Sunday 15 September 2013

Pieta

A Kim Ki-duk film is one that will always bring with it a bit of controversy upon its release, if indeed it gets released at all. His films often border between the shocking, the strange and the sublime, taking the viewer through a range of emotions, often leaving them not knowing how to feel about them upon their conclusion. The appropriately-named 'Pieta' is a film that follows along these lines, switching between moments of extreme violence and revenge to tender moments between mother and son.

Gang-do is a no-nonsense debt collector for a loan shark, often taking extreme force to scare his debtors into work-based 'accidents' thus triggering the insurance claims that are used as a guarantee of repayment. No payment, no more hands, but no more debt. Unconcerned by his victims, or the impact his actions have on their families, the cold-hearted cripple-maker's life is turned upside down when a woman arrives at his door claiming to be the mother that abandoned him when he was born.  

Eventually accepting her story, Gang-do gradually begins to see the error of his ways, finally experiencing the love of a mother, and taking pity on those to which he is to inflict pain. But with his guard now down, the now vulnerable Gang-do leaves himself open to revenge, having the tables turned on his own life and happiness.


The film starts with an stream of torture inflicted on desperate men, unable to pay the always-inevitable-in-films high rate of inflation placed on loan repayments. All of those taking out these 'happy loans' work in small, independent workshops, complete with enough heavy machinery to cause rather a nasty 'accident' that any insurance company would believe. Though the violence is never fully shown on screen, building the anticipation and leaving it up to the imagination, it is enough to leave the viewer feeling a little uneasy.

The film then moves into more easy roads, as the transformation of Gang-do begins, becoming a vulnerable son, dependent on his mother, and by the film's final twist he is a pitiful character. As he seeks redemption, the film has become a vehicle for tender moments, a far cry from the violence of the start.


While there are inevitable plot holes along the way, the characterisation in the two leads is strong, in two strong performances from the leads, Jeong-jin Lee and particularly the relative unknown, Min-soo Jo, in the role of mother.

As with his previous works, it's difficult to know how to feel at the end of 'Pieta', as Min-soo Jo's character battles with her own confusion as to how she should feel towards Gang-do. Controversial; love him or hate him; pick faults at the lack of professionalism in the film-making or marvel at the way he can conjure up emotion, Kim Ki-duk is a director that will probably always divide opinion, but will always provoke thought.

Monday 9 September 2013

KanZeOn

'KanZeOn' is an interesting film - interesting in that sense that you're unsure as to how to react to it once completing its eighty-six minutes. Filmed in glorious high definition, this British-made documentary from the start seems to be a random collection of interviews and demonstrations from a random collection of Japanese that have some connection to traditional Nihon no ongaku, divided into seemingly order-less chapters. But as it continues, themes start to emerge and the different personalities come to the fore.


Setting the scene, demonstrating their talents, then explaining their philosophies regarding music and art and their place in the world, three main characters form the basis of the documentary: a Noh theatre master; a player of the Chinese instrument, sho; and an interesting hip hop priest, who beat-boxes and DJs in his own unique way. Interspersed with lots of slow shots of scenery, temples and shrines, this is a film designed to get the viewer into the tranquil state that the music creates in each of its performers.

There are many ways in which to make a documentary, with the approach to 'KanZeOn' one that lacks any real narrative structure nor extended or in-depth interviewing. Instead, it leaves those featured to say their piece and demonstrate their art, making it a very personal account of the meaning of the sounds and religious beliefs. This is watching and observing, without attempting to intrude on the impossible.

The message here is that music means something different to everyone, and so doesn't try and form any universal conclusions, perhaps a metaphor for how 'KanZeOn' itself will be received.

Saturday 7 September 2013

Politic 22

Sounds, noises, spoken words, musical notes...all here

Mentor - Michita
Forte - Haiiro De Rossi
Force for Truth - Nomak
Rick it All - Fat Jon
Basic Instinct - Quasimoto
The Unseen - Quasimoto
Drawbridge - Aesop Rock and Dose One
When I Shine - The Herbaliser and Bahamadia
Spoon - Cut Chemist
A Whim - DJ Krush
1200 - DJ Krush and Hideo
Allegro Pt 2 - Michita and Haiiro De Rossi
Illegal Business - Boogie Down Productions
Credit is Due - Gang Starr
Moment of Truth - Gang Starr
Patti Duke - De La Soul and Guru
Alive - Beastie Boys
Soul Session - Michita and Haiiro De Rossi (in spirit only)
Modern Tribe - Haiiro De Rossi and DJ Keita
Yuuhi Ga Ochite Ikumaeni - Haiiro De Rossi

Every 14 Days...(17)

Re-agitator (Tom Mes)

A full decade ago, plucky Dutchman, Tom Mes wrote a full and complete work on the films of Miike Takashi: 'Agitator'. With the director's recent fame at the time from films like 'Audition' and Ichi the Killer' gaining him international acknowledgement, 'Agitator' came at a good time to fully explore the first twelve or so years of the Japanese director's efforts.

Fast forward ten years, and the international success of his work has seen him move from straightforward straight-to-video releases to bigger budgets and bigger ambitions, with his name gaining further respect throughout the world. Following him all the way, Mes has continued his writing on Miike and his films, culminating in the release of 'Re-Agitator: A Decade of Writing on Takashi Miike'.

From the outset, in Christian Storms' less than articulate foreword, it is made clear that this is not 'Agitator Part II'. And that it is not. Whereas 'Agitator' was an in-depth look at each of Miike's films to date and themes and patterns emerging throughout his work, 'Re-Agitator' is a selection of various random writings by Mes on Miike that have appeared on various websites, DVD sleeves and at international film festivals. And this is a shame.


While 'Agitator Part II' may have been a little underwhelming as a release, perhaps a re-release of the original book with a new second half, with analysis of the Miike films in the same vein may have been useful. 'Re-Agitator', while claiming not to simply be a fan-boy book, clearly is, with no additional analysis or interpretation really added, going over some old ground. Little criticism is offered, with digs more at critics of Miike themselves rather than any negative words said against the man.

'Re-Agitator' offers a couple of insights, such as his various trips to European film festivals that have subsequently started, but not much more. Each film he releases seems to be more of a masterpiece than the last, which is, of course, not true, making 'Re-Agitator' seem the mere work of a fan-boy it claims it will never be.

Days to read: 11
Days per book: 15.9


The Sea of Fertility Tetralogy (Mishima Yukio)

To say Mishima's magnum opus is a sum greater than its parts would be true. The four books written between 1964 and 1971 tell four separate tales of Honda Shigekuni, who in each encounters a different reincarnation of his deceased boyhood friend, Kiyoaki; each in turn dying at the age of 20. Each book looks at a different period of Twentieth Century Japan, and how the nation has changed over this time.

'Spring Snow' begins with the death of old Japan, with the aristocracy fraternising with the wealthy to their downfall. 'Runaway Horses' looks at the growing appeal of 'The League of the Devine Wind' in the build up to World War II. 'The Temple of Dawn' focuses on the importance of Buddhism in Japan, focusing on the tetralogy's key theme of reincarnation. The final book, 'The Decay of the Angel', completed on the day Mishima would commit seppuku, examines the awareness of the self. In each, Honda tries to save the Kiyoaki-incarnate from their certain fate, each time to fail, as they move on to their next life.

Individually, none of the books is a masterpiece in its own write: the intention that there would be a following chapter leaving no satisfying conclusion, until the end of the last. None particularly work as a standalone piece either, and so all four have to be considered as one. What you're essentially left with, then, is a four-figures of pages long novel which begins to drag and struggles to maintain the interest. Each of the books feels like an over-long chapter in a greater story: that of Honda and how his life evolves over a sixty year period.

Mishima, at times, adds far too much detail into the works. Throughout there are long break-offs including extracts from diaries and pamphlets that are long-winded and feel poorly done. At times, Mishima can write well; at others, he is far too detailed, over-explanatory and has his characters mull over things to the last. The motivations of the characters are a point that sits a little badly with the reader at times, never fully believing in them. Though this is something that would match with Mishima himself: a married gay man, he was a nationalist who travelled and dedicated much of his time to bodybuilding; a right-wing radical that modelled.


But with the ambition of 'The Sea of Fertility', Mishima has taken an interesting look at the life of his home nation. With his political views, the work is a reflection of his thoughts about the changing nature of Japan; thoughts that would prove his legacy.

For fun, with each next book, I chose to read an earlier edition, as a sort of reincarnation reversal.

Spring Snow
Days to read: 17
Days per book: 15.9

Runaway Horses
Days to read: 26
Days per books: 16.1

The Temple of Dawn
Days to read: 16
Days per book: 16.0

The Decay of the Angel
Days to read: 19

Days per book: 16.1

Yuuhi Ga Ochite Ikumaeni (haiiro De Rossi)

A new video for the first time in a while: 'Yuuhi Ga Ochite Ikumaeni' by Haiiro De Rossi from the album 'Forte'. Not sure what it means, but think it's something about '...before I go.' Pictures from around Hokkaido and that, mainly Sapporo, Wakkanai, Asahikawa and Biei...