Michael Kerpan wrote:I've done some research in Japanese customs -- and it sure seems like this kind of invitation is quite formulaic. It is meant in all kindness -- but with no expectation of acceptance.
"Sodeska?" (Not sure how it is spelled (the spellchecker didn't like it; but that's how it sounds to me when I hear it said in Ozu and Naruse films. I think it means "Is that so?")
Two years ago, someone suggested that fans on this forum meet in Seattle to discuss Ozu's films. I then suggested that you haul your Ozu collection along. You said that Seattle was too far and that should any of us ever be in town, you would be glad to let us see any of the Ozu films in your collection. Don't know if you had started your research in Japanese customs at that time.
Highlights of Week 4:
Daughters, Wives, Mothers: It's so unusual (almost unreal) to see Setsuko Hara and Hideko Takamine next to each other in some of the scenes and interacting with each other. Early in the film, I wondered how the characters that they play would turn out to be (good or bad) and how these two giants of classic Japanese cinema would be treated. It turns out that both played good-hearted characters and both were dealt with by Naruse with even hands and with equal respects.
Floating Clouds: As I've said before, this is a heartbreaking film. Once a heartbreaker, it's always a heartbreaker. It's the first time that I've seen people cry at this retro. A number of questions that I had when I watched the Toho DVD have now been answered, including: (1) the Indochina country where the two lovers started their affair is Vietnam. Had I paid close attention when I watched the Toho DVD, I might have picked up the clue in the (conical) hats that the natives wear in one scene; (2) the location where Yukiko first becomes sick is Kagoshima City. This is where the couple wait, first for the storms to subside and then for Yukiko to feel a little better, before they take the one-day trip by sea to the island of Yakushima. Having seen it in real life not too long ago, I wonder why I didn't recognize Mt. Sakurajima (the volcano), standing majestically in Kagoshima Bay, when I watched the Toho DVD. That says a lot about watching a movie at home, especially without subtitles
I was able to overcome my initial dislike of the music in this film and now think that the music, strange as it sounds, is very effective in invoking the couple's memories of the past as well as carrying the story forward. My affection for this film has increased substantially after seeing it with English subtitles.
A general observation: If Ozu loved to incorporate a red kettle in his films, it can be said that Naruse loved to incorporate a short scene depicting a small group of traveling musical performers in his films. Most of Naruse's films that I've seen have this scene in them. For a few that do not, Naruse instead used a scene depicting some kind of festival with musical performance. For instance, in
Husband and Wife, he used a procession of some kind of festival that makes its way through the neighborhoods at night. In
Floating Clouds, he used a lion dance scene. The music that the small group of traveling performers play (in most of the films) is always the same. You can't miss it if you pay attention. In
Sudden Rain, for once, I think Naruse was teasing the audience when
that music is heard (whenever Setsuko Hara goes into town (or the market)) but the performers are not shown.
