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<DIV>Sorry for using “theme” and “plot” as if they were interchangeable. Not
what I meant. But if Kiarostami does take on a hackneyed plot device and does
his usual great work, does that mean I should necessarily be more interested in
seeing the film? Perhaps . . . definitely if I’m an auteurist. I could just go
re-watch Werkmeister Harmonies if the visual arts are the only value I’m after.
Story is important to me. Theme and plot are important to me, and whether the
production team (not simply the director) can communicate those things visually.
Concerns, like matters related to cultural issues many of my critic friends cast
aside as unimportant are important to me. I don’t watch Borzage. It’s about my
choice as a consumer, not as a critic.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It isn’t simply that he chose <EM>a</EM> hackneyed plot device, this is
case specific. Why <EM>this </EM>one? </DIV>
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<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=brokerharris@gmail.com
href="mailto:brokerharris@gmail.com">Mark R. Harris</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 19, 2012 2:53 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Japan in Cannes</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">I
find your last sentence interesting, because <B>it</B> suggests that art is
primarily thematic, and I somehow doubt you mean that. Surely there are many
instances of gifted directors taking hackneyed themes and "adding" quite a lot
through their overall visualization, mise-en-scene, editing, direction of
actors, etc. With some directors - Frank Borzage comes to mind - that is where
there primary interest lies. Surely Japanese cinema <B>in particular</B> abounds
in directors whose remarkability hasn't much to do with their deliberately
unremarkable choice of subject matter.<BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 1:42 PM, Mark Mays <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:tetsuwan@comcast.net">tetsuwan@comcast.net</A>></SPAN>
wrote:<BR>
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<DIV>I must see the film to judge it on its quality. I don’t have to see a
film to say I’m unimpressed about the subject matter; yet another go at a
topic that’s been done to death, even if it is Kiarostami. And to answer
another question, given the plot involves the student in question meeting an
elderly man who shows her kind treatment really suggests there’s nothing the
director will add. </DIV>
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: rgb(245,245,245)">
<DIV><B>From:</B> <A title=brokerharris@gmail.com
href="mailto:brokerharris@gmail.com" target=_blank>Mark R. Harris</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 19, 2012 2:26 PM</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV class=h5>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu"
target=_blank>KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Japan in Cannes</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV class=h5>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">Why
all the negativity about a film that hasn't been seen yet? <BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Michael Kerpan <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A href="mailto:mekerpan@verizon.net"
target=_blank>mekerpan@verizon.net</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
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<DIV><SPAN>Does Kiarostami have anything new or different to say (or show
us) about the topic?<VAR></VAR><BR></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV
style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman,new york,times,serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
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style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 0pt; MARGIN: 5px 0px; MIN-HEIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-TOP: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
readonly></DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Mark Mays
<<A href="mailto:tetsuwan@comcast.net"
target=_blank>tetsuwan@comcast.net</A>><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> <A
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu"
target=_blank>KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A> <BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Thursday, April 19, 2012 3:04 PM
<DIV>
<DIV><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Japan in
Cannes<BR></DIV></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<DIV>Was disappointed to hear about the Kiarostami, frankly. Brilliant
director but how many more times must we round the enjyo kosai poll . . . er
so to speak.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=3 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: rgb(245,245,245)">
<DIV><B>From:</B> <A title=brokerharris@gmail.com
href="mailto:brokerharris@gmail.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank>Mark R.
Harris</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 19, 2012 1:09 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu" rel=nofollow
target=_blank>KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Japan in Cannes</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">It's
a big day for Korea, since both Im and Hong got spots in the main
competition, and they are the only East Asian directors to do so.
Weerasethakul's film was relegated to a Special Screening, a bit of a
surprise perhaps after his recent Palme d'Or win.<BR><BR>Mark R.
Harris<BR><BR>
<DIV>On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 11:46 AM, Mark Nornes <SPAN dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:amnornes@umich.edu" rel=nofollow
target=_blank>amnornes@umich.edu</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
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<DIV style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">The Cannes lineup was announced.
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The only Japanese film in competition is directed by Kiarostami,
sorry to say. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Un Certain Regard will future Wakamatsu's regrettably titled <I>11.25
The Day He Chose His Own Fate. </I></DIV>
<DIV><I><BR></I></DIV>
<DIV>Finally, there is a midnight screening of <I>The Legend of Love &
Sincerity, </I>by Miike. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Not a good year for Japan. Other Asian directors that got slots
include Apichatpong Weerasethakul, You Ye, Ashim Ahluwalia, Im Sang-soo,
and Hong Sang-soo. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Markus</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
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<DIV>_________________________________</DIV>
<DIV><B>A. M. Nornes</B></DIV>
<DIV><B>Chair, </B><B>Department of Screen Arts and Cultures</B></DIV>
<DIV><B>Professor, Department of Asian Languages & Cultures</B></DIV>
<DIV><B>Professor, School of Art & Design</B></DIV>
<DIV><B>University of Michigan</B></DIV>
<DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">
<DIV><B>North Quad 6F, 105 S. State Street</B></DIV>
<DIV><B>Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1608</B></DIV>
<DIV><B>Phone: 734-763-1314</B></DIV>
<DIV><B>FAX: 734-936-1846</B></DIV></SPAN></B></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></SPAN></DIV></DIV></SPAN><BR></DIV></DIV></SPAN></DIV></DIV></SPAN><BR></DIV></SPAN><BR></DIV></SPAN><BR></DIV></SPAN><BR></SPAN><BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR clear=all><BR>--
<BR>
<DIV>Mark R. Harris<BR></DIV>
<DIV>Profesor de humanidades</DIV>
<DIV>Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Sinaloa</DIV>
<DIV>Blvd. Pedro Infante 3773</DIV>
<DIV>Culiacan, CP 80100, Sinaloa, Mexico</DIV>
<DIV>+52 (667) 759-1600</DIV><A href="mailto:mark_r_harris@yahoo.com"
rel=nofollow target=_blank>mark_r_harris@yahoo.com</A><BR><A
href="mailto:brokerharris@gmail.com" rel=nofollow
target=_blank>brokerharris@gmail.com</A><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR
clear=all><BR>-- <BR>
<DIV>Mark R. Harris<BR></DIV>
<DIV>Profesor de humanidades</DIV>
<DIV>Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Sinaloa</DIV>
<DIV>Blvd. Pedro Infante 3773</DIV>
<DIV>Culiacan, CP 80100, Sinaloa, Mexico</DIV>
<DIV>+52 (667) 759-1600</DIV><A href="mailto:mark_r_harris@yahoo.com"
target=_blank>mark_r_harris@yahoo.com</A><BR><A
href="mailto:brokerharris@gmail.com"
target=_blank>brokerharris@gmail.com</A><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR
clear=all><BR>-- <BR>
<DIV>Mark R. Harris<BR></DIV>
<DIV>Profesor de humanidades</DIV>
<DIV>Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Sinaloa</DIV>
<DIV>Blvd. Pedro Infante 3773</DIV>
<DIV>Culiacan, CP 80100, Sinaloa, Mexico</DIV>
<DIV>+52 (667) 759-1600</DIV><A href="mailto:mark_r_harris@yahoo.com"
target=_blank>mark_r_harris@yahoo.com</A><BR><A
href="mailto:brokerharris@gmail.com"
target=_blank>brokerharris@gmail.com</A><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>