Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

 

Grave of the Fireflies is a war themed movie that focuses on the destruction and consequences of war. The film, directed by Isao Takahata, tells a story about the life of a young boy, Seita, and his younger sister, Setsuko, as they struggle to survive during World War II in Japan.

The film is honest while it depicts the Japanese suffering during the war, such as having a shortage of food, fighting fires due to the firebombing from American soldiers and basically the current state of the country.

One highlight about the film is that is actually shows how people are like when times start to get tough. This can be seen when Setsuko and Seita were taken in by their aunt and were treated harshly as she felt both of them were not contributing to help.

Due to the constant criticisms from his aunt, Seita decided set out with his younger sister Setsuko, which led them to their new found home – a abandoned shelter. He did this because he felt that he would be capable to provide for him and his sister.

As time passed, it got harder for Seita to get proper food for his sister. Day by day Setsuko got weaker despite Seita’s best efforts.

Eventually, Setsuko dies due to malnutrition. With his sister gone, Seita’s only source of hope is his father’s return from the war. However, he finds out that his father is likely dead, and that Japan has surrendered unconditionally, which in turn causes him to lose his spirit to live.

In the final scene, Seita is seen laying by a pillar in the train station along with many others as it concludes his death.

Although many people have felt that the film was an anti-war film, I felt that the film posed as a reminder of the consequences of war and of Japan’s past. As much as it is heartbreaking, the film was moving and beautiful at the same time.

 

Still Life (2006)

 

Still Life, written and directed by Jia Zhangke, focuses on the reality of the marginal as it highlights the consequences of China’s economic and social transformation. The film is set in the town of Fengjie, known for its rich ancient culture and scenery.

Fengjie has also become known as a site of China’s controversial Three Gorges Dam project. It is one of the largest man-made projects in human history which has caused immense human destruction, including the relocation of more than a million people as well as large-scale ecological destruction.

One thing that is clear to me about the film is that the story focuses on the destruction of Fengjie instead of the lives of the characters. The characters were also used to represent the reality of Fengjie as opposed to the Chinese Government’s claim that the Three Gorges Dam is a great social and economic success.

On a personal scale, this film has really caused me to think about how projects like the Three Gorges Dam which was intended to improve the country as a whole has affected the lives of so many people.

 

 

A particular scene that made me feel really empathetic was when men from the state came and started marking buildings which needed to be demolished, including the Inn that Han Sanming stayed in. There was nothing the owner could do but just find another place to live in.

 

The later scene which showed that the Inn owner had relocated to a space under the structure of a bridge made me feel worse.

However, the film highlighted the little joys that the people of Fengjie partook in, during their daily lives – Cigarettes, Liquor, Tea and Candy. These were some of the items that the characters in the film were actually seen enjoying with one another as they went on with their daily routines.

To conclude, this film gave me a better understanding of life outside of the average and some of the real world problems that exists today. Director Jia also showed us that it is possible for someone to share his/her own views even whilst living in a politically constrained country.  Also, no matter how tough situations can get, one should always stop to enjoy the little things.

 

 

Infernal Affairs (2002)

 

This week, I will be sharing my insights about the film Infernal Affairs, directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. Similar to last week’s movie, Hero, Infernal Affairs also had many big names of the Hong Kong film industry that starred in the film.

Personally, I really love watching Cantonese films although I can only understand bits of the spoken language. Nonetheless, Infernal Affairs is typical Hong Kong police/crime/triads type of film, but this time with a rather unique plot.

To put it simply, a cop, Yan (Tony Leung) was placed undercover into a triad gang and a member of the triad, Lau (Andy Lau) was ordered to be a part of the police force. The roles of the undercover cop and the triad member was to provide knowledge and intelligence to their bosses. Ultimately, they both found out about each other which resulted in one of them being killed.

What I felt that was special about the film was the moral dilemmas and emotions faced by the characters throughout the story. I also felt that the film relates to society on how people actually are and what they are willing to do to achieve it. Also, on how people around you will influence you.

 

 

One situation was how a member of the triad, Lau, wanted to be a ‘good guy’ and remained in the police force even after he was found out by Yan. To be able to get rid of his past, he had to kill his own boss, the leader of the triads, he also had to kill a fellow member of the triad who saved him from Yan.

 

I felt that this showed how some people in society are, that they are even willing to put down someone to achieve what they want despite of how that someone has helped him/her.

Other than Lau being a mole in the police force for over 10 years, there were also scenes where Lau’s fiancee indirectly spoke about him being good or bad (obviously wanting him to be good). Lau is also shown to be well-dressed and groomed throughout the film whereas Yan looked rugged.

I felt that this showed that the people around you will greatly influence the way you think, how you dress or how you act – a reflection of society today.

 

 

In conclusion, this film also reflected a modern and improving Hong Kong (tall buildings, modern houses) unlike older Hong Kong films where people were portrayed as unrefined and houses were small and poorly furnished. I enjoyed the movie but I felt that there were some gaps in the story that needed filling.

Hero (2002)

 

Hero is a 2002 Wuxia film directed by Zhang YiMou. The film featured Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, and Zhang Ziyi. First off,  I knew I had to watch this movie because these big names. Also, I love watching martial arts films because it is always exciting to see the fights, style of martial arts and weapons that the characters use.

One particular aspect of the movie that everyone will notice other than the stunning fight scenes and austere conversations between characters, are the stunning visuals and use of colours.

It might seem that Director Zhang used different colours to represent particular meanings, however, during an interview (IndieWire magazine), he mentioned that there was no particular meaning to each colour. These colours were used to represent different story lines within the movie.

Personally, I felt that the colours used can be interpreted into certain emotions and meanings. There are five main colours used, throughout the scenes which are Black, Red, Blue, Green and White.

So what could these colours possibly represent?

The first scene which took place at the King of Qin’s palace was mostly in Black and Grey. We were also introduced to Nameless in this scene. Throughout the film, Black was associated with King Qin, his army and Nameless. Scenes such as Qin’s army firing a volley of arrows and Nameless being stronger than the rest of the assassins is why I felt that Black in the film represented Power.

 

The second colour was Red. The scene took place at the Zhao school where students continued which their calligraphy even though they were attacked by the Qin army. We were also introduced to Broken Sword and Flying Snow. Snow killed Sword which also resulted in Moon (Sword’s apprentice) to fight Snow at the end of the scene. I feel that Passion and Anger could be expressed by Red here.

Thirdly, the scene where Nameless showcased his skills to Broken Sword and Flying Snow was represented with Blue. There was also a fight scene at the end, between Nameless and Sword which took place on a serene lake where Snow was laid to rest. I felt that Blue in this scene could stand for Tranquility. Another example was when Nameless cut the scrolls and everything fell but no one reacted or moved.

 

Fourthly, Green. I felt that Harmony was represented here when Broken Sword told Nameless about the time he met Flying Snow and the times they spent together. Later on in the scene, Sword fought King Qin and decided not to kill him because of how Qin could eventually create one harmonious country.

 

Last of all, the colour White. In this scene, Snow demanded Sword to fight her which ended up with Snow killing Sword and taking her own life. I felt that the colour White in this instance was a representation of Death.

To conclude, I think that using colours to represent different scenes and versions of stories from the characters made everything better and easier to understand.
On the other hand it could also help capture the attention of audiences better.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and would definitely watch it again!

 

 

 

Om Shanti Om (2007)

 

Om Shanti Om is a 2007 Indian romance melodramatic film which features comedy, song & dance, romance, action and thriller. The movie directed by Farah Khan, starred Shah Rukh Khan as Om and Deepika Padukone as a superstar Shanti Priya.

The movie is both a homage and parody of Bollywood, starting from the 1960s to 2000s.

Before I continue, I have to admit that I have never seen a Bollywood film. My impression of Bollywood throughout the years of growing up consists of three things. Overly dramatic acting, ‘extreme’ visual editing and song & dance.

After watching this film, I have to say that I wasn’t completely wrong eh??

The visual effects for this film were actually realistic!

The film takes on one of Hindi cinema’s most popular themes of the seventies – the reincarnation drama.

The junior artist, Om, who was set in the 1970’s Hindi film industry, is in love with the superstar actress Shantipriya. He tries hard to get noticed by her but
ultimately became friends with her after he saved her from a fire scene, where the fire had gotten out of control.

Everything seemed well until he found out that she was secretly married to a film producer Mukesh Mehra, played by Arjun Rampal. Mukesh found out that Shanti was expecting his child and decided to lure her into an abandoned studio
where he set on fire to kill her – to prevent financial loss and protect his career.

Om attempts to rescue Shanti once again, however, was unfortunate this time and died.

 
30 years later, the country’s biggest star who has the same face as Om,
IS actually the Om but reincarnated. When he realizes it, he decides to seek
revenge on Mukesh who was known as Mike now – his Hollywood alias.

 

 

One thing that I really liked about the film was the lavish and colorful sets, not forgetting the outfits worn by the casts. The music and dance also kept my eyes glued to the screen the whole time!!

 

 

The purpose of the film was to entertain, and I have to say that I was entertained throughout. Another thing to highlight was the cast enjoying themselves during the songs & dances. This is other side of celebrities that fans might not necessarily get to see and is not something you would see in Hollywood films.

To sum it up, this film poses as a reminder of what people like about Bollywood, which makes it so special.

“When you really desire something from the heart and soul, all the universe conspires you to achieve it”

 

 

Oldboy (2003)

 

‘Old Boy’ was originally a Japanese manga series written by Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. The manga was loosely adapted into an award-winning South Korean film, directed by Park Chan-wook in 2003. In South Korea, the film was seen by more than 3 million film-goers and ranked fifth for the highest-grossing film in 2003.

The story begins when a drunkard Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) was kidnapped and confined to a room that seemed of a shabby hotel. The room had a bed, shower, desk and even a television, but was fortified with a metal door that had a slot so that his captors could slide in his meals on a tray. Occasionally, a tune would be played before gas would be released into the room where Dae-su would regain consciousness to a cleaned room, new set of clothes and a haircut.

This continues for days, followed by months and years without Dae-su finding out who has done this to him or why. Throughout his years, Dae-su watched TV as it became his world – a source of entertainment, knowledge and time. He learned that his wife was murdered and that his daughter had been adopted. His fingerprints were found at the scene, meaning that even if he escaped, he would be a wanted man. Much of his time was further spent filling notebooks with names of potential enemies and training to fight (imitating action scenes on tv) by punching and kicking the wall which led to the development of calluses on his knuckles.

Dae-su then finds himself free which was part of his captor’s plan to make him think he escaped (from hypnotism). He is now a different person, whose focus is only on revenge and to find out who captured him and why they did it. Dae-su then wandered into a sushi restaurant where he recognised a young woman from TV who was the ‘chef of the year’. Dae-su then wanted Mi-do (Gang Hye-Jung) the female sushi chef to serve him something ‘alive’. Which was the live octopus that Dae-su tore apart with his mouth and tried to eat before passing out.

Personally, I felt that this scene was a representation of Dae-su’s hunger for revenge – clenching his fist tightly around the live octopus while chewing off it’s head. Not forgetting the reinforced knuckles from his training.

Park finds himself in Mi-do’s home waking from a blackout.  She heard his story, cared for him and ultimately fell in love with him. Dae-su, with the help of Mi-do, then started a methodical search to track down the location of his captors.

Eventually, he found the hotel that where he was held for 15 years. Compelled by his desire for revenge, he removed one tooth for every year that he was imprisoned from the warden of the prison-hotel.

He enters a hallway after to find it filled with gangsters who ran the place. Dae-su then gets into a massive fight between what seems to be over 20 men and emerged victorious, albeit taking a knife through the back mid-fight.

In my opinion, this fight scene was brilliantly choreographed and shot – Dae-su appearing sharp in combat from years of his mind and physical training, as well as clumsiness from exhaustion while taking huge blows from the gangsters (a knife in the back).

This made Park appear to be a hero, only to be crushed as the story unfolds. It is also the part of the film where it isn’t a mystery anymore and becomes more of a tragedy.

To sum it up, Oldboy is a film that incorporates a puzzle plot which includes forking paths in the story. It is intense and dark (gore, violence and perversion), but also moving. Personally, I recommend that everyone should watch this film at least once, because it also highlights the capability of Asian cinemas as compared to top rated Hollywood films.

“Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.”

– Park Dae-su

The Host

 

Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host” – An all-in-one horror, thriller, political satire, dysfunctional family comedy and touching melodrama.

The opening scene was inspired by an incident in Korea in 2000, when a mortician working for the U.S military in Seoul dumped a large amount of formaldehyde down the drain. In this case, the scene was at an American military base near Seoul, when an American pathologist instructed his Korean assistant to dump what he considers an extreme amount of formaldehyde down the sink of the autopsy room they were working in. The assistant was reluctant at first and even explained that the drain leads to the Han River (a major river in South Korea) with the fact that it is against procedure to dispose such chemicals in this manner. The assistant eventually complied and dumped dozens of bottles of formaldehyde down the sink.

Personally, i felt that this scene itself was ‘terrifying’ in a sense that something like that happened in real life. For any person who understands how harmful and hazardous a product is, yet decides to dump the product in a major water system is remarkably apathetic. This is no surprise to how the incident in 2000 sparked an anti-American uproar in South Korea.

The next scene was about Gang-du who helped his father Park Hee-Bong to run a snack stand by the river. Gang-du appears to be a simpleton, when his daughter Hyun-seo comes from class and joined the scene. The scene also introduced Gang-du’s brother, Nam-il who was a unemployed university graduate and sister, Nam-joo who was a national medalist archer.

Shortly after, Gang-du was instructed by his father to bring over some cans of beers to the customers. A small crowd was gathered by the bridge, staring at something odd hanging from the structure which dived into the river. The monster emerges after the crowd threw food at it and it began attacking and injuring people around the area. As Gang-du was running from the monster with his daughter Hyun-seo, they fell and Hyun-seo was taken by the monster and was assumed dead.

This particular scene was another surprise and displayed an unorthodox perspective about how people think monsters would usually appear in the night, when no one is around. (like in Hollywood films)  Where this scene showed the full structure of the monster and it’s movement at the very beginning.

The Park family then learns that Hyun-seo is alive and goes through a series of challenges to try and find her in the sewers.

The film portrayed that although the Park family was a dysfunctional one, family in Asian culture meant everything. That even if it comes to risking your life.

To put it simply,  “The Host” is a captivating film that gives the horror/monster genre some heart which develops more with the characters through the film – the meaning of love and humanity.

– Kenneth