’t all I wanted to do, of course; some toilet breaks were necessary. So, on hearing that his latest show was coming to a Tube station near me, I jumped at the chance to do something more interesting on a Sunday evening.

After the performance, I got a copy of ‘Each of Us’ signed by the rather shy and flustered Mr Moor. Reading it within a week or so of seeing the show, I was of course reading the script of what I had just seen performed. I, therefore, read it in the manner of the performance (in my head! That would just look peculiar on the Tube), picking up some of the clever wordplay that I missed live.

Seeing the story performed live and reading the book are two separate things that can both be equally enjoyed. Whether watching the performance or reading the never-ending puns, both are pretty damned splendiferous.

Days to read: 4

Days per book: 15.6

Flowering Blood: The Cinema of Takeshi Kitano (Sean Redmond)

On seeing ‘Flowering Blood’ come up online as a ‘suggestion’ of something I might like to purchase, I thought ‘what the flip, give it a go.’ But should have realised that there is little to really add to the analysis of the films of Kitano Takeshi beyond what has already been written. And lo, this proved the case.

Coventry-born Redmond’s analysis starts off fine enough, seeing the world through the eyes of a starry-eyed film fan, making a pilgrimage to Japan in search of the film locations he so loves. But, being an academic text, it soon becomes lost in its own sense of over-explanation. At times, it feels more a collection of different theories thrown together than a real look at his work, and struggles to grab the attention enough.

While there are a couple of additional bits of light shed on the films, it relies a little too much on the works of previous authors, not justifying its overall length, focusing more at academic theory than the films themselves.

Days to read: 11

Days per book: 15.5

Iron Man: The Cinema of Shin'ya Tsukamoto (Tom Mes)

For some reason - probably the recent re-release of both 'Tokyo Fist' and 'Bullet Ballet' in the UK by the excellent Third Window Films - I have been watching a lot of the films of Shin'ya Tsukamoto recently. In turn, this has prompted me to read Tom Mes' book charting his films up-to-and-including 'Vital'.

My previous reading of the works of Mes came with his two analyses of the works of Miike Takashi: one good, one less so. Luckily this falls under the former, charting his youth as an amateur filmmaker, experimenting with his brother, through his theatre days and working as an advertising director right through to his internationally recognised 'A Snake of June' and 'Vital'.

'Iron Man', the name of the film that first brought him fame, is an appropriate name for this analysis. His films always tend to be on the more extreme side, favouring fast camera work and graphic violence throughout, never letting up for a moment. And this is exactly how he works, not just as a director, but writer, actor, editor, cameraman and just about everything else that is required in the making of a film. Telling the story of how he works non-stop to produce and finance his films shows an all-round filmmaker doing whatever it takes to get a film completed.

Days to read: 10

Days per book: 15.5

East Side Stories

Ah, the folly of youth. So goes the theme of this year's Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme. Yes, serving as an introduction to Japanese film this year is a selection of films about those often overlooked in film humans: young adults. With eleven films on offer, I ventured to a modest three of them (that's 27%), somehow choosing the ones that featured young men that are unable to get laid.

Otakus in Love (Koi no Mon)

You always get those films that essentially feel like a bit of a laugh for a group of film-makers to get together and make, and probably get a bit drunk. 'Otakus in Love' is one such film. Written and directed by Suzuki Matsuo(you know him; the one who played the twins in 'Ichi the Killer') and based on a manga, it also features 'Ichi the Killer star and director Tsukamoto Shinya in a supporting role and 'chi the Killer director Miike Takashi in a fairly non-existent role.

To say this film is silly would be accurate: Aoki is a young otaku seeking employment, often failing, trying to fund his bizarrely confused dreams of being a manga artist. At another failed job attempt he meets Koino, a fellow otaku and failed manga artist who finds his strange ways hotter than hot. But, being nerds, their falling in love is fraught with confusion as to what they should be doing, in an on-off relationship, which obviously wins in the end -it is a rom-com after all.

There is nothing particularly impressive on display here, nothing to set the world on fire or win any awards. It is stupid fun made by a group of people that have collaborated in the past, featuring cameos and in-jokes that are more for the makers rather than the consumers. But the story does enough in terms of laughs and entertainment to succeed. 'Otakus in Love' shows a part of Japanese youth: that of writers of fan-manga and cosplay, though probably tells us more about the lives of the film-makers rather than Japanese youth itself.

Love Strikes (Moteki)

'Love Strikes' was introduced at the programme by director Hitoshi Ohne and lead actor Mirai Moriyama. On the first day of the London Tube strike, this lead to hilarious anecdotes of having to run from a bus from Brixton to make the film start (which was subsequently delayed). For some reason, the version screened had had someone fiddling with the contrast settings on it, with moments of the film looking like the result of some appalling make-up work. Ohne acknowledged this and urged the audience to use its imagination in enjoying the film.

'Love Strikes' is a film that certainly has a lot of imagination. Like 96.4% of contemporary Japanese films, it's based on a manga, though the film version takes it to another level. Fujimoto is a 'second virgin' working at an online pop culture magazine, a source of much politically incorrect humour for his work colleagues. On meeting a fellow music nerd, a female one, on Twitter - regularly referenced throughout the film - he then hits a period of moteki: a purple patch with women. But, in his desperation to be with his first love, Miyuki, he finds that success with women brings him problems he has no idea how to handle, leading to more pain, frustration and angst than being hapless with women ever did. But, being another rom-com (aren't all films about youth?!), all works out fine in the end.

With music an important element in the film, director Ohne throws in various emotional musical numbers, directed as karaoke routines, complete with introductions and sing-a-long lyrics. All this provides much hilarity. Interestingly, one of the highlights of the film is the closing credits, based on the social networking sites often referenced throughout. At times, the realism in 'Love Strikes' is strong, showing the stresses and strains that social media and mobile communications put on young people in love, with Fujimoto often becoming obsessive over the most trivial of things. (Though with Fujimoto's character being thirty-one years old, it's difficult to know how youthful this really is.) However, all this angst seems to be written off with the happy ending, which detracts a little from some of the film's more serious points. Though with its various pop culture references and cameos by leading J-Pop stars, such as everyone's favourites Perfume,  'Love Strikes' proved to be 'big in Japan'.

The Story of Yonosuke (Yokomichi Yonosuke)

You know that weird bloke you went to uni with? You know the one? It was me. Well, this is what Yoshida Shuichi clearly had in mind when he wrote the novel 'Yokomichi Yonosuke'. Seemingly semi-autobiographical, it tells the story of Yonosuke, a hilariously-named student from Nagasaki, arriving in Tokyo in the late Eighties to start university. A seeming odd-ball, played by a different-haired Kengo Kora, in his own unique way, Yonosuke touches (not in a bad way) everyone that he meets, with the various young students he comes across (not in a bad way) shown to be later reminiscing about their friend from university a decade and a half later.

Telling the story on one's life can take a long time, and 'The Story of Yonosuke' is a long film and seems to start slowly. But unfolding like chapters in a book, switching between the past and the present, the film is broken up enough into digestible chunks that mean it doesn't drag or bore, something that would have harmed and otherwise good film. But luckily, it doesn't, and 'The Story of Yonosuke' is a strong piece about nostalgia.

Watched a decade after graduating from university, one can definitely relate to the characters looking back at their old friend - one probably not seen for many years - with Yonosuke a recognisable individual which one would meet at a seat of learning, but would be left on with memories of years later. What did happen to that weird bloke? He's writing this.     

The purpose of the Japan Touring Film Programme is to serve as an introduction to Japanese cinema, though probably often finds itself preaching to the converted. But, while quite a specific selection viewed, one thing that came across is that despite being on the other side of the planet and doing things in their own, unique way, die jungen of Japan face the same obstacles as us over here in the U-of-K: turning masturbation into sex, of course.

Hey you: do you live in Belfast, Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Newcastle (I have), Nottingham or Sheffield? Yes? You poor piss-stick. But the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme is heading your poor, depressing way. 

Tokyo Fist vs. Kids Return

It's Tokyo, the mid-Nineties and you fancy punching the shit out of someone. That's how total cult directors Tsukamoto Shinya and Kitano Takeshi felt, at least. Coming a year apart - much like your mother's sex life - both made Tokyo-based films centred around boxing: 'Tokyo Fist' (1995) and 'Kids Return' (1996), both bringing their own unique flair to the art form.   

To start, the films are very similar: 'Tokyo Fist' starts with salaryman Tsuda bumping into an old school friend, Kojima, a part-time boxer. Likewise, 'Kids Return' begins with former best friends from school, Masaru and Shinji, happily bumping into each other on a Tokyo street, both recognising that their lives have taken a downward spiral since they last saw each other. However, due to the nature of both directors, the similarity largely ends there.

'Tokyo Fist' is very much along the lines of Tsukamoto's most famous work: 'Tetsuo: Ironman'. Focusing on ideas of revenge and aggression, Tsuda soon becomes paranoid that his old classmate might be knocking up his missus, Hizuru. His paranoia gradually drives Hizuru away, as their quiet life becomes loud, aggressive and full of blood-splattering scenes, with her ending up in the arms, and bed, of Kojima, played by Tsukamoto's brother, Koji. The anger and rage building inside him, exemplified by the ever-present loud music, Tsuda joins Koji's boxing gym, determined to beat him in the ring, much like Koji is doing to Hizuru.

The film then becomes a loud, brash experience, with fast camera movements, editing and thrashing music, leaving the viewer out of breath just watching it. And, as ever, a confusion is created as to what exactly is going on, throwing in extreme moments to push things just that little further.

Rage, obsession, and fetish are themes running throughout Tsukamoto's works, and 'Tokyo Fist' is no exception, working as a more polished version of 'Tetsuo: Ironman'. The special effects are still a little budget, but creative in the excessive blood pouring and Hizuru's new fetish for piercing any part of her body possible. Punch, punch, punch is the style for the boxing scenes, with Tsukamoto creating a work to seep into your mind and punch your brain into dazed confusion.

But where Tsukamoto chooses to show graphic violence and gore, this is the very thing that Kitano often avoids. Since starting with 'Violent Cop', the violence is Kitano's films is more in the mind than on screen. The use of still cameras and editing means that actual acts of violence fall out of shot or are skipped for comic timing. The majority of punches thrown in 'Kids Return' are at punching bags or in sparring practise.

'Kids Return' is seen as Kitano's most autobiographical work, set in the part of Tokyo where he grew up and featuring events and job roles that he himself experienced while growing up. The two friends, Masaru and Shinji drift through school, seen as the ultimate prodigal sons by their teachers. Neither has much direction; simply wreaking havoc on the lives of their classmates. Meeting his match, Masaru decides to take up boxing, but soon realises he hasn't the discipline for the sport. His perennial sidekick, Shinji, however, does, and his talent is quickly spotted by the gym's coaches. Masaru then drifts away, becoming a low level yakuza.

For Shinji, boxing is a sense of direction after days drifting, rather than an act of aggression. 'Kids Return' is all about direction when entering adulthood, mirroring roles taken by Kitano himself. Meek Hiroshi tries his hand at selling scales and driving a taxi on finishing school - two jobs Kitano had - but soon finds that neither provide him with what he wants out of life. Two students forming a school double act perform stand-up comedy to their classmates with a manzai act similar to that brought Kitano his initial fame.

If anything, 'Kids Return' is quite a depressing film. On leaving school, hopes and ambitions are quickly lost for all characters, with all left feeling lost and abandoned by their seniors. Hiroshi is repeatedly criticised by the bosses of his various jobs; Masaru is expelled from his yakuza family for speaking out of turn; and Shinji's coaches give up on him once he is led astray by an older boxer who takes him drinking.

The boxing in 'Kids Return' is exactly that: there is more emphasis on the sport, with more realistic bouts and styles. 'Tokyo Fist' goes down the Stallone-form of boxing with non-stop punch fests that would lead to permanent brain damage in seconds, but with blood spurting out of eye sockets, this is the only way Tsukamoto of the Nineties would work.

Both made in the mid-Nineties, set in Tokyo and with boxing as a key element, the films are very different. Tsukamoto favours high-octane fight scenes and special effects to create a visually spectacular gore fest, while Kitano chooses a more mellow-paced drama. At a time when two former boxing film legends return for the undoubtedly terrible 'Grudge Match', 'Tokyo Fist' and 'Kids Return' are both blasts from the past that fall under the same weight class, but see a clash of styles. 

Way Out East

One that nearly passed me by, the Raindance Film Festival hit London, with some slightly obscure Japanese films on the bill. Entitled, ‘Way Out East’ the films shown certainly were that, with the festival offering the chance to see some of the weird and wonderful new films from Japan.

Unable to get round to seeing all 11 films on the bill, I got round to seeing 4 of the offerings, with mixed results…

Youth 2: Come As You Are

I don’t think I read the premise for my first film at the Raindance Festival correctly. The title, ‘Come As you Are’ is quite literal, focusing on a man’s PE problem and his excessive masturbation in order to reach the magical 15 minutes duration before point of load releasing. For this, he enlists the help of his female flatmate and a sock.

Cue many a humorous scene and many a shot of the naked arse of the lead, who happened to be sat a couple of rows behind me, along with the director and female co-star for its international premiere. But far from just a wanking comedy, there is also a tragic element here about a man that works in a video shop who lies about an acting career and spends the majority of his time bashing the bishop, missing the youth that flashes before his eyes.

Fair play to the director, Kota Yoshida, for admitting that the film was based on his own fast download speeds after the screening of a fairly enjoyable watch. It’s unlikely that this will ever reach a wider audience in the UK, but I think that any fan of the Inbetweeners would LOL at this.

Sleep

‘Sleep’ is a film that it would be easy to sleep through; though at the same time, it is not. A dark, slow-paced film, it would very much facilitate the closing of eyes while sat in a darkened cinema. But, the various plot holes, controversial subject matter and character decisions at the same time can provoke thought and debate.

Raped as a 15 year old girl, we are taken forward 17 years to Kotono’s search for the man who raped her: the father of her daughter. Forced into prostitution to fund the search, ‘Sleep’ follows the life of an unconventional family set-up.

With overly sentimental scenes, the films seems to force emotion on the viewer, rather than allow it to come naturally. Also, the plot holes and stranger scenes can create confusion with some less-than-great storytelling. The film is well shot, with some good cinematography on display in some of Tokyo’s less desirable districts and the film should create enough topics for discussion to make it a worthy watch; just don’t lose any sleep over it.

The Whistler

Based on a story by Osamu Dazai, ‘The Whistler’ is a short by Tsukamoto Shinya of ‘Tetsuo’ fame; the first of 2 shorts dubbed ‘Kaidan Horror Classics’. A period piece about 2 sisters and their loves, this is rather strange territory for me for Tsukamoto, and the result feels likewise. The story never really gets going, with random bits thrown in here and there, and while we get a sense of the characters, this only feels touched on and never goes deeper.

This just didn’t really work for me, which is a shame as I am a fan of much of Tsukamoto’s work.

The Arm

‘The Arm’ is the second of the two ‘horror classics’ and leaves me with no idea where to start. This is pure bizarre! A man borrows a woman’s arm for an evening of bedroom antics, sneaking it home to his flat intending depravity. But, once the arm starts conversing with him, he ends in a discussion with it that I really couldn’t follow.

What was intended here, I have no idea…

I never thought I would ever say this, but if you have a choice between a film about a detachable arm, lovelorn sisters, rape revenge or excessive masturbation, pick the excessive masturbation one every time. It’s the only choice…