I am very touched in this movie. There is no big ups and downs on emotion and plot. The whole film gives me the feeling of calm and deep. Some of the details of the film aroused my attention, such as the painting after getting hurt, the small animals and people’ heads are used of the petals instead, which uses a lot of intensive painting strategies; the girl on the beach in the last and the kite that had been torn off the wing in the girl’s hand.

The character used to be busy on the work and have no time to accompany his wife. Before his wife dies, he finally decided to abandon his future’s boring life to have a happy life with his wife. He lives in blame and regret because he thinks the death of his colleagues and tough life of his wife and child attribute to himself. All of these pressure makes him doubt the meaning of his life. After robbing the bank and killing many people, he never planed to escape. On the contrary, he prepared to die.

The film which is full of violence and blood, with Jou Hisaishi’ music, is very impacted. Hisaishi and Kitano are also a pair of regular cooperation partner, the film they have worked together “chrysanthemum of the summer” is the same, the music particularly moving. All the characters are basically quietly interpretation of their own life, no matter what bumps are faint, and there is no too much emotion.

Until the end of the movie, it appears the name of the film, Hana-bi which equals fireworks. Firework’s life is juts a moment from scratch reaching a climax and then fleeting. This is undoubtedly a portrayal of protagonist’ life. In this depressed society, he was unable to succeed and have a beautiful life. At last, during the movie period, he really blooms out of the best light in life, and then immediately eroded in the the long river of history.

What the movie have brought to me is not only Kitano picking up the little light from the darkness, repression and corruption but also letting me experience the beauty of that moment. Let me understand why the perishable cherry blossom will be more beautiful, why hastily the end of the warrior’s life will be so magnificent, why in that moment the little happiness, is actually so hard to find. If it achieved, it would be such beautify.

Many people have given a high rating that the film “Infernal Affairs” is worthy of the most famous gangster film in Hong Kong film history. People say good movies worth watching again and again, because with growing up, every time you see will have a different experience. When I first watched this movie, I only saw the fight between police and evildoers. But this time I have a bit understanding of the deep meaning of the title “Infernal Affairs”.

Buddhist scriptures said, “Avici is the most painful of the eight hell.”

Two men does not have their own identities that one is the mole the police has sent to evildoers and the other one is undercover that evildoer has sent to police. They are like living in the Avici hell, even in the dream they are afraid to be exposed to the real identity. They do not have reincarnation, only forever suffer. But they are not willing, they want to leave the hell, out of fate control.

This Hong Kong film plot is not complicated, but the story interlocks that foreshadowing connects beginning and ending without useless repeating. The two protagonists with other actors well shape the image. Even each eye expression can convey the complex inner fluctuations in the character. With appropriate background music which is tense or rapid rendering atmosphere, audience can see the plot clearly and integrally but think it is not enough to finish. In addition, the film trailer uses the Buddhist scriptures for the beginning and ending, although I do not understand the Buddhist scriptures, I have a little feeling of the film hidden meaning behind the gangster film, for the fate of reincarnation and a series of philosophy of life.

Two people have changed their identity, the police turned into a bad man, the bad guy turns into the police, and two people are constantly suffering. As Yan said three years after three years, no one knows the exact ending date. He died but his expression is very calm. there is no fear of fear of expression, but is so quietly lying, because death might be equal to his relief. I used to do not understand why the bad guy Lau survives in the ending. I have known the reason this time. Because sometimes living with suffer is the biggest punishment.

In week 7, we watched the Japanese animation, ‘Spirited away’. I think it is similar to the film ‘A Wizard of OZ’. In this film, a girl named Chihiro has an amazing experience. In addition, she was grown up during the experience. This movie is not just a singular dream a girl to follow their parents into the land, but also represents a generation of Japanese young people entrust elders dream warning. It looks like Shakespeare’s Hamlett. In a fairy tale, it reflects the whole life and society. Almost every young man can read them own understanding in this story.

‘Many male critics described Chihiro as a “sullen” and “spoilt” girl, and continue to describe her as such.’(Hannah Ewens, 2016) But I do not think so. Chihiro can be represented all of the young people began to step into the society: first, should to bear the sense of fear clumsy-handed not decide on what path to follow, to try to enter the social machine to become a member of useful. In the movie, not willing to work, lazy people into the slaughter of livestock or ash. Second, with fame, material temptation and so on. We can see her parents and No face. There are good example.

When Chihiro came in cave, she looks like a coward (she always hold her mom’s hand and refused to release), Chihiro seems like a child, did not play a sense of responsibility. But after the world has experienced so many things, but we see a mature Chihiro, she became strong and courageous (and dare to Yubaba), selfless considerate (help save river, Haku). In the end, Chihiro not only has become a model for soup house (become useful person), at the same time in the face of temptation and challenge has always maintained his true, so she not only rescued the mom and Dad, also rescued the No face and Haku.

No face shows that a handicapped child psychology, lonely and neglected, when forced to change themselves to be willing to accept the people around when they find themselves more lonely and empty, then occupied by all kinds of desire, only to swallow the balls, spit out all the desire to return to the original simple. He can be himself. He and Chihiro have some contrast. Frist, in time to Chihiro a small role bravely into the soup house, has No face wandering in the hall outside. Second, when he find people love gold, he learned how to skillfully use the greedy people to fill their empty satisfaction – the rules for this society, Chihiro’s attitude is calm, unmoved. No face does not want to bear their lonely, so can not wait to be all kinds of food even swallowed, forming a huge false “self”: it should be said that this is the true portraiture of modern people more.

Reference:

Hannah Ewens, 2016, The meaning of Studio Ghibli’s ‘Spirited Away’, the Best Animated Film of All Time, Jul 21

https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/8geg4b/spirited-away-ghibli-miyazaki-15th-15-year-anniversary-best-animation-hannah-ewens

My comments:

Week 7 Spirited away

SPIRITED AWAY

About offside, I only know that this is a football term, seemingly that during the shot, the striker goes to the front of the other guard. But after watching this movie, I can not help applauding for this wonderful name of the movie. The name also illustrates the main theme of the film, breaking the rule. After doing some research on the Internet, I know that in Iran, women can not watch football, volleyball and other sports competitions, the reason is that players in the game dress exposed. I think everyone on the earth is equal. There is no business with her or his gender, beliefs, regions and skin colors.

When I was watching the movie, I thought the girl on the bus was the protagonist. What was unexpected that, several girls subsequently appeared in the film with meticulous portray and clear personality and characteristic. From following the first girl to shaping other people, the whole process is natural. We can see that the director’s skills are very professional. In the end part, the filmmaker gives the reason why the first girl wants to watch the match. It gives audience the feeling that touched but a little heavy. Besides this part, there are also many touched sequences in the movie which shape the Iran people’s enthusiasm and good image but also reflects the problem that the lower status of women and the country’s policy system. The plot is compact, thoughtful, humorous and warm. I really like this kind of method to tell story.

The camera language in the film is designed properly which is simple and concise. Escort the girls back to the shelter of the white car, the lens began to face to the girl and the window behind the girls, and the audience can not see the road. With the girls’ movement in the car, the camera gradually changes the direction to show the side of the car. The two genders appears in one picture. There are more and more scenes out of the window. After this, the camera turns into the front of the car which shows the road with the change the location of the activities among the people. Many people including girls without veil celebrate the football match together. This part of the film impressed me a lot.

The movie Offside and the movie Queen we have seen last week are similar because both of them have a similar theme, female rights. We all know that in India and Iran, women are inferior to men. These two films shows that, today’s women are brave enough to resist the situation. And I also think there should not be discrimination not only between genders but also among different religions, beliefs and skin colors.

My comments:

Week 6 Offside

Offside

Offside

In the opening scene, the director introduces Rani who immersed in the joy of the good life in the future because of the subsequent wedding, celebrating with relatives and friends. But just two days before the wedding, her fiance suddenly told her to cancel the wedding and break up. Rani spent a day and a night in pain.In the next day she tells her father that she wants to achieve honeymoon in Europe by herself. The movie walks into development and Rani starts her travelling. She knows all kinds of people who influence her and help her transform to a new girl.

At the end of the film, Rani and her European friends hug respectively and break up with her former fiance, but we have enough reason to believe that she will live very happy in her future, because during the travel, she completed the awakening of female self-consciousness, obtaining the ability to love and be loved, to understand their own value and the meaning of life, to support and confidence of choose their own path. In fact, there should not be difference between man and woman who are all the creatures made by nature. There should also not be difference among different races, regions and skin colors. Because everyone is a equal individual in the society. I hope all women can be as lucky as Rani and be as independent and confident.

God closes a door for you but he will open a window instead, which is confirmed by Rani. She transforms from bashfulness and self-abasement to confidence and optimism. If she has not experienced her brave travel, she would not have this change. This film gives education meanings for the Indian women that women can choose their life that they can go to the bar to drink and have a one-night experience, they can choose their own career and women can sleep in a room with a stranger. Women can do everything men can do.

This film’ deep meaning is to awake females’ self-consciousness to make them more confident and brave. In the film, the director uses Rina this character to tell us that self-worth identity is very important. Women do not need to follow every step that men want them to do. The filmmaker uses one lively and interesting European trip express the refreshing and empathy in a natural way. At the meantime, the director gives the audience the opinion that women are not inferior to the men. Each person in this world has rights to enjoy the fair treatment. As a result, I think that nobody is supposed to be discriminated and we should have a equal heart to treat everyone.

My comments:

Queen

Week 5 Queen