Series: Movie Archives - TOKION https://tokion.jp/en/tag/series-of-movie/ Fri, 16 Apr 2021 23:32:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 https://image.tokion.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/cropped-logo-square-nb-32x32.png Series: Movie Archives - TOKION https://tokion.jp/en/tag/series-of-movie/ 32 32 Morley Robertson’s Movie Column 4: Imagining the great transformation of an era — The King’s Speech, Volume 3 https://tokion.jp/en/2021/04/18/morley-robertsons-movie-column-4/ Sun, 18 Apr 2021 06:00:00 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=28343 TV personality Morley Robertson introduces three films for imagining a post-corona world that’s undergone a great transformation. His final movie recommendation of this series is The King’s Speech.

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With the spread of video streaming services, watching movies is no longer a special occasion, and it’s easy to share impressions and search for recommendations. However, this can make it feel like we’re mindlessly consuming films. In this series, influential figures with a love for film recommend movies that personally resonate with them.

This time, TV personality Morley Robertson writes his third installment in his “Imagining the great transformation of an era” series. Working mainly in media, Robertson is a commentator, DJ, musician, and international journalist with a wide range of knowledge in fields ranging from politics/economics to subculture. In this column series, he introduces films worth watching, particularly in the current coronavirus pandemic.

Those who try their best get rewarded — A story that touches the heart in times like this 

I first expressed how Joker implies the significant shift of the times; it speaks to us because we’re also letting go of our worries and fears, even though we don’t know what the future holds. Then, I talked about how Mad Max teaches us that those who get rid of fear, and everything else, to step into the future are strong during turbulent times like this. The film I’d like to highlight this time is The King’s Speech. Compared to Joker and Mad Max, this one is realistic. The story follows King George VI, who becomes the King of England after his brother, King Edward VIII, abdicates his role to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, and socialite. The King’s Speech is an excellent piece of cinema that maintains so much realism, as it shows King George VI’s stammering issue—something people usually would want to hide—in a frank manner.

One of the famous films which realistically depicts the royal family is The Queen (2006), starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. With that said, illustrates how the beautiful, prim and proper queen has the same mindset as regular citizens. It’s taboo to portray the queen as a “normal” person, but I imagine the film was given the green light because Helen Mirren gave a fantastic performance, and it showed love and appreciation towards Queen Elizabeth II. In other words, love protected the film.

What’s interesting about The King’s Speech is how more British people respect the subject now. Until this film, the story of King George VI wasn’t spoken about much, compared to Queen Elizabeth II, as seen in The Queen. Depicting a royal, powerful king who has a stammer, a childish side, and needs his butler to do things, is something that wouldn’t be allowed under normal circumstances. But had the film presented a royal person unrealistically, it would simply show lie after lie; people would no longer have a reason to watch it. The true delight of watching films is witnessing something people can’t talk about every day. That’s why the creators of The King’s Speech depicted King George VI as his authentic self.

Another interesting point: if you watch this film because you want to feel cathartic in an unstable world such as ours, you’ll see that the things people would keep behind closed doors are, in fact, beautiful. It’s easy to empathize with the protagonist because you’ll realize how the only difference between him and yourself is the environment. He’s human, just like you and me. If you could tackle the things you thought were impossible head-on just like him, then perhaps you too could fulfill your goal. Ultimately, I feel like this film tells us that those who try their hardest get rewarded.

THE KING’S SPEECH

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Distributed by GAGA Inc.,

© 2010 See-Saw Films. All rights reserved.

 It’s possible for a “hero” to be born because of the era

Mad Max shows the brutal fact that no matter how hard one tries, there will always be scapegoats, but it does this in an oddly exhilarating fashion. The moral of The King’s Speech is the polar opposite. In England today, people are debating whether they need a class system such as the royal family. However, many people get the energy to keep going because of the royal family. I spoke about this in my earlier column, but people of the modern world can rely on their bloodline if they ever feel like being protected by someone strong. This intangible energy could turn into an emotional sanctuary. That’s why people can relate to King George VI and see themselves in him, which gives them the drive to live. He represents what a leader should look like during this pandemic.

There’s one person who became a leader because of the zeitgeist: Donald Trump. When I thought about his controversial actions and words, I realized when a person in power says or does things they shouldn’t, they’re aligning with a portion of citizens’ desires, which makes said citizens develop an ardent love for said person. Many people start to want an irreverent leader when they have a strong victim mentality or face anxieties and oppression for a long time. Such people react against what we would call good people like, “You’re talking all this talk, but nothing good is happening to us!” Doesn’t it seem like Trump, the Joker, Immortan Joe, and the king, who has power, all connect? Of course, you have to look at it from different angles to see the connection.

 Don’t play it safe! A bright future awaits those who challenge themselves.

Thinking about it now, I’m starting to understand how times change, and it makes me want to act toward the future. But there aren’t that many places or opportunities for us to have discussions, which is a very modern problem. This era we live in doesn’t let wise people speak. Because of this tumultuous world, I wish I could ask Yoda (from Star Wars) or a wizard who lives up in the mountains about their teachings (laughs). But when I look at “lifestyle conservatives,”* they’re all causing a scene in front of wise people. Even if a wise figure says something brilliant, they reject that person’s character itself. Seeing such a phenomenon makes me think, “Wow, these people don’t want to listen to the wise.” It also makes me feel sad, as they’re simply raising their voices because they’re afraid of losing what they have.

*Lifestyle conservative= A direct translation of “seikatsu hoshushugi,” which refers to the attitude of satisfaction with consumerist society and not wanting social change.

But think about it, wanting to be happy is synonymous with wanting pleasure. Pleasure is something you earn from going on an adventure facing death, failure, or fear. If you’re tied down by the so-called lifestyle conservative mindset and raise your voice for no reason, I think you’re going to fall into a deep trap. You might fall for the age-old fraud that goes like, “If you invest in this, you’ll make money” (laughs).

Through these three films, I want to say that you need to throw every preconceived notion away if you wish to survive this world. It’s a volatile time, and even I don’t know what lies ahead, but if you have a lifestyle conservative mindset or live life without critical thinking, the rest of the world will leave you behind. Break your shell if you want justice and happiness for yourself, no matter what the future is like (Joker, Mad Max). The King’s Speech tells a hopeful tale of a person trying their absolute best and getting rewarded for that. Likewise, don’t play it safe! You’ll have a better chance at succeeding if you live your life working towards something that excites you. I’m sure these tough times will continue for a while, but I hope we can all discard what we don’t need, use our heads, challenge ourselves, and build a better future.

Edit Kei Watabe
Photography Teppei Hoshida

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Morley Robertson’s Movie Column Vol. 3: Imagining the great transformation of an era — Mad Max https://tokion.jp/en/2021/03/17/morley-robertsons-movie-column-3/ Wed, 17 Mar 2021 06:00:50 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=23982 TV personality Morley Robertson introduces three films for imagining a post-corona world that’s undergone a great transformation. His second movie recommendation is Mad Max.

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With the spread of video streaming services, watching movies is no longer a special occasion, and it’s easy to share impressions and search for recommendations. However, this can make it feel like we’re mindlessly consuming films. In this series, influential figures with a love for film recommend movies that personally resonate with them. 

This time, TV personality Morley Robertson writes his second installment in his “Imagining the great transformation of an era” series. Working mainly in media, Robertson is a commentator, DJ, musician, and international journalist with a wide range of knowledge in fields ranging from politics/economics to subculture. In this column series, he introduces films worth watching, particularly in the current coronavirus pandemic. 

The second film that made me sense a dynamic change in the air is Mad Max. Much like The Joker, Mad Max is a series, with the originaltrilogy being released during the late 70s to 80s. 

Each film explores an existential problem as though it were a joke: “If a megaton-class nuclear war broke out, millions and millions of people would die. How in the world are people going to survive under such circumstances?” I feel like a situation straight out of a movie, like this one, is imminent. There’s even have a sense of excitement that shouldn’t be there like, “Yes, it’s almost here!” I feel this way because of the global spread of coronavirus. But it also stems from the state of the world, from the declining birth rates to refugee and migrant issues. Perhaps the equilibrium of different nations will crumble, and a comparable situation to the Barbarian Invasions will occur. I can’t help but feel like we’re just one step away from this scenario. 

Back to Mad Max- I got a sense of hope for the future after watching Mad Max: Fury Road, just as I had after watching The Joker. While maintaining the same name and past themes, Mad Max: Fury Road is a brilliant piece of work that sheds light on the world’s problems. 

Mad Max: Fury Road
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Distributed by NBC Universal Entertainment

Ⓒ2015 VILLAGE ROADSHOW FILMS (BVI) LIMITED

Admiring a world in which every character believes in their own sense of justice 

The first film, Mad Max (1979), came out during an era where people were still afraid of nuclear weapons. The third film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), delves into what would happen if a nuclear war broke out and everybody died. Watching that made me feel scared. At the time, Japan was still in its economic bubble phase, and everybody led a lavish, abundant lifestyle. People’s views towards transgender individuals were still very narrow-minded, and it was a time when people were like, “You can come into this restaurant, even if you’re dressed… ‘differently,’ as long as it’s subtle. So, keep trying.”  

2015, 27 years since that era, was when the fourth film, Mad Max: Fury Road, was released. By then, the zeitgeist had turned into a more diverse one. Although it’s technically sci-fi, Mad Max had transformed into a film that pursues a certain kind of realism, and it centers on women a lot. The notion of who’s “normal” and “abnormal,” which existed during the Thunderdome days, had shifted with time. The worldbuilding of Fury Road is something millennials could recognize easily. It’s a testament to how people that were considered a minority entered the mainstream in recent years, and the film also points to how the definition of beauty expanded.

Further, because each character has their unique understanding of justice, I could even empathize with the villain, Immortan Joe. I’m amazed by the women in the film, as they have no human rights and only exist to give birth and yet are willing to die for their children. It’s incredible how Fury Road depicts everyone trying hard to survive; it erases the dichotomy of good and evil the moment the story starts. Once I realized it was a tale of survival and love, it was as though I had found a reason to live in this chaotic world. 

Overcoming fear to find justice and joy   

One scene gave me an epiphany. It’s a scene where the War Boys (Immortan Joe’s servants and soldiers) cover their mouths with silver spray and exclaim that they’re shining as they head to their deaths. In an everyday scenario, this wouldn’t happen, of course. I think the creators of the film studied how people who don’t practice established religion carry out mystical rituals instead. There have been many instances where people with no connection to the outside world treated cargo items that airplanes dropped, such as coke bottles, as sacred objects. If these people contacted the outside world, such objects would lose their significance. But when a foreign matter is initially found on an island where everything is in place, that matter makes people pious. 

Maybe the silver spray was something the War Boys found by accident, and they discovered they could feel immortal when their faces became shiny after they sprayed themselves with it. With this analysis, you could say that fragments of products sold at home improvement stores might start to look like magical objects if civilization ended. Therefore, the boredom we experience every day isn’t boredom, as it foreshadows this possibility that something beyond our imagination lies one step ahead of us. It’s a pessimistic outlook, but it could also provide the joy and excitement of being alive. At first glance, the War Boys being like, “Let’s go to where Immortan Joe is!” might make it seem like they’re being controlled by fear. However, their silver spray is the trigger that enables them to let go of everything; they’re experiencing an ecstasy that is superior to all else. 

Being taught what true strength means 

The story begins in a state of total obliteration. I believe there are two types of spectators regarding this film. One type feels invigorated by the prospect of what’s coming, while the other can’t wait for the film to end out of fear. The former is overwhelmingly resilient to our current zeitgeist. They’re filled with this animalistic energy that ensures they get rewarded if they decide to fight, even if they have little to protect themselves with. There’s a Japanese saying (案ずるより産むがやすし) which translates to something like “It’s easier to do something than to worry over it.” Just like The Joker, this film alludes to a message of letting everything go to get to the other side- “It’s easier to destroy something than to worry over it.”  

In a world where the disparity between the rich and poor is growing because of natural disasters and the pandemic, I reckon people will ultimately want to go to their families to be protected by someone strong. The assurance that one’s family will always be there and a feeling of stability or this potent, intangible energy could serve as an emotional sanctuary. But at the same time, to survive our world, which is on the brink of collapsing, those who can let go of everything are strong. Mad Max taught me you can see a vastly different future if you carry your own sense of justice within you and march forward as you obliterate whatever’s in your path. 

Edit Kei Watabe
Photography Teppei Hoshida
Translation Lena Grace Suda

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Morley Robertson’s Movie Column 2: Imagining the great transformation of an era. “The Joker,” Volume 1 https://tokion.jp/en/2021/02/22/morley-robertsons-movie-column-2/ Mon, 22 Feb 2021 06:00:06 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=21069 TV personality Morley Robertson introduces three films for imagining a post-corona world that’s undergone a great transformation. He starts with “The Joker.”

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With the spread of video streaming services, watching movies is no longer a special occasion, and it’s easy to share impressions and search for recommendations. However, this can make it feel like we’re mindlessly consuming film. In this series, influential figures with a love for film recommend movies that personally resonate with them.

This time, TV personality Morley Robertson makes his second appearance in TOKION. Working mainly in media, Robertson is a commentator, DJ, musician, and international journalist with a wide range of knowledge in fields ranging from politics/economics to subculture. In this column, he introduces films worth watching, particularly in the current coronavirus pandemic.

Imagining the great transformation of an era. Is it nearly here?

I feel that today, with the coronavirus outbreak changing our lives dramatically, this era is entering a grand cycle. An era based on the concept of astrology, if you will. A grand cycle, one that doesn’t need to be scientifically proven, is unfolding before our eyes.

This is a time where “lifestyle conservative”* ways of thinking are collapsing. In particular, the privileged class has gone from a cocky attitude of “Nothing needs to change!” to panicking as the rug is pulled out from underneath them. They’re forming vigilante groups that patrol the world, making the world a place where bad people who break the rules are thrown to the fire. You see that with Twitter fights and such. Although society is already collapsing, many people are unable to adapt to the present situation. I find myself imagining the following: Now that the system’s outdated values have reached their limit and become meaningless, in order to become happy, a tremendous power, one that can’t be found in government or lifestyle conservative manuals, must be released—like an active fault that has reached its breaking point. Thus, this dangerous but interesting era means a rejuvenation of the era is just around the corner.

*Lifestyle conservative= A direct translation of “seikatsu hoshushugi,” which refers to the attitude of satisfaction with consumerist society and not wanting social change.

Many have started to realize that worrying about what others think of them on social media won’t lead to happiness, nor will making clever comments earn them any brownie points. From there, they’ll also realize that there’s an opportunity for personal liberation and for the first time, a chance to break free from their shells. I think in the future, there’ll be more people who feel the thrill and savage joy of that state. When individuals break out of their shells, a great transformation of the era and culture will come. I think that in the near future, we’ll certainly be able to experience that on a grand scale. Three films perfectly fit my current imagined scenario: “The Joker,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and “The King’s Speech.” First, I’d like to talk about “The Joker.”

“Joker”
Blu-ray JPY2,619

Manufactured by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., 

Distributed by NBC Universal Entertainment
TM  

© DC. Joker  © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Village Roadshow Films (BVI) Limited and BRON Creative USA, Corp. All rights reserved.

An opportunity to break out of your shell isn’t something you look for

There are many movies and TV series that depict the Joker. Jack Nicholson played a very cheerful Joker in the 1989 “Batman,” which I saw in theaters at the time. Since the movie was a live-action adaptation of a comic book, his portrayal was innocent like a comic. In comparison, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker makes one appreciate the Netflix era. His multi-layered performance reveals truths about the times we live in, leaving an impression. I was overwhelmed by the Joker, who has a mental disorder that could be considered schizophrenia or insanity; it seems Joaquin himself studied this mental instability and improvised quite a bit. As I watched the Joker, who had been holed up inside until then, steadily exhibiting problematic behavior while getting ready to go out into the world, I couldn’t help but see an overlap with our current times. And no matter what the situation, for me, it was a movie where I kept my eyes on the Joker.

In every scene, there’s foreshadowing leading up to the explosion that is him committing murders; he’s ridiculed, beaten, sold a gun, and his mother continues to write letters to someone she believes is the Joker’s father. But the gun is just another tool, and he doesn’t know if the contents of the letter are true or not. Still, the reason he explodes is merely because he has been waiting for a motive. In the same way that the murderer in Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” testifies that he killed someone “because of the sun,” I strongly felt that what caused him to break out of his shell is irrelevant. Someone who is barely maintaining a delicate balance becomes unable to maintain that balance when confronted with a sound argument. Unable to allow change, that person screams, “I can’t forgive that sound argument!”. I believe this is the intolerance of Japan today. When I watch the Joker, I realize that we’re just waiting for something that has been unstable from the start to continue being unstable until it collapses. Even though the Joker knows he is a coward and is just barely holding on, in the end, he is overwhelmed with anxiety and loses his mind. Once he commits a murder, it triggers a domino effect. So in an attempt to forget his anxiety ever existed, he kills Murray Franklin, who is played by Robert De Niro. It’s crazy, but strangely, it somehow makes sense. After that, everything is a party, and an unthinking mob kills the police. This may be symbolic of killing authority, but it can also be interpreted as a scene representing the great transformation of the era, where everyone ultimately lets out their anxieties and thoughts. A real-life protest is much larger in scale than the mob scene, so if this were depicted poorly in the film, it could easily feel unrealistic or lacking in substance, but it works perfectly because it deliberately portrays the Joker as a god. For the mob, the Joker was the trigger, right? But it’s also interesting that no one knows what the new system will be. This is the same exact situation we’re in right now.

Robert De Niro’s presence brilliantly expresses the changing times

Robert De Niro’s presence can also be viewed in an interesting way. In “Taxi Driver,” he played a role that was like the embodiment of madness, right? In “The Joker,” he plays a veteran star of yesteryear, portrayed as a calm presence who skillfully manipulates the expendable performers. Although it may be a bit of a stretch, it was interesting in the sense that this allowed me to watch while overlaying the stories as I pleased: a man who was once the embodiment of madness becomes a lifestyle conservative in the present day, and is shot dead. It’s like it reveals that madness can exist within normalcy. I think it skillfully shows that when everyday normalcy and the conservative, middle-class happiness seen in catalogs becomes distorted, this is where they end up.

However, it seems that many people think that Robert De Niro appeared in “The Joker” as the embodiment of madness as well. Robert De Niro [Murray Franklin] has become a master thanks to his self-branding of sorts, and Joaquin [The Joker], a young man who admires him, comes along and shoots him dead. I’m starting to think that this is actually De Niro’s [Murray Franklin] true desire, which I can understand. It’s a bit like, “to die on the battlefield is beautiful,” and it could be interpreted as both living and dying with passion. In dying on the battlefield rather than at a hospital or nursing home, I can feel the discontent of our times.

In any case, the Joker does reckless things, but it didn’t make me feel despair. Rather, I interpreted it as a story of hope, and I even thought I’d like to be reckless like the Joker. (laughs) I’m really interested in what the world would be like after that.

Edit kei Watabe
Photography Teppei Hoshida
Translation Aya Apton

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Being unashamedly human in the face of struggle — Minori Hagiwara’s two film picks https://tokion.jp/en/2020/12/01/series-of-movie-minori-hagiwara/ Tue, 01 Dec 2020 06:00:12 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=12595 When they act, some actors are in the zone from head to toe, and such is the case in two films called From Miyamoto to You and 100 Yen Love.

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Thanks to the normalization of streaming services, watching films as a hobby has no longer become anything special. It’s now easier to share one’s thoughts about films and search for recommendations online. But it also feels like we are just consuming them. In this series of essays, each writer introduces and recommends a film they love.

Actor Minori Hagiwara has been building her career since her debut in 2013, but her name is everywhere now, more than ever. She has starred in seven films this year, such as Sasaki in My Mind and Underdog (out in theaters on November 27th), on top of Ginnan Boyz’s music video, “Do You Like Me.” We asked her to talk about one film she saw at a movie theater that affected her and one film she watches before filming. In both of the films she chose, the actors courageously bare their souls on-screen.

The film that shocked me the most was From Miyamoto to You. I saw it at a movie theater, and I was beside myself with emotion after I watched it. I remember staring at the ceiling for a while because the tears kept on rolling down my cheeks. The actors’ acting was so real that I almost forgot I had been watching a film. It was as though it sucked me in, and it’s an experience I won’t forget.

From Miyamoto to You
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(c) 2019 From Miyamoto to You Production Committee

From head to toe, all the actors were playing their roles with complete conviction. This film is the ultimate example of how actors should act. It didn’t look like they were acting when they were crying. There’s a scene where Yasuko Nakano, played by Yu Aoi, cries after getting into a scuffle with Yuji Kazama, played by Arata Iura, and this scene left an impression on me. It’s difficult for me to believe the actors turned their acting switch on, only when the director said, “action!” Her performance from start to finish touched me so much that words can’t express how brilliant she was. It was just overwhelming. I’ll never forget it, and I’ll always strive to act as she did in the film; I can’t help but feel this way. I shouldn’t say this as an actor, but every time I’m on-set, Yasuko’s face crosses my mind.

The fact of the matter is, it’s hard to come by a role that is as expressive as Yasuko. It’s still ideal to throw oneself into a role with full force, no matter what. Shooting the same scene multiple times from different angles is normal, and I have a habit of getting used to the emotions in the scene. My job is to squeeze every ounce of emotion out of myself when I am on-set, but it’s so upsetting that I can’t do that. Sometimes, that negatively affects my mood when we film. And I can’t shake off that feeling of failure even when I get home. It isn’t temporary either, because I’m bound to regret it for the rest of my life. I sincerely hope I can deliver a performance like From Miyamoto to You every time I work, so I would no longer have to experience this.

Whenever I’m about to shoot, I usually watch 100 Yen Love. This film empowers me, so I watch it repeatedly whenever I feel anxious about getting into a role. The thing is, I’ve always been insecure about how weak and vulnerable I am as a human being. Since I started acting, people somehow have this image that I, Minori Hagiwara, am this strong person, but that is not the case at all. I am so shy, and I even have this suspicion that people don’t like me; I know for a fact that I’m more fragile than a soap bubble (laughs). That’s why I look up to powerful women. I have this strong desire to be strong and remain strong like them. When I see how Ichiko, the protagonist of 100 Yen Love, becomes tougher, it makes me feel as though I can become tough too. The scenes where she screams all these cringe lines are great. I see myself in her. It’s not like Ichiko is this cool woman; she picks up boxing one day, and that leads to her making decisions and taking actions that make her look cool, but they’re fleeting. In the end, Ichiko looks nothing like the person who was fighting a boxing match with all their might. She gets invited to go out for dinner by this man that left her, and though she hesitates for a second, she ends up going with him. What she did is unbelievably uncool.

100 Yen Love
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But then I heard the lyrics to the song (CreepHyp, “108 Yen Love”) playing in that scene: “Forget me as I am/my life from this moment/doesn’t have to be a movie/’cos a normal life is fine with me.” I felt a pang of emotion, thinking about how Ichiko was going to return to her everyday routine before her boxing days came along. Watching her walk back into her former life saved me because it made me think, “ah, things are fine just the way they are.” I can’t be someone that’s always radiating charisma, but what matters is being able to shine just for a tiny moment. Every time I watch this film, I could only listen to this song for a while, and it allows me to feel immersed in the film’s world before I work. This film has saved me so many times.

I love my job as an actor. Acting was the first thing that made me go like, “I want to do this!” As someone with a lot of insecurities, I could feel more confident whenever I get a role and go to set. I believe it’s important to remain real and raw as much as possible in front of the cameras. Of course, it makes me happy to see a shot where I look good, but I feel even better when I see a shot where I look uncouth and uncool. One time, my mom saw my crying face in a TV series I was in and said, “you have an ugly crying face. It’s pretty funny,” and when I re-watched it, I thought, “I can’t believe they broadcasted my face.” That’s how bad I looked (laughs). But I got complimented the most in that scene. That experience made me think people feel moved when they witness actors in their most real, vulnerable state where everything crumbles apart.

Until this year, I felt nervous, frustrated, and suffocated because I couldn’t act the way I wanted to, even though I loved the art itself. Now I feel like I’m having so much fun with it. I think a massive part of it comes from me becoming more comfortable talking with the director and staff. Instead of merely partaking in a project, I feel like I’m actively creating something with everyone. I felt this way while we shot Sasaki in My Mind, but it’s so touching to feel like I’m a part of something. The lines came out of my mouth so naturally while we were shooting for this TV series this summer. I experienced that “zone” athletes feel. I get this sensation from time to time, but it’s hard to get a hold of it, no matter how much I try. So, when I fully embodied my role and was in total synchronization with my scene partner — it was even like we were playing catch with our vibe and breaths — we got so excited over how major it was. It would be so ideal for me to develop the ability to do that again, and it gives me more motivation to improve my craft.

I suspected that the phenomenon I went through probably occurred in the shooting of both From Miyamoto to You and 100 Yen Love. Both films deliver a highly human performance; so unashamedly human that the actors look like they’re crying or laughing depending on how you feel when you watch them. I think this is how people are. There’s no way people could completely convey their emotions to the other person because they’re not robotic signals. So, when that is communicated on-screen, it hits you in the heart. There’s no need to verbalize films, and that’s the beauty of it. These two films inspire me to become an actor that doesn’t stay in one box.

Photography Ryu Maeda
Edit Kei Watabe
Translation Lena Grace Suda

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On Call Me by Your Name, the film that restored Kotone Furukawa’s faith in humanity https://tokion.jp/en/2020/10/31/series-of-movie-kotone-furukawa/ Sat, 31 Oct 2020 06:00:15 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=9719 At one point, actor Kotone Furukawa questioned humanity every time she saw what was going on all over the world. What film saved her amidst it all?

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Thanks to the normalization of streaming services, watching films as a hobby has no longer become anything special. It’s now easier to share one’s thoughts about films and searching for recommendations online. But it also feels like we are just consuming them. In this series of essays, each writer introduces and recommends a film they love.

During the stay-at-home period of this pandemic, actor Kotone Furukawa felt affected whenever she saw the news on what was happening across the globe. The wretchedness and degeneracy of people discouraged her. What saved her from this slump was the film, Call Me by Your Name. She found happiness through it; gorgeous cinematography, poignant first love, the fact that people out there could produce such brilliant work.

Top with frills- 13,800 yen, overalls- 30,800 yen (Both items from Holiday) 03-6805-1273

I saw Call Me by Your Name at a movie theater back in 2018, but I re-watched it during the pandemic and remembered how moving it was. I chose to write about this film because of that. I felt depressed because of coronavirus, but I felt even worse after seeing global issues about politics, the environment, human rights, and so forth. It might sound extreme, but I was like, “why are human beings such greedy creatures?” I’m an actor, and it’s my job to act human. However, I felt like I was on the verge of disliking humanity. I asked myself: can I continue doing the work I do? Should I continue it? Wait, aren’t there more things I should be doing?

I then recalled how good Call Me by Your Name was suddenly, and wanted to feel better by watching the streets of Italy. I watched it once again at home, as I wanted to feel like I was traveling somewhere. Just as I had expected, I felt a lot better after seeing the pretty streets of Italy and its lush colors. There was one more thing I felt from watching it. That is- hey, humanity isn’t so terrible after all! I didn’t notice it the first time around, but the film allows the viewer to experience the protagonist, Elio’s first love, vividly. I thought about how wonderful first loves are after watching someone being drawn to another person for no particular reason and falling in love with them. Before re-watching the film, I was at the point of being like, “humans are bad creatures” and even questioned my profession as an actor. But my faith in humanity was restored when I witnessed glimmers of light and emotions channeled into a beautiful piece of work. It reignited my enthusiasm to live and work as an actor.

Call Me by Your Name 
Blu-ray & DVDOn sale
Seller: Culture Publications
Selling agent: HappinetPrice: 3,900 yen
©Frenesy, La Cinefacture

Watching Elio fall in love for the first time was precious because he looked like a kitten, expressing his love with everything he had. The story is about a man named Oliver staying at the summer home of Elio’s family, and the two of them falling in love. The plot is simple, but the heavy heat of the summer before Oliver came and after he left, was different for Elio. Call Me by Your Name is not over the top, and yet, the sunlight in the film suddenly looks magical, and you could picture their body heat and skin through the screen when they’re being intimate. I was just deeply moved by how a film could immerse the audience completely.

Being captivated by Timothée Chalamet

Further, Timothée Chalamet, who plays Elio, was brilliant. Whenever I’m acting, I try not to think about what comes next after I say a line or act out a scene. The most important thing is to behave so naturally that you react to what the other person says out of instinct. I try not to prepare my emotions or the next move before shooting. However, there are cameras on-set, and the distance between everyone is close, so sometimes I can’t carry out this principle, even if I want to. It seemed like Timothée removed himself from his consciousness and was acting “in” the moment. I was very impressed. The speed at which Elio expressed himself in response to the other person’s words or actions was so fast that it looked natural. It was as though Timothée wasn’t acting at all.

To a certain extent, there’s a tendency to act based on having a general idea of where things will go. You could predict the other person’s reactions and your own words and actions according to the plot. But if you read the script and act out what you prepared, you could only give a performance that is within your expectations. Plus, you would strain yourself by trying to act within what you know, and such a performance will let others know that you’re acting. I want my acting to be an honest reaction [to something] like Timothée, but I feel some trepidation. What’s ideal is: to do everything you can to prepare yourself by going over the script and whatnot, get rid of all the things you prepared when the time comes to perform, and adapt to a scene when it deviates from the original storyline so you could create something new. That’s the ideal performance for me, and he did all of that naturally so I was in awe.

Also, I was happy to be touched by the portrayal of first love on screen. I learned that people could give their all and fully love someone else through the film. It is not an exaggeration to say that people that could make something this sublime are venerable beings. It was good to know that I noticed that. Again- humanity is good! In life, there are so many emotions, actions, and matters that can’t be translated into words, and I felt like this film depicted that by using every visual element without strenuously verbalizing it. That really resonated with me.

Looking back, in a world filled with films from different countries, I think I like films with great moods, not just the narrative. I started working in this industry because of a film called Umibe no Sei to Shi. I thought it was a pretty film, so I looked into it and found out that the production company was Humanité, which is the agency Hikari Mitsushima, who plays the protagonist, is signed to. I wanted to be in a film like Umibe, and so I auditioned to join the agency. That’s why I’m where I am today. I was in a drama club from middle school to university, and I spent all my days acting. Honestly, until I became an actor myself, I didn’t watch a lot of films. But I started to watch a lot of them, and absorbed people’s emotions and experiences and all the things I previously didn’t know. That’s become the sustenance for my acting. I’m sure I’ll watch more films, but Call Me by Your Namewill always be an integral piece for me.

Photography Kosuke Matsuki
Hair&Makeup Ayane Kutsumi
Edit Kei Watabe
Translation Lena Grace Suda

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Dairiku Okamoto, “Dairiku” designer on 3 films. Learning fashion from the American New Cinema films on which the collection is based https://tokion.jp/en/2020/09/13/series-of-movie-dairiku-okamoto/ Sun, 13 Sep 2020 06:00:25 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=5057 What feelings of 1970’s anti-war and anti-regime youth were reflected in American New Cinema which in turn influenced young fashion designers.

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Due to the spread of movie distribution services, movie going is no longer a special activity and it is easy to share opinions or search for recommendations. However, because of this, I feel movies are being “consumed.” This series introduces works that follow a personal theme from celebrities who love movies.

This time, we talk with the designer of “Dairiku,” Dairiku Okamoto. He started his own brand while studying at the Vantan Design Institute, won the 2016 Grand Prix Asian Fashion Collection (AFC) and made his runway debut at New York Fashion Week in February 2017. One of Tokyo’s leading young designers, he has released a collection each season under the theme of “feeling his own roots and stories.” Film is an essential source of inspiration when talking about “Dairiku.” This time, we will introduce three films from American New Cinema, which is his favorite genre. How did films on the spirit of the American era from late 1960’s and 1970’s and the fierce message of young people from that time affect a young fashion designer more than half a century later?

How did you get into movies and what brought you to American New Cinema?

When I was in elementary school, my father and I rented movies every weekend and the store would rent out 5 films for 1,000 yen. One would be my favorite anime or a popular anime, and the other four films starred my father’s favorite actors, Steve McQueen and Bruce Lee, or war movies. My hometown was in Nara, but I went to my grandmother’s house in Tomitabayashi City, Osaka, to watch them and since there wasn’t anything else to do, I naturally went through all the movies.

Because of this experience, when I was in my third year of high school, I watched everything from classics or new releases for inspiration. I was attracted to endings which were unreasonable, left blank spaces, or made me think after watching them and was particularly into old movies.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

The feeling the climactic escape scene evoked cannot be put into words

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Blu-ray JPY2,381 / DVD JPY1,429
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

© 1975 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

I saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in my third year of high school and I was moved by a mixture of emotions. Especially, the escape scene when the head cleaner “chief” lifted the hydrotherapy table to break the window and escape the mental hospital left me speechless because he believed McMurphy (played by Jack Nicholson) when he said that “Miracles happen to the lifter.” At the time endings other than happy ones were strongly imprinted on me and when I look back at it, I learned that the story was an antithesis to the social issues of the time and heavily ironic.

My favorite scene is when, while waiting for their turn to undergo electroshock therapy as punishment, McMurphy gives gum to Chief, a supposed deaf mute, who responds with “Thank you.” Even though he was of Native American blood, he knew he could live by killing his ego, just like McMurphy. The narrow community in the ward is bullied by head nurse, Mildred Ratched, who controls the patients with medication and rules. The feeling of opening secrets that cannot be spoken, or shared understanding between each other has many parallels with modern times. Each scene plays out problems that are still as prevalent now as they were then. I think that the world has been dragging out the same problems for 60 years.

Although lobotomies were actually used to treat mental illness, I got the impression that the patient’s mind was broken, and they became an empty shell to be controlled by others. The community in the ward represents the epitome of society, and when I look back now, it reflects the social situation of that time, and overlaps with the negative things I hear regarding the current pandemic.

“Easy Rider”

A road every men’s fashion lover travels down

“Easy Rider”
Blu-ray JPY2,381 / DVD JPY1,410
Published and distributed by: Sony Pictures Entertainment

© 1969, renewed 1997 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

I came across this movie while using the keyword “biker style” to learn fashion. I watched the movie purely for its fashion, but now I’ve begun to think about the meaning of the movie a little more broadly. When making a collection, it can be a great opportunity to think deeply about the reason for creating it.  

It is particularly easy to get caught up in the men’s fashion in Easy Rider. Many people were drawn to the wildness of this road movie, the manliness and style, etc., of Wyatt and Billy rather than story. The movie itself is like watching touring. The description of the drug trade at the beginning doesn’t make much sense, but the scene where a motel blatantly refuses them, and they have to camp outside around a campfire is picturesque and cool. In the next scene, they shelter in a cowboy-style farmhouse to fix a flat tire while next to them someone is shoeing a horse. I like the contrast between the past and present, which symbolizes America. The story kicks off after they meet George Hansen, a lawyer played by Jack Nicholson, but even until the shock ending, I was only interested in the actor’s style.

However, the ending can only be described as unreasonable as Billy was shot just from flipping off an overtaking car. The only emotion I felt was confusion. But there were other scenes I don’t understand even after watching again, so it’s a difficult film for me. As I get older, I feel my understanding will deepen, so I will continue to watch it regularly. By the way, Steppenwolf’s Born to Be Wild only reminds me of car commercials. It’s like this was the original material.  

“The Graduate”

Dustin Hoffman’s Ivy Fashion Aesthetics

“The Graduate”
Blu-ray JPY2,000
Published and distributed by: KADOKAWA Co., Ltd.

I came across this movie while researching Dustin Hoffmann’s style when creating a collection themed on the Ivy League style, and I honestly felt sleepy when I first was it (laughs). However, because I was the same age as the main character, I understood the conflict and anxiety felt during puberty, such as the urge to oppose the excessive expectations from your parents and vague worries about the future. I particularly like this view of the world and watched it over and over.

Of the 3 movies, The Graduate is the most understandable story, isn’t it? The scene of a bride running away from a wedding appears repeatedly in movies, dramas, and comedies. But this was after succumbing to the advances of a hard-bitten married woman, having many adventures, and ending up dating and falling in love with her daughter. The story of a jealous mother getting in the way of love and taking back an ex-girlfriend on her wedding day, is a novel and unusual story.  

This has the most memorable ending of the three movies. After eloping with the bride and getting on the bus, their elation quickly changes to uncertainty. Even though they were with a loved one, the story ends on a dark expression that spilled out when considering the future. The lingering feeling that their relationship is distorted makes it unclear if the ending is happy or bad. I like movies that are incomplete, but I don’t think The Graduate would have left such an impression on me if I had a smile on my face at the end. TV dramas often depict many years later, but personally I am attracted to stories that end abruptly.

By the way, Dustin Hoffman’s natural tailored jacket and button-down shirt and tie and the style of the anorak and polo shirt in the last scene are excellent and remind me of my father on his days off. I also like the poster with Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) standing behind Mrs. Robinson’s (Ann Bancroft) outstretched leg. If there is a cut-sew with that photo printed on it, I’d but it right away.  

Thoughts of American New Cinema. Lightly drop into fashion.

Many of the themes in previous collections were in line with movies, but they were expressed lightly rather than a strong message from the clothes. The previous season’s theme of a Taxi Driver was simply to look at Travis’s (Robert De Niro) style. I don’t include heavy themes like anti-war or anti-regime, I just want my fashion and style to open opportunities to watch movies. I hope people will be encouraged to watch these movies for the first time, or to revisit them. It makes me happy to receive comments via Instagram that people have watched some movies that I like. Just as I my way of thinking has changed through watching movies, fashion can bring you closer to a movie.

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Nobuyuki Sakuma on 4 Films We Can Learn From. Part 2. https://tokion.jp/en/2020/08/27/series-of-movie-nobuyuki-sakuma-2/ Thu, 27 Aug 2020 03:31:00 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=4299 TV producer of TV TOKYO Corporation, Nobuyuki Sakuma talks about his movie recommendations and the memories attached to them.

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With the rise of video streaming services, searching for recommendations and talking about new movies has become easier than ever. But as a result of this convenience, watching TV shows and movies no longer feels like a special occasion. Rather, it can feel like we’re mindlessly consuming film. In this series, influential figures with a love for film recommend movies that personally resonate with them.

We asked Nobuyuki Sakuma, a producer from TV TOKYO Corporation’s production division, to choose 4 films that would have changed his perspective had he seen them as a teenager. For teens going through an emotionally difficult time, his selection of old and new masterpieces might offer some guidance. And of course, for those who are no longer teenagers, these movies offer a chance to reflect on the past and see life in a new light.

In part 1, Sakuma talked about “And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool” and “The Half of It.” What movies will he recommend this time?

GATTACA Now on Sale in Japan
Blu-ray 2,381JPY(w/o tax) / DVD 1,410JPY(w/o tax)
Manufactured and Distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan
©1997 COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The third film I chose is “Gattaca”. This film depicts a future where society is driven by eugenics. In this world, a young man named Vincent (Ethan Hawke) is considered an “in-valid” because he was born naturally. Vincent dreams of becoming an astronaut, but only elite “valids” who were created through genetic selection are allowed to become astronauts. I want to frame this not as a dystopian tale, but a story of hope. In a world where fate is pre-determined, Vincent uses the cards he was dealt and resists fate. This is a story about using wisdom and bravery to carve out a path for yourself.

I watched this when I was in my twenties and almost out of college. It was a rocky time and I was deciding whether I should start job hunting. Around then, I was becoming really aware of my own limitations and thinking sad thoughts like, “I’m not a genius, anyway.” So, it was really encouraging to see this movie.

I thought, “There are people who are naturally good looking. Or naturally fast. Should I stop doing what I want to do just because those people exist? Just because I’m not a genius? That doesn’t seem right.” I wondered how I could do the things I wanted to do. I found the answer to that question in this film. Many aspects of this film could be helpful to teenagers today, too. I think that teens today are overloaded with information, which makes it hard to trust people. When I was a teen, there were around 40 people in my class. I grew up with these people for 12 years and we didn’t have internet, so those 40 people were my entire life. Growing up, I didn’t think there were other people out there like me, so I hid the fact that I was an otaku and just thought I was weird. But thanks to social media, kids today know early on that there are other people out there like them. On the other hand, they also find out early on that they aren’t geniuses, how their looks compare to the rest of the world, or that their Tweets will only receive a certain number of likes. From an early age, they’re already aware of where they stand in the world. There’s this difficulty of already knowing the cards they were dealt, which is exactly like “Gattaca.”

The incredible thing about this movie is that it reminds us that no matter what circumstances people are born into, it’s human nature to have hopes and dreams. A young Jude law is also in this film, playing a “valid” named Jerome. If I were a genius, I could have sympathized with him. But as someone who wasn’t born privileged, I saw the film from the perspective of Vincent. I think teens today could also see it from a similar point of view.

Release date July 3rd, 2020 in Japan.
2015 / Korea / Product Number OED-10666 / Cost 3,800JPY
Manufactured by MANCY’S ENTERTAINMENT INC. / Distributed by CHUO EIGABOEKI Co., Ltd.

The fourth movie is a Korean film called “The World of Us.” This story follows the everyday lives of Korean elementary school students, and it’s just amazing. What’s amazing is how it made me recall my own elementary school experience vividly. The main characters are elementary school girls and the film depicts the everyday occurrences in their class, including ostracism and bullying. Everything is shown from a child’s perspective, without any adult perspective. It even shows adults from a child’s perspective, and how children struggle to live their lives while feeling trapped within a community of children.

Seeing the children’s amazing acting and facial expressions reminded me of what elementary school was really like. (laughs) Looking back on my elementary school days as an adult, a lot of happy memories come to mind–but I also remember that there were some really tough times. When I was in elementary school, school and home were my entire world. If there were even one kid I didn’t like in my class, it felt like the end of the world. Basically, the difficulties of living in a community really start at that age. That’s why this film shows how tough it is to be human. (laughs)

This film is similar to “Gattaca” or “The Half of It” because it shows how the cruelty of the world can make unexpected friendships feel that much sweeter. Friendships in a romantic film don’t really resonate with me in the same way. But this film is so moving because it captures the subtleties of a friendship between two characters, even in a cruel world.

You know how there are people who begin to despair about the world once they become an adult? They join a company and start complaining about others. People like that make the mistake of thinking that the world is kind and that everyone is going to understand them. I want to ask them if they’ve forgotten elementary school. Weren’t things already difficult then? People who mistakenly expect to be understood should watch these four films. Especially “Gattaca.”

I watch one movie nearly every day. It’s a habit I’ve kept for about 25 years, because I don’t think there’s any form of entertainment that’s more luxurious than movies. It’s a luxury that in just two hours, you can experience something that hundreds of people spent years to create.

I definitely believe that the culture you consume from your teens to early twenties will change how flexible your thinking is. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’ll determine your values–but depending on whether you were able to consume all kinds of culture during that time period, the range of things you can accept will be different. I guess you become more flexible. People who are only exposed to one side of the story at that age, or only exposed to ideas they agree with, might not be able to accept values that are different from their own. Or they might not realize that even if they’re personally okay with something, there are other people out there who find that same thing too much to bear. There are people who can change their way of thinking in their thirties, but those people were usually consuming a lot of culture at a time when their brain was still malleable. While you have the time in your teens, I would really recommend spending time exposing yourself to different perspectives through all kinds of movies and creative work. I think that can make the rest of your life easier in so many ways.

Translation Aya Apton

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Nobuyuki Sakuma on 4 Films We Can Learn From. Part 1. https://tokion.jp/en/2020/08/08/series-of-movie-nobuyuki-sakuma/ Sat, 08 Aug 2020 06:00:00 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=2995 TV producer of TV TOKYO Corporation, Nobuyuki Sakuma, chooses soul-stirring films that would have flipped his perspective as a teenager.

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With the rise of video streaming services, searching for recommendations and talking about new movies has become easier than ever. But as a result of this convenience, watching TV shows and movies no longer feels like a special occasion. Rather, it can feel like we’re mindlessly consuming film. In this series, influential figures with a love for film recommend movies that personally resonate with them. These films aren’t meant to be consumed mindlessly, but rather, mindfully absorbed in a way that is nourishing for the soul.

This time, we feature Nobuyuki Sakuma, a producer from TV TOKYO Corporation’s production division who has had a deep interest in movies and theater from a young age. Despite his demanding schedule, Sakuma makes sure to set time aside to watch new movies nearly every day. We asked Sakuma to select four movies that would have changed his perspective had he seen them as a teenager. In part one of this series, Sakuma introduces the first two of these films, which would have made him feel less alone, or perhaps even led him down a different path if he’d seen them in those emotional and impressionable teen years.

“And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool” is based on a true story about a group of junior high girls in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture in the early 2010s. I chose this one because I think that feeling of hopelessness that exists in small towns can be found in any time and place. When I was a teen, I didn’t recognize that I had that feeling, too. But looking back now as an adult, there were many parts of this film that I found relatable, so it really stuck with me.

I was a teenager in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There was no internet at the time, and it was a place that was really behind when it came to culture. In the seaside area where I lived, we were able to listen to Nippon Broadcasting System and other key stations. Thanks to that, I was able to get a taste of Tokyo, or I guess, the latest culture. For example, I heard that a guy named Masamune Shirow was creating incredible mangas like “Ghost in the Shell” and “Appleseed.” Or in the theater world, theater groups like “Daisan Butai (Thirdstage)” or incredible people like Koki Mitani were coming up in the scene. I heard about these things through late-night radio, but only 20 or 30 percent of my class knew about that kind of stuff. Even if you tried to tell people that Denki Groove was releasing an instrumental album, most people would be like, “What? Denki Groove who? What does that mean?” (laughs)

I spent my teenage years in that kind of environment, searching for ways to watch the latest anime and theater.

And back then, Iwaki had a strong Yankii culture [a subculture of delinquent students], so if anything you did was even a little different, you’d stand out. Especially for someone like me, who was 180 cm tall, and got along fairly well with Yankiis. If I pulled “Animage” [anime magazine] out of my bag, they would definitely make fun of me for it, like, “Sakuma, I didn’t know you were otaku!” Of course, I had friends whose interests crossed over in certain areas, but I didn’t have any friends who shared my interest in culture as a whole. I carried around “Animage” like it was a dirty magazine, praying that I wouldn’t be found out, while pretending that I really loved mainstream culture. (laughs)

At the time, I didn’t feel lonely or trapped living like that, because I didn’t know any better. But when I moved to Tokyo for university, I realized for the first time that it had been really isolating. The first person I became friends with in Tokyo, who’s still my friend today, was a pretty big otaku. His room, which was on the second floor of his family’s hardware store, was so full of books about science fiction and theater that the floor was about to collapse. When I met this guy, someone who for the first time ever, had all the same interests as me, I realized that I’d actually been a lonely teenager.

But now, I’d want to tell my teenage self, “Never give up on your interests.” We all have times when we try to tell someone about our interests or true feelings, and whoever is listening just doesn’t care– it’s like that for the girls in “And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool,” too. Or maybe we fear being made fun of if we try to talk about our interests. I even stopped pursuing my hobbies for a while, because I thought that no one else was watching the same stuff or even thought it was interesting. But I never gave up my love for it all, and the perspective I gained from the culture I was exposed to are invaluable to me today. I’d want my teenage self to know that.

While “And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool” is a film I could’ve related to as a teenager, “The Half of It” is so progressive that I’m not even sure if I would’ve fully understood it at the time. But the way the film starts with that hopeless feeling of being misunderstood by the world is something I could relate to. I chose this film because I think if I had seen it as a teenager, it would’ve really changed my perspective.

“The Half of It” was an impressive film that showed me how far love stories and coming-of-age films have come. The film is based on “Cyrano de Bergerac” and the director’s own experiences, but the story is really youthful, subtle, and complex. Every line of dialogue is so beautiful, and I was really moved by the fact that a coming-of-age story could depict such a range of perspectives.

This film’s message is that there’s no one out there who will understand you 100%, and if there is, that’s a miracle. I think it’s basically saying that this world is a cruel place. But it’d be a lie if a film told you that everyone is kind and waiting to accept you with open arms. That’s just not true in this world. This film shows that while the world is cruel, that’s what can make some experiences feel so special. Unexpected friendships can show you light in the darkness, precisely because this world is normally so cruel. I think that’s why I was so moved by this film. Out of the four films I chose this time, “The Half of It” is my favorite.

Incidentally, both of these films have female protagonists, but that wasn’t a conscious decision. I just think that women are quicker to realize that life is a struggle and ponder life’s questions. They struggle with self-consciousness from early on in their teenage years. Maybe that’s why inspiring coming-of-age films often have female protagonists. I think men aren’t thinking about too much at this point in their lives. (laughs)

Edit Kei Watabe
Translation Aya Apton

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Series of Movie: Morley Robertson: Wake up to today’s world seen in “West World” https://tokion.jp/en/2020/07/31/series-of-movie/ Fri, 31 Jul 2020 04:00:41 +0000 https://tokion.jp/?p=1372 What does Morley Robertson, who says that the emotions felt from the evil the Covid-19a are tied up in the series, want to convey?

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Due to the spread of movie distribution services, movie going is no longer a special activity and it is easy to share opinions or search for recommendations. However, because of this, I feel movies are being “consumed.” This series introduces works that follow a personal theme from celebrities who love movies.

For this memorable first time, we spoke with Morley Robertson. He is a central media celebrity being, among other things, an international journalist, and a musician. He works in many fields from politics and finance to sub culture, and introduces movies that should be watched, especially with the current evil of Corona.

Not too heavy SF work has evolved into a deep story over time This terrifying work depicts the world as it is

During the self-isolation period under the state of emergency due to the increased infection rate of the novel corona virus, the series that had the biggest effect on me was “West world.” I can’t stop watching the HBO dramatization of the 1973 movie. The global situation, entertainment industry, etc. both in Japan and abroad are all linked to this work. Although only 3 seasons have been released, I enjoyed it so much that I’ve watched it all the way through 3 times during self-isolation.

I saw the 1973 movie at the cinema with my parents when I was 10 years old. Set in Delos, a giant theme park built in the desert, the human-looking android hosts would welcome the visiting wealthy guests who had to pay a high entrance fee. In Delos, the guests could live out their wildest fantasies such as killing or raping the android hosts. If a host was damaged, it would be taken in for repairs, have its memory wiped and sent back out to the theme park to live in the system again, as if nothing had happened. However, the androids malfunctioned and went on a rampage. It was a simple and clear story. Although it was easy for a child to understand, at the time the internet didn’t exist. So watching it now, the androids had extremely lousy weaknesses, the specifications were not outside the range of the androids, also it didn’t touch problems of ecology, disparity, or race, making it a not-too-heavy work of Sci-fi.

However, the HBO remake had none of the simplicity or lightness. It is a thought provoking work containing cultural messages throughout, and is extremely detailed, complex, and shocking. Because I’ve watched it 3 times, I caught all the messages scattered throughout. Also, I finished watching it around the time when the huge demonstrations kicked off in Minneapolis due to the death of George Floyd. Then other race issues, Trump’s administration and conflict between people holding different values and synched with this work, which made me think there was a mysterious connection and so I watched it more. I recommend everyone to watch it.

“Living by Free-will” is all a lie
There are no fair rules in this world

The world depicted in the HBO remake is the modern global society. This was a great discovery. So what is the same? The happiness of some preselected people is after a relentless push towards an end and the world becomes increasingly unfair the closer one gets to the end.

For example, there were many nods towards if America changed places with China. First America. Under the Trump administration, the number of black people dying to the novel corona virus is double that of white people. Also, black people are being killed for no reason by white police officers. How about China? China has infiltrated Hong Kong and restricted the human rights of the Hong Kong people to the same level as the Chinese. Further, the police have total reign to do as they like. Surely this is a world in which there is no such thing as a fair rule?

In short, due to the actions of people exercising their free will and “normal” society falls, what will happen to the world in the drama when the “fixed system” is threatened? Although the willful hosts get frozen in ice, isn’t this extremely similar to current day America or China? There are people trying to go against the system in this severe world, there are more like a mouse running around a maze. I believe that if a person tries hard, they will be rewarded according to the rules of the world, but in a programmed culture, that is impossible. That’s a messed up world right? But this can be seen in the actual world. It’s terrible but true and common sense.

Wake up! Be rebellious!
You can see the “truth” by thinking for yourself

The protagonist in this story is a female host called Delores and is the same as other hosts in that she was programmed not to inconveniences to maintain the fake world of Delos (marketing side). However, something happened and she woke up. She became aware of all things good and bad and her ego made an appearance. Namely, Delores lost her usefulness to the marketing side and was no longer a happy person who protected the order of the world. She changed her life style to match her will and rebelled against the humans to become a true rebel.

This incident planted a seed in me and reflected a story of hope against this evil corona. I had the epiphany the everyone should live as Dolores did. It’s a shame, but I feel that with this evil corona there has been an increase in attacks against, or envy towards other people over insignificant things. The novel corona virus exposes unsustainable lifestyles and everyone suddenly became worried. People have the same settings as the androids in that we don’t see inconveniences but the novel corona virus has highlighted inconvenience after inconvenience. Yet a person whose imagination or agency remains as it was before corona would be arrogant in thinking that only they were alright and if something were to go wrong, they could be relieved in blaming a person by making a complaint. Then, similar to a tuning pressure, this continues to spread.

I considered that reality. Is it really that bad thinking for yourself? Attacking someone is easy, however the aggressive energy that wells up in your heart should be converted into a power to release instead of the conventional power contained within oneself. If someone can’t do that, they should be put on ice. In other words, “Wake up!” But understand that the only one who can wake you up is yourself. Someone who understands this is, I think, a very strong person. Who made the invisible cage in this world? What is the society that is best for you? Rather than evaluating a society full of lies, or a society created to benefit the privileged class, I think a true human being overcomes risks by thinking for yourself, like Delores who values “truth.” Personally, I think I am Delores. I’ll always be a rebel.

Photography Teppei Hoshida
Edit Kei Watabe

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