Film Festival

[Anonymous]

I watched "Quitting" yesterday. I agree with other classmates that this is a depressing film, portraying the alienation, isolation, and downward spiral of a 29 year-old actor who has been hooked on drugs for 4 years, while continuing to drink alcohol and chain smoke like a fiend. Clay brought this film up as an example of Confucian filial piety in reverse - the parents need and obligation to save their son at any cost. The father retires early and the whole family moves to Beijing into the son's apartment.

Would an American family make this kind of sacrifice even while the son is belligerent, abusive, and full of distain for his parents? In Chinese culture, it is considered auspicious to have several generations living under the same roof. In the United States, western individualism dictates that the younger generation be on their own to figure their own life out. I believe that most American families would not make the kind of sacrifice portrayed in the film. It also makes me wonder if that extreme sacrifice was necessary for the son's recovery. Perhaps. In the west, we have extensive 12 step programs which assist the addict in taking personal responsibility for one's life and situation. In the end, this Chinese family's love wasn't enough to heal him - they still needed to institutionalize the son for him to make a full recovery and finally accept personal responsibility.

One aspect of the film that I did enjoy was the play within a play device. We discover that the actors are actually playing themselves while telling their own true story. At one point, the son gives a monologue about how he is just a human being. It becomes clear that all of us are just playing a role as a human being in this ongoing drama we call life.

Catherine

[Anonymous]

The Family Game. This 1983 film by director Morita Yoshimitsu offers a view into Japanese life that is often put on a pedestal: the idea of putting more time into education and tutoring. The father (Itami Juzo, director of Tampopo, a Taxing Woman, Ososhiki) hires a tutor (Matsuda Yusaku) to help raise the grades of his middle-school aged son. What we end up seeing are a number of things that are perhaps not intended: It is striking to see the tiny apartment in which the family lives. We see that the older brother is allowed to goof off since he is doing OK with his grades. We see what verges on child abuse as the tutor slaps the student when he is not getting down to the business of studying. In many ways this is a film that will teach the viewer much about Japan, and the place of education in that country. We also see how the tutor teaches the boy how to grow up and stand his ground, especially in a scene where he is taught to fight. At times it seems like a black comedy, owing much to "play-like" staging of the actors, the sparse use of sound, and quirky dialogue. All in all, it is a good example of cultural specificity, and could be used to spark discussion about the value of education in Asia and the U.S. The Family Game is a good one.

[Anonymous]

I borrowed Tobia's copy of High and Low byAkira Kurosawa. It was set in post industrial Japan around the 1960s and the first thig I noted was the relationship between the husband and wife. The wife was submissive and gentle, while the husband, who was in angst, told her that his job was none of her business, that she knew nothing of it. There was the sense, though, that the wife did have the right idea, and that her predictions would come true. She was confident, also, on how her husband would decide to act on the ransoming a child.

The second aspect about the movie that interested me was the use of Western clothing, cars, and cowboy outfits. The little boys were tumbling through the house playing cowboys and Indians, the businessmen wore shirts and suits. The wife, however, wore traditional (as far as I could tell) clothing in one scene and a Western dress and pumps in another scene.

From Belinda Young

[Anonymous]

ISBN1-56331-269-7 Discovery Channel, 50 min, 1995 CAN GET THROUGH LIBRARY
I wanted to explore the various resources available through the LA Public Libraries and found them rather wanting (to be generous). This film was an historic perspective that describes the Forbidden City as the largest palace complex still in existence (999 rooms, surrounded by a 35ft wall extending 2 1/2 miles) and gives detail of Chinese history.
Kangxi's period of rule during the Golden Age explains the "kow tow" as well as his study of astronomy with the tutor from the West, Ferdinand Verbiest, who brought the knowledge of Kepler and Galileo to China. One of the Manchu emperors, he took away the powers given to the eunuchs during the Ming Dynasty and turned them back into servants. He also reduced the number of concubines to 100 from the 1000 during Ming. There is a discussion of how the eunuchs tried to have their mistress selected. Additional emperors were discussed. One suggestion: none of the names are on the screen. They only tell you the name, so someone taking notes on the film will wonder about the spelling. Put spellings on the board if you want students to do notes while watching.
The role of the British East India Company in opening the Chinese markets to Europe is very well explained. Beginning with Lord McCartney's kneel (rather than kow tow) to the empty throne with a scroll telling him China had no need for European goods, we witness raw imperialistic power at its worst as Britain floods the Chinese markets with opium and sends gunboats to prevent the emperor from stopping the inflow. The 1858 treaty allowing opium undermines the emperor's power and results in an influx of western barbarians with troops to protect their economic interests. On to the Boxer Rebellion and the People's Republic in 1949.
I think this is a worthwhile film to use during the China Unit in 7th and will recommend that it be bought for our library at school. Anyone can order it from the library, if its not in your branch. The length means that it will fit within one class period. And, no rating problem.

[Anonymous]

If you read my previous post, you know I've been checking out the films through the library. This is one of the few others that is available. Another Pearl S. Buck was in the file but had been stolen/not returned. So, this was the only one I found that was in English. It's 1937 vintage and stars Paul Muni. It epitomizes the Hollywood discrimination against Chinese by having the main characters all portrayed by Caucasians. I watched this immediately after having listened to the unabridged books-on-tape.
The story is about the peasant Chinese farmer and the struggle to survive. He starts with nothing and learns quickly the value of owning and working the land. His wife, a former slave from the House of Wong, works side-by-side with him in the fields even as she gives birth to their children. The importance of sons and devaluing of women (called "slaves") is throughout the book. There is also the difference in crops between north and south (wheat vs rice) described as the family moves south to avoid famine. The story tells about he marauding bandits who terrorize and destroy farms and villages and the uncle who was a member of the gang before moving in as his nephew gained in wealth and prestige. The second wife is brought into the house. Children wed and the transition to the next generation is underway as the story ends. It's doubtful they understand the value in owning the land.
I liked the book and reacquainting myself with it. Most people probably recall it from our early days as students. The movie followed along the main lines with little deviation in the story, but the acting was too stilted for modern audiences, in my opinion. I wouldn't use it in the classroom, but would consider assigning the book as an extra credit book report.[Edit by="lsutton on Sep 11, 2:00:33 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

PG13 and worth getting approvals, this Martin Scorsese film tells the true story of Tibet's Dalai Lama and the invasion and occupation of Tibet by Mao's forces in 1950 and the subsequent escape of His Holiness into India. The young Dalai Lama is shown in his early life in the Potala Palace in Llasa with his tutors and his strong interest in science and geography. As he turns 15, he is faced with assuming the political leadership of his country at the time the Chinese Communists invade Tibet under the guise of "liberating" it. For several years, he tries to accommodate the demands of the Chinese who are sent in to "modernize" his country. Finally, after a 1955 meeting in Beijing with Mao, he is told that "religion is poison" and he understands that Buddhism is under direct attack. He escapes over the Himalayan passes into India and establishes a Tibetan exile community at Dharmasala in the Himalayan foothills. No country would come to Tibet's aid against the Chinese aggressors.
The landscapes are very true to life and there are some extraordinarily well done scenes, especially the fish pond-to-monks sequence. Disney, under direct political pressure from China, cut back on the release of this film when it came out so it was not in theaters very long, and then, not very many. I snagged a copy of it in a video store and show it every year. Most of the students show good interest in it. There are some bloody scenes so parent signatures would apply.
Tibet is in the southwest part of China and represents approximately 1/4 of the area of the entire country. All modern maps show it now to be part of China, although there is a continuing effort to "Free Tibet." The Dalai Lama has never been allowed to return, but his exile has led to the spread of Buddhism throughout the West fulfilling the prophesy of eighth century master Padmasambhava that "Buddhism will go to the land of the red men when the iron bird flies." The book most closely associated with this film is "Freedom In Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama", ISBN 0-06-039166-2, 1990, HarperCollins publishers.
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[Anonymous]

This movie is based on a partially autobiographical book by Akiyuki Nosaka who lost his little sister during the war to malnutirtion.

"Alternately known as Tombstone for Fireflies, Grave is a very somber film about the struggle of two children to survive during World War II. Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves when their mother passes away from severe burns inflicted by the American fire-bombing of their town. Their father is serving in the Japanese navy, but the children have not heard from him in a long time, so Seita and Setsuko try staying with a distant relative. However, Seita doesn't get along well with this relative and decides to leave, taking Setsuko with him, to live on their own." http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/grave/

I watched this movie in my high school Japanese class and again tonight. The first time it was in Japanese with English subtitles and tonight it was dubbed over in English. I prefer the movie in Japanese. Japanese anime in English isn't the same. However, if you were to show it to your students, it might be easier for them to concentrate on the story more if they didn't have to worry about keeping up with the subtitles.

The movie is set during World War II but doesn't make too many specific references to it. The movie focuses more on how the war changes the lives of Seita and Setsuko. Not only do we see how war destroys physical places (homes, buildings, whole cities) but how it destroys the lives of the people living in these places. People are injured during the bombing, they loose their homes, their families, their valuables, they don't have enough food and water to survive, they depend on rations from the government and they live in fear.

Grave of the Fireflies is a very emotional movie and probably isn't for everyone. However, with the proper introduction, I would show it to my class. Because the moive is in anime, it may come across as less threatening to students but I feel it still carries a strong message.

With the war going on in Iraq, this might be a good way to get students to think about how the lives of the Iragis are changing and the daily struggles they may be going through.

Movies like this give you a little different perspective on life. [Edit by="jchan on Oct 12, 8:33:37 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

LAUSD policy is that all rated R movies must be reviewed and approved by the principal. There is a form to use regarding the use of rated R movies that requires the principal's signature and parent/guardian signature. Parent's must sign the form to allow their child to view the film. No signature--an alternate assignment must be given.
Your administrator will have this form. The form also requires information such as: date the movie will be viewed, purpose of showing the film, and state standards that it addresses.

As I also recall, PG-13 movies also need the principal's approval, but does not require a signature.

PG rated movies need no approval.

[Anonymous]

I watched the film several years ago, and what particularly struck me was the irony of the film. If Fugui had not gambled away the house, he would have been executed instead of the creditor who claimed his home. Fugui's best friend accidently kills his only son. The regime imprisoned the educated, so the hospital does not have any doctors. Fugui's daughter dies because of the lack of medical care. The doctor they retrieve from prison is so hungary his eats two buns and faints because he is malnurished. Consequently, the daughter dies, but her newborn son lives--and is named two buns.

I agree that this film portrays the changes in society due to the communist regime beautifully. There is a scene that shows the communal eating order--where the children eat with other children, the parents with parents, and etc. The family has changed. The film addresses the changes in society brought on by the communist regime in a subtle way. I think this film was banned in China--it that true?

It is an excellent film to show at the high school level.

[Anonymous]

It is an excellent film to show in a Health Classroom at a High School Level.
In this movie, Jia Hongsheng is a chinese movie star in the late 1980's. He had his first encounter with drugs while acting on the set of Kiss of the Spider Woman. He experiments with heroin and a drug induced schizophrenia takes over his life. He stopped working and his sister and parents take care of all his needs. This story is about Jia's journey to recovery. I think this film is a great example of Confuciu's ideas of filial piety. Viva Confucius![Edit by="adelgado on Nov 13, 2:15:59 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

“House of Flying Daggers,” is a film distributed by Sony and Elite Enterprises. This is a love story wrapped up inside an action film. The story takes place in 859A.D. during the Tang Dynasty. Although once considered enlightened, it is now in decline and considered corrupt. A rebel group called, “The House of Flying Daggers.” Is a secret organization that has the support of the people. Posing a constant threat the deputies felt they had overcome HFD group by killing it’s leader. But somehow a new, stronger leader has emerged and the group is even more powerful. A deputy, Captain Leo, sends Captain Jin to the Peony Pavillion, a brothel, to find a member of HFD that is working there as a dancer. Mei (Ziyi Zhang) is utterly one the most beautiful actresses ever to appear on the screen. She dances for him and finishes with a dance called, “The Echo Game.” It is in this dance that she reveals her martial skills. A battle ensues, Leo triumphs and arrests Mei. From that point a convoluted love story evolves, filmed with great beauty andsensitivity. It is very much in the same genre as “Kill Bill,” and
“Laura Croft”.

It is directed by Zhang Yimou who was the co-writer and producer also. He was born in China in 1950udied film making at the Bejing Academy. He took on a major role in China’s Fifth Generation Filmmakers, the first group to graduate following the turbulent cultural revolution. Although he has been recognized with awards throughout the world, he is most known throughout the United States for his past recognition, his Academy Award Nominations in Best Foreign Language Film for “Raise the Red Lantern,” in 1990 and “Hero,” in 2002.

[Anonymous]

Da Ming is a succesful businessman from Shentchen and goes home to attend his father's funeral. He thinks his father has died because his younger brother, Er Ming, sent him a postcard with a drawing that looks like his father is dead. Er Ming is mentally-handicapped and helps his father take care of the family business. The business is a Japanese bathhouse were the costumers meet daily. The relationship between the men are very stong and they help each other in every aspect of life. Da defies his responsibilities as the older brother and wrestles with old traditions and his new values in a modern technological business world. He faces a terminally illed father, a custody of a mentally handicapped brother and telling his wife the truth about his family. This film is another example of Confuciu's ideas of filial piety. It is very moving! Make sure you have an extra large box of tissue next to you.

[Anonymous]

Too Late to Apologize (1995)
Too Late to Apologize is a Chinese movie about an old veteran (Shen) of the People's Liberation Army who opens up a bookstore in a small rural community in China. He opens up the bookstore to foment education and knowledge in the small town. Some in the town do not want him to succeed and try to undermine his business.

One man wants to purchase the home of the old veteran (Shen) to set up a business. The old veteran (Shen) refuses to sell because he wants to open a bookstore. The man decides to enlist the aid of his son and his friends in sabotaging the old man’s bookstore. He inspires his son into pestering and harrassing the old man. When the son fails, the father teases the son and puts him down. It was odd to see that the father was being corrupt and corrupting his son. It goes against some of the Confucian thought that we have discussed in our sessions.

It was also odd to see this man being competitive and wanting to destroy another business for his own financial growth. It seemed out of place in a country where the economic system is communism (with a twist) and not capitalism. If the movie was made in the United States, it would seem perfectly normal for one person to try to ruin someone else's business to establish one of their own.

What struck me as important was that all the families only had one child, most of them being sons. All of these children were very mischevious and one was very spoiled. None of them respected the old man in the beginning. I had heard that China’s one child policy has affected the morals and values of the new generation of children, some growing up to be bratty and even disrespectful to parents and elders. Such loss of morals and values by youth were very obvious in the film.

The girls in the movie seemed to be more interested in education and proper behavior than the young boys. I wonder if this is true. Are girls in rural or urban China more interested and eager in excelling at academics?

I really enjoyed this movie (my wife did too). I won't kill the ending for you, because people usually get like this :@ when someone ruins a movie for them.
However, the movie made me ask a lot of questions such as:
1. Are kids in China really becoming less obedient, disrespectful and less proper because of the one child policy?
2. Is the the easing of restrictions by the government on China's economic system increasing greed and ambition in people or is the competitiveness part of Chinese culture?
3. Have females always had more interest in education, literature and proper behavior in China or is it something that is more prevalent today? Have any studies been done to analyze this?
4. How different are things in rural and urban China?

[Anonymous]

The Sea is Watching was a script written by the late Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. O-Shin is a geisha and one day a samurai named Fusanosuke appears in her town on the run after having killed a man. She assists him by giving him shelter and cutting his hair. The two fall in love, despite the objections from O-Shin's friend Kikuno. Eventually Fusanosuke leaves, only to return one day and reveal that he is engaged and that it would shame him and his family to marry a prostitute. The second half of the film involves O-Shin again falling in love with a fallen samurai, this one named Ryosuke.

This scrpit was written by the great director, Kurosawa, though I don't know how many drafts of the script were done, the story needs a little work. The story at times takes on a soap opera feel, this slows the pace down a great deal. There is huge potential here given the subject matter and various themes. But the characters are never really given their full due. The movie tries to answer the following questions. Who is truely loveable and un-loveable? Can someone start over no matter how bad their past? The themes are never fully explored in the film, as a result the film comes off slight. Nothing that resembles the work of the great master, Kurosawa. The saving grace is the last scene when a typhon comes and destroys the brothel and the town. O-Shin is left on the roof waiting for her lover to show, of course he does, and takes her away. The water representing the washing away of ones sins and a new beginning. This is classic Kurosawa. The film was okay, not great. I wonder how Kurosawa would have changed the script and directed the film if he were still alive.

[Anonymous]

Spirited Away was the first Japanese animated movie I had ever seen. I was familiar with short animated programs: as a teenager I was addicted to the Robotech series. It was the first cartoon in which I saw people die and deal with emotional crises. Spirited Away is a beautiful animated movie depicting the growth of a young girl who matures from a withdrawn child to a strong and independent character. Chihiro has to undergo a series of hardships to free her parents. The movie carries with it a message of love, endurance, and patience, and it is these qualities tht enable Chihiro to fulfill her goal of rescuing her parents and returning to the human world.

I found this movie similar to a fairy tale in that the character had to fulfil a number of requirements to meet her goal. What made this movie different from the Disney fairy tale is that the main character undergoes a significant change, and the movie carries a significant message or moral to the tale. The main character must exhibit the positive qualitites of love, endurance, patience and loyalty to complete her mission. It is evident in Spirited Awayy that if Chihiro did not exhibit these qualities that she would still be toiling away in the Spirit World. Her love for Haku inspired the Boiler Man to give her the train tickets. Her lack of greed prevented the No-Face Spirit from hurting her. Chihiro's love for her parents enable her to pass the last test of picking her parents out from a group of pigs. The Disney heroine does not change significantly in the fairy tale. The audience expects the heroine to be rewarded in the end only because she is a virtuous characrer and not rewarded from any specific action taken in the movie. The beginning of the movie establishes the character as being good, and American audiences do expect a happy ending. For example, in Cinderella it is established in the beginning of the movie that she is a hardworking, good character through the portrayal of her relationship with the animals. She does not undergo any change, nor must she undergo a series of tests or hardships. It is expected that she be rewarded in the end of the movie, not as a result of a direct action she took during the course of the story, but merely because she is a good person.

I was struck by the complexity of the story in Spirited Away. The director Miyazaki, created a world within a world--an alternate universe. Susan Napier's article "Magical Girls and Fantasy World," states that, "Although Miyazaki's worlds are indeed 'independent,' their care ful mixture of realism and fantastic details makes them able to exist comfortably inside a larger realm that could legitimately include our own universe as well..." (122). I watched the extra features that included a documentary on the making of Spirited Away. Miyazaki drew upon his own experiences, relationships with people, and memories of familiar places to create texture within the movie. For example, he based the character of Chihiro on his friend's daughter. The character of the mother was based upon a producer who works for him,. It was even pointed out that her posture while eating was emulated in the film. The setting of the magical town was based upon a real town that he was fond of, and had visited several times. The animated of the dragon was based upon his experiences with dogs. In fact, a humorous point in the documentary was when the director asked his staff if they had any childhood experiences with dogs and could relate to what he was telling them. His entire staff had no dealing with dogs, to which he replied that, this situation "was pathetic." His staff had to visit a veterinary hospital to learn how to animate the dragon based upon the expressions and actions of dogs.

It was interesting to read in "Anime and Local/Global Identity" that women are portrayed opposite to their status in Japanese society, According to Napier "Because Japanese women are still relatively disempowered, the overturning of the stereotype of feminine submissiveness may create a particularly festive resonance. I the animated space, female characters seem to glorify in manifestations of power still denied them in the real world" (31).

I have already discussed the power of the main character Chihiro. The characters in charge of this magical world are female. Yubaba and her sister Zeniba exert control over every magical creature, which exists in the magical realm. Yubaba is in charge of the bathhouse and controls the workers through contracts and the power of capturing and retaining their names and identities. It is Yubaba that Chihiro must overcome, not a powerful male figure.

I truly enjoyed this movie, for the beautiful animation and the positive messages that are reinforced throughout. Also, as a side note: it was interesting to watch the documentary. Unlike American cinema, it seems that Japapnese cinema cannot push back the date of the release. The animation studio had to work at a feverish rate to meet the deadline. I couldn't help thinking that in America the deadline would have been pushed back.
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