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AnonymousWow, I like the romance. Watching a film is almost like going through a daily life with the characters. I was wondering how the Japanese use the fire pit in the middle of the room, and the movie showed it nicely. They pile a bunch of wood in the room next to the fire pit.
The samurai was a very kind-hearted man. Even at the moment he almost got killed, his intention was just injuring the rebel enough then letting him escape. Unfortunately, the rebel did not make it. It was interesting to see the rebel's dream-like movement right before he died. It was like a dance.
Also, toward the end, when the injured samurai returned his home, the girl he loved was there. She decided to stay there because she expected that the samurai will die for sure. Her intention was to take care of his parent and daughters after the samurai's death. That is very moving. They were very reserved in expressing their emotion. After going through all the trauma, when they saw each other, all they did was holding each other's hand and crying. In western movie, there sure would be a hug and a kiss. Well, Japanese samurai would not do that.
AnonymousThis movie was not only very touching but inspiring as well. It is simply amazing that the people who performed in this movie are not even trained actors nor will they be. What struck me the most, and what we can learn as educator, is that going out of your way to show a child you care can have an immense impact on them. In the movie we see the impact quite quickly. However, in our weekly dealings we might not possibly see anything until much later in life, and even then we might not ever hear it. So the lesson is, keep going out of your way to help children, and it is bound to have an impact in some way. In the great words of Dr. Seuss, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
AnonymousOlympic Games, Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony
The Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony started on August 8, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. in Beijing, China. NBC (Channel 4) broadcasted it on August 8, starting at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
It was a spectacular show directed by Zhang Yimou, one of China's great film directors of this century. 91,000 people came to witness this Olympics. NBC said that 100,000 police were protecting Beijing because of the possible political strains.
China's political problems with Tibet and Sudan shocked and angered some of the world. But those protests brought Chinese people together. Also they have internal problems like the massive and destructive Sichuan earthquake on May 12 this year that killed 80,000 people, and left 1,000,000 people homeless. In China a half billion peole live on $2.00 per day and protests are not welcome. Tom Brocaw's quote was worth listening to, "Don't assume what Chinese goverment will do."
Another interest political issue was that how the mainland China, Olympic committee, and Taiwan government came to agree on the name of Taiwan at this Olympic. Taiwan was called "Chinese Taipei", not called "Repuclic of Taiwan" any longer. Also they did not use the flag of Taiwan. Instead they used the special Olympic flag. Another issue was that Hong Kong represented themselves, not together with mainland China, even after it became a part of China.
It was a beautiful and spectacular show artistically. Zhang Yimou created cinematic beauty in the "Bird's Nest" the new national stadium. The theme was "Harmony": inner peace and external peace. He used the influence of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in the ceremony. To show "the world come together", 5 rings were lifted and made to look like a flower, accompnaied by peaceful and harmonious Chinese singing by 56 children representing the 56 ethnic groups in China. They were chosen from average families from art schools all over China. Their ethnic clothes were so beautiful.
The idea of traditional Chinese art was shown dramatically. Three dancers with black clothes represented 3 important arts: painting, calligraphy, and poetry. They drew a stroke one at a time to express the harmony of mountains and water.
Zhang Yimou created the symbol of "great wall", then turned them into Chinese plum flowers with a massive show operation. We wonder how he did it. We may think that in today's technology, it might be done by computer. But the truth was, he used "people". To prove this, at the end of the scene, each performer's face appeared one by one.
During the show scene about the Ming Dynasty, a massive image of sea and Zhen He's ship appeared. It was said that in this ceremony 15,000 individual performers were used, and not one of them was used or appeared twice. It tells the world, "We have the people!".
"Taichi" was used to show China's graceful martical arts and ancient philosophies. Toward the end of the show, the girls were each holding a big picture of a child's face from another country, and sang "One world, one dream". The host said, "There are issues and disagreement in our world, but we are here to celebrate the Olympics together."
This is an excellent documentary which I would like to show parts of to my students, and teach them about China and Chinese culture. It will open their minds to the new China and old China.
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[Edit by="kirion on Aug 10, 8:36:18 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousI am looking for a Korean film titled, Two Flags. I have searched 1 Korean music store and the internet for at least two hours; has anyone ever heard of it or come across it?! It would be a great addition to a lesson that I am planning on the Korean War. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated!
I included the link that led to this relentless search...
AnonymousThe movie I recommend you see is Planet B-Boy. This is the offical website. . Check out the trailer. I first saw it at the San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival in March 2008.
It is about the B-boying (aka breakdancing) world. Though it is a Harlem based dance form it has become very popular around the world, specifically in South Korea and Japan. The film follows 6 dance groups (one from France, one from the US, one from Italy, one from Japan and two from S. Korea) from around the world as they prep for the "Battle of the Year" that is held in Berlin each year.
The film producer/director does a great job of telling the back story of these boys as they prep for the competition. The dancers share about their everyday lives-the joys, tragedies, culture, and financial struggles (many of the dancers come from tough financial backgrounds and are sacraficing greatly for the love of the music and dance). The viewer learns a lot about the everyday life of people in both Japan and Korea, who have not benefited as greatly from the economic success of each of the countries.
In the classroom, it would be helpful to show the clips where the dancers are being interviewed. Middle shoolers and high schoolers can easily connect with the thoughts and feelings of the people in Asia. On the flip side, some of their cultural and life experiences are very different from most Americans (e.g. all Korean boys are required to join the army, one of the Japanese dancers has intense family obligations, etc). When having students analyze and learn about modern East Asia this film can give great person accounts. Using clips of this film can help connect students to the world through music while sharing the specific experiences of Koreans and Japanese.
I believe the film is still showing in the theater and in festivals so I am not sure if it is available on DVD (I will keep this board posted if I find out otherwise). Check YouTube to see if you can find clips.
SPOILER: One of the Korean teams wins the International competition at the end of the move. Subsequently, the team becomes a national icon and their routine is shown in an ad for Korea (this you can find on YouTube) which might be interesting to wrap into a discussion of modern day Korea.
AnonymousThis movie will address many of the California 6th grade standards on China. A few ways I can use it with my students are: pointing out the hierarchy of the Samurai system during the part Iguchi (Seibei=the Twilight Samurai) was chastized for not taking care of himself. The importance of women in this society can be shown by the hard times Iguchi and his daughters faced after his wife died. Then when Tomoe came to help life became so much better for them. The importance of the caste system is expressed by Iguchi's refusal to marry Tomoe, he felt unworthy. My pre-movie question will be, why did Iguchi fight Captain Koda (the abusive husband) with a wooden baton? I will stop the movie during the scene between Iguchi and Zenemon Yogo and have them discuss why they think Iguchi didn't want to kill Yogo. I can also have them write a conversation between two Samurais in their situation and they could rewrite the ending (historical fiction). This was a great movie.
AnonymousI was super-psyched about seeing this film during the seminar and I think I may have hyped it up too much in my mind. Don't get me wrong, it is a sweet film featuring a sympathetic young girl as the star. You really feel for her position as a substitute teacher in a rural village where moving bricks is like winning the lottery. There's the token bratty kid who makes her job hell, especially when he goes to the city to make money. This puts our heroine in a spot -- she wants the raise promised to her if she keeps all the students in school but cannot afford the bus ticket to track him down. The best scenes of the movie are of her and the other students trying to come up with a plan to get the money. She finally does get to the city and this is where the movie requires an editor. The movie drags a bit, especially when she has conversations with various people she meets (were these scenes improvised?). At any rate, all's well that ends well.
Middle school students would find the scenes with kids funny, but may lose interest during the overly long city scenes. They would be intrigued that there are no actors in the film. They would also come up with some interesting answers to the question "What would you do?"
AnonymousYes, the subject title says it all. And yes, I am very aware that the film has many, many historical innaccuracies and hollywood-ized scenes and sequences. Nevertheless, if used in junction with our materials in class and the current 7th grade textbooks, it can be a good motivating tool to teach about Warrior Japan.
The film has beautiful cinematography. The film can be used to show the geocraphy of Japan: from the clips of Mt. Fuji in the opening scenes, to the flower blossoms in the garden when Katsumoto is speaking to Tom Cruise. I would have already had a fun lesson on Mt. Fuji, describing its height, and how today, its very much an attraction for foreigners. I would show them lots of my own personal photos of my 2 years in Japan, as well as the famous artworks of Mt. Fuji.
One of the cool things about the film, is the way it really shows the strongest aspects of Samurai culture. Granted, there are many simplifications and errors, but for most students, this film can provide a decent groundwork. One of the multiple choice questions I found on the periodic assessments went something like: "Bravery, strength, cunning, and loyalty are the qualties of a..." The answer of course, was a samurai. I would forward to the escape sequence in which Katsumoto's son and Cruise help him escape from captivity, and also show much of the final battle scene. I would be sure to be constantly pausing the film and asking "What quality of a Samurai did that last scene just show? Bravery? How many of you think loyalty? Etc"
Other important tidbits that can be introduced and taught:
+Cruise must take off his shows in the home
+Japanese theatre in the Ninja attack scene
+differences between Samurai and Ninja
+Samurai weapons and training (much of the village scene)
As an alternative, perhaps the film "Zatoichi" could work as well. However, the problem lies in the fact that the film is all in Japanese, and many of my ESL students just cannot read the subtitles that fast. Also, this highly entertaining film might be a little bit too violent.
Thus, THE LAST SAMURAI would be a decent way to motivate young students, especially students who find history boring or are lower level readers.
AnonymousOne of my favorite Asian films to watch is βHouse of Flying Daggers,β directed by Zhang Yimou. The setting of the story centers around the last years of the Tang Dynasty. During this time a revolutionary group known as House of Flying Daggers is causing a great deal of problems for the government. Two prominent policemen, Leo and Jin, learn that a blind dancer employed in a local brothel could be the daughter of the Flying Daggers recently deceased leader. The two of them subsequently concoct a plot that they believe will lead them to the Flying Daggers new leader. What ensues are a plethora of plot twists and turns that take the viewer on a journey of love, and betrayal, and jealousy, and sacrifice; and in the end, a question of βHow could I have done that to the woman I love?β
This would be a great movie for my students to watch after reading Shakespeareβs Othello. This story too takes it reader on a road of plot twists and turns. The elements of love, betrayal, and jealousy work together to contrive the tragedy that ultimately transpires. And in the end, there is likewise a question of βHow could I have done that to the woman I love?β While there are obvious differences in the two stories, there are some marvelous similarities that I could have my students explore in a comparative essay. They could discuss how different approaches were used to convey the similar themes. They could discuss the similar ways the men in both stories are moved to act in response to love and the thought of betrayal. There are so many roads of similarity that the students could take that I believe they would have a fun time examining these two very moving narratives.
AnonymousTry this site for a VCD:http://www.bluelaser.com/video/vcd/korean/two-flags-vcd/
AnonymousThis was a great movie. I plan to use it with 9th graders for a cultural compare/contrast with the star-crossed lovers theme from Romeo and Juliet, which is the Shakespeare play for 9th grade. It will be perfect from the standpoint of what happened to the lovers and their plans when, in contrast to R&J, they follow the dictates of society and their culture, and wait, or even refuse to get together in spite of their feelings for each other.
AnonymousWhile I agree the film could use some editing, I am struck by the simplicity of the dialog. I think it is interesting and useful in the classroom in terms of characterizing the Chinese culture. Before showing the film, I would begin a discussion about the communication styles in our high school, including how they talk to each other and to adults, etc., encouraging them to make a list of "ground rules"
After viewing the film, we could do the same for the Chinese students in the film, of course, highlighting the lack of drama in their communication. I would make a point of noting how the Substitute in the film simply repeats her request to the Teacher and to the Mayor, over and over, until they come up with a different solution, or until they say something that makes her understand she might need to change her viewpoint instead.
I have been finding different ways to show my 9th graders that using the amount of profanity they use is not because "they are free," it is because they are engaging in the first level of violence. I would use the film to ask them to explore different ways they could communicate with each other, their parents and their teachers, adapting the techniques in the film to their own communication style. I would also point out that the children in school were rambunctious, and that is pretty much universal. However, the substitute, though only 12, is much more serious in her communication, and obviously takes her job very seriously. I could bring up the Olympics in view of this, and discuss how seriously the athletes take their jobs, and the performers in the opening ceremonies, and the little 8 year old boy who saved the others in the earthquake saying he was hall monitor and it was his job. This will be great for a reflection piece on what their job is, and how seriously they take it.
AnonymousI agree with Sharon that The Way Home is an excellent movie and can easily translate to the classroom.
I see the main thrust of the movie as the contrast between generations. The scenes with the mother and son were brief because the viewers pretty much know what their life is like. They show the jumble of visual and auditory stimulation that just creates a din in today's world; traffic, people, signage, lights, noise, electronics, etc.
Most of the time is spent on the grandmother's way of life. I think Sang-Woo is actually all of us. He is completely absorbed with his electronics, his entertainment and distractions in the city, that when he meets his silent grandmother in her very simple, simplistic lifestyle, he doesn't understand it. His lack of understanding, coupled with his frustrations in his busy life, (no dad, mom dumps him off) make his shallow, self-involved side show up in rudeness to his grandmother. Reminds me of something I read on the internet, that we were discussing at our table one morning; the rise in 'tantrums' in the workplace. The generation of people entering the workplace right now are reacting much the same as Sang-Woo. Interestingly, it is not resulting in job loss or even loss of promotions!
I think the author and director are offering the story as a way to ask ourselves if we really do want to let go of the past, just because the technology was missing. They show that even a self-involved little boy can make the connection, and want to keep contact with his elders.
I would use this as a reflection prompt for the students: What part of your background do you always want to remember; what are you going to do about it? Think of all the things you spend your time on every day; iPod, TV, CDs, DVDs, cars, phones, cell phones, video games, etc. etc. What if tomorrow, someone pulled the plug, and none of these things would be working or available. How would you spend your time?
I think this would be a good critical thinking exercise and a wonderful writing exercise.
AnonymousExcellent movie. I'm not fond of war pix, or mysteries, for that matter, but this surpasses both. Shortly after watching this, I saw "Where is Matt Dancing?" on YouTube, and in one segment, he is dancing in what is labled "Korean DMZ" - one other person, a soldier, is just standing there watching him. The effect was really comical.
In any case, JSA would be an excellent film to show students for discussion of roles and boundaries. A prompt might be; 'In the moment of truth, who defines our roles, and who or what defines our boundaries?' There would be plenty of examples to draw from in the film, from the guy who steps on the land mine and cries for mercy to his 'enemies,' to the moment of the shooting, or when each of the soldiers responsible for shooting end up killing themselves.
I read something about the film that said the director is planning a sequel - JSA America - and base it on the border conflict with Mexico. That will be interesting!
AnonymousOriginal Title: Tasogare Seibei γγγγζΈ ε ΅θ‘
This movie is directed by Yamada Yoji who has made every effort to display the complexities of the ancient Japanese culture and the art of sword fighting. It is one of the best contemporary samurai movies, with a wonderful cast of characters and a touching story of a man outcast by changing times he lived in.
In mid-19th century, end of Edo period, In Unasaka (Province of Yamagata), Iguchi Seibei, a low ranking samurai leads a life without glory. The samurai co-workers call him "Tasogare" (twilight). He must work in the fields and accept piece work (making insect cages) to feed his family. He even sold his sword! (a samurai's soul!) But he approved his skills with wooden sword defeating the opponent.
Tomoe, his long-time love, divorces a brutal husband. This gives Seibei the opportunity to marry her. But he remains bound by the code of honor of samurai, and his own social precedence. The second chance came to marry her after he came back from killing Yogo Zenemon. This time he finallly married Tomoe and had 3 years of life together before he died in the Boshin War. "That was the happiest years of their lives." His daughter said.
This film is different from many other samurai themed films in that it concentrates on showing the main character's everyday struggles, instead of focusing on action-oriented battles; the film has only two fight scenes.
I will show this film to my students, and let them write a "film review". Then we will discuss Japanese samurai code of honors, rituals (marriage, funeral, etc.), hierarchy, expression of love, true spirit, etc.
[Edit by="kirion on Aug 18, 11:50:00 PM"][/Edit]