Some news

[Mirjam/Roger Fischer]

>_Ikinai_, a film directed by Kitano AD Suzuki Hiroshi and written by 
>Dankan (star of _Minna yatteru ka?_, _Chinpira_, and other films), was 
>awarded the Ecumenical Prize at the Locarno Festival in Switzerland.  It 
>is the first film produced by Office Kitano that is not directed by 
>Kitano.
>
>_Pride_ apparently got its international premiere at the Brisbane Film 
>Festival.  Anybody see it there who could comment on reactions? 


I saw Ikinai at the Locarno Film Festival on the Piazza Grande (therefore
about 6000 people saw it with me). It's interesting that there is a play on
the Kurosawa title, because in the film they play a game (I don't know its
name in japanese) where you pass from one word to another by changing the
syllables. You certainly know what's the game's name.

There's another game with a red thread, that you pass from your
fingers/hands to your partner's. In the film it seems to be some symbol for
destiny, whereas the passing of words symbolizes the passing of life from
one generation to the other. Even if there is no clear signification, it
strikes you as a symbol. It's just to important as to be a simple detail.

Anyway this word passing game is initiated by the girl who wants to live at
the beginning of the film and the last word of that same game is uttered by
the other young woman near the end of the film. The last word is "child"
and changes for a decisive moment the trip of the suicide candidates.
 
The film is very bleak even if there are some moments that make you laugh.
It's really a trip to death. You don't see flashbacks of the suicide
candidates (as they have all great debts, they want money from their
insurance companys for their families) and I appreciated that very much.
Any Hollywood movie would have indulged in flashbacks. At the end the film
is rather bitter - Destiny strikes again.

Suzuki Hiroshi's film resembles very much a Kitano movie, but it lacks the
peculiar Kitano rhythm. If you had to compare it to one Kitano movie, it
would be to "Kids Return" and not to "Sonatine" or "Hana-Bi". As for "Kids
Return", it's a movie, that's more interesting on a sociological level than
as art.

Maybe I will write more some other time. Forgive me my english.

Best regards

Roger Fischer











 There's 
>a review of it on Yahoo:
>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/en/story.html?s=v/nm/19980817/en/revie
>w-film-pride_2.html
>
>Aaron Gerow
>Yokohama National University
>KineJapan list owner
>For list commands: send "information kinejapan" to 
>listserver at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>Kinema Club: http://pears.lib.ohio-state.edu/Markus/Welcome.html
>
>
>


Miriam Fischer Roger Fischer
mrfischer at access.ch
Tel. 01 401 36 39