themediamercenary

[themediamercenary]

I agree on the allusions to capitalism and environmental pollution which almost segueways our world with theirs.

It's not a Miyazaki film if there isn't allusions to capitalism, destruction of the environment, identity, growth, and change. And we love him for it immensely.

It's easy to think of movies like Spirited Away as nothing more than a kid's movie, but time and again powerful messages are hidden within Miyazaki's work, really making you question why animated media gets so trivialized.

I'm a Ghibli dork, I love it. While Spirited Away isn't even in my top 3 (tbh not even my top 5. I only really like the sprites and No Face...) of their movies, it's still such an important film that touches on a lot of incredible emotions. The fear of change that Chiihiro feels at the beginning is spot on to what a young child who has been uprooted is likely to feel. She's in an unknown place with unknown surroundings, it's not a surprise she freaks out the way she does. The most major aspect of this film is how a child deals with their fears--their fear of being separated from her parents, of growing up, of change, of figuring out who they are. Because identity is massive in this film. I mean, hello, there's a whole ass character named No Face. Yubaba literally steals aspects of their names, and it's Chiihiro's growth that allows her to take back her (and Haku's) identities and reclaim them. She gains confidence and autonomy by doing this. This, I feel, everyone can see in this film. It's pretty heavy handed.

Capitalism is throughout pretty much every Miyazaki film (as far as I've noticed) and this movie has it in abundance. I mean, they work in bathhouse, slaving away to the point they no longer have an identity. She has to beg for work to survive. The physical laborer's are literally hidden well beneath the lavish building they slave over. Also, hello, literal child labor? Even the clothes separate the working class from the elite--Yubaba is always lush and extravagant (while also being very ugly, a staple for Ghibli antagonists). The uniformity Chiihiro has to change into and hide her real clothes. The boiler rooms????? Hello????????? It puts a spot light on western industrialization and how dehumanizing and terrible it is. The mix of both Japanese and distinctly western influences just shows how they feel about the ever-expanding western capitalism influences into Japanese society--spoiling it and rotting it from the inside.

There is so much emphasis on over-consumption in this from the parents literally obsessively eating food they happen upon to No Face spouting their gold everywhere, the literal polluted river. The coal the sprites lug to keep the bathhouse going. The forever-baby indulging in their mom's attention and wealth with no thought to growing up or making an effort to be independent. Yubaba herself. There's so much of it.

Miyazaki is one that no one questions the greatness of, and for good reason. Dude is gifted. We still should've watched Howl's Moving Castle instead (but I know you like anti-capitalism, prof. Howls' has that too!!!!)

Recommendation: read the Howl's Moving Castle book series (trilogy?) it's very good.

[themediamercenary]

I love your takes on individuality here.

Spirited Away

This movie definitely had a very strong theme of finding oneself and staying true to yourself. In the beginning we watch Sen and her parents enter the other world, where her parents quickly give way to gluttony losing themselves to the food, inevitably turning into pigs. When they first transform they still have shreds of themselves present via the parents hair and clothing in their pig forms; however, later in the film when Sen goes to the pig pen we become lost as all the pigs look the same. We are led to believe that her parents are among the drove of pigs, but where? If they are there they no longer have their distinguishing features from before, so are they even there? Their selves were lost, and the only one who could potentially save them is their daughter Chihiro (AKA Sen), who managed to hang on to herself completely until she signed a contract with Yubaba. After she signs the contract she forgets her name until she finds a card with her name on it that she brought into the spirit realm with her. As the story progresses she is able to help reveal the truth about Haku's true identity as Kohaku river and help him escape from Yubaba, taker of names and identities.

In conjunction with the preservation of the self, this movie explores the effects of over indulgence and the effects that has on one's self. There are several examples of over indulgence completely changing people within the film, from the transformation of her parents, to the faceless one becoming this spirit eating monster, un-feeling of Sen's emotions. In the beginning it seems that the faceless one is completely enamored with Chihiro, looking to help her at any and every opportunity, but once he gains access to the bath house and indulges in its delights he changes and transforms.

He begins to eat anything and everything, becoming tyrannical in the process, throwing fits for anything that didn't go exactly his way. It takes Sen taking him away from the place of indulgence and exercising the "sickness" out of him. He offers any of the staff as much gold as they desire, but we soon realize that all of it was fake as Yubaba reveals when she is looking for her baby, Boh.

Speaking of Boh I loved his character development. He starts as a spoiled brat that gets anything he wants when he cries for it, but after Zenibaba turns him into a rat? mouse? whatever he was, he finally has to grow and deal with things on his own. It takes him from legimately being incapable of standing, to standing up on his own in defiance of Yubaba when he is standing up for Chihiro. Not only does he gain physical strength, but strength of character, focusing not only on his wants but on others as well by the end of the film. maybe with a little more training and a bit more strength he can finally reach peak "praise the sun" form.

[themediamercenary]

Spirited Away Blog

Spirited Away is easily one of Miyazaki’s many magnum opuses. Anyone could make almost any argument as to what could be Miyazaki’s best, but there’s a good reason why this film is a universal pick. It remains a poignant character and story focused fantasy, filled to the brim with immense animation and a mosaic of originality. Miyazaki unveils a new peak in storytelling with his perfection of his qualities. It takes a special kind of film to transport the audience into an intricately constructed world, but that’s exactly what Miyazaki does.

The film is about Chihiro, a 10 year old girl, who is placed out of her corporeal realm once she moves into a new neighborhood with her family, unveiling the spiritual world of Japan, with gods and monsters in plethora. Unfortunately, her parents get turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba. To free herself and her parents from this world, Chihiro takes a job in the witch’s bathhouse. Already you feel for poor Chihiro’s plight. She has to grow up and rise up to the occasion quick. Thankfully it’s her perseverance and relatability that make her a very inspiring character rather than one to be pitied with. A lot of this film’s fun is seeing the world of spiritual Japan as if through the child-like lens of Chihiro. We feel like we’re adventuring through the world alongside her. Virtually every part of her hero’s journey is perfectly constructed, even if her romance with Haku feels slightly forced. Regardless, he is a very important and turbulent catalyst in her journey. The human/dragon hybrid spirit and Chihiro guide each other out of their debts to the witch. I found Haku recalling how he saved Chihiro from drowning very intriguing. It completely recontextualizes everything. In many ways he feels like her guardian angel.

If Miyazaki had gone down with his retirement after as he had originally planned, then Miyazaki wasted no time, perhaps outdoing himself on standards that were already highest. The art is on maximum display, with an abundance of colors and lore that call back to Japanese spirits. A large part of this helped by Joe Hisaishi’s score. It guides our journey alongside Chihiro’s coming of age. We feel just as lost as her, yet just as much astonishment at this new world. In many ways, this world parallels our world, especially when it comes to the focus on environmental pollution. The spirits causing filth and pollution to the bathhouse may be symbolic of those that litter and pollute Earth. Even the infrastructural constructions we are around can cause pollution. By focusing on the environmental angle, Miyazaki effectively makes this world more relatable. Yet, it’s Chihiro’s selfless determination to protect this world alongside finding and freeing her family that remains most inspiring. She is a true hero.

[themediamercenary]

I agree on the creativity absolutely carrying the film.

on Sukiyaki Western Django - Takashi Miike (2007)

Initial Impressions

I was not expecting much going into this, thank christ lol. This was certainly an experience. There's certainly a lot to appreciate about this steaming dumpster of a film, from the creative blend of genres, styles, and cultural signifiers, to the insanely tight-paced and well-edited action. Unfortunately though, I'm not the biggest fan of films that purely serve as a source of entertainment without anything of substance to offer, so despite there being a lot to enjoy here, it didn't leave a significant impression for me.

Further Critique

The main source of enjoyment for me throughout this film was just the raw creativity on display. The use of the Heike Monogatari and the references to Django and Yojimbo among other things gave the film a very unique feel, particularly enjoyable for those who get the references (I'm a big Heike fan lol). On the same note, there were several creative uses of symbolism, like the bells, roses, and of course the colors of red and white. Of course, the shot direction and fight choreography were also extremely impressive and fun. Set design and cinematagraphy were also stellar. The production in general for this film was solid. But by far my favorite thing about this film is the dialogue. There were so many lines that had me pointing and laughing hysterically while Karin just sat there completely unamused, very good. Some of my favorites were: "SHIT OR GET OFF THE POT", "This is sukiyaki, not a damn lolipop", and "Keep it in your pants, lily-liver. The tougher man gets the girl", etc. Very good.

As far as actual critique I've got basically nothing aside from the obvious prevalence of tropes. You've got the typical "WOAH THAT CHARACTER IS THAT CHARACTER'S SON WHO'S THAT CHARACTER'S DAD!!????", the "Man with No Name" thing, the badass bitch, etc. Not much to say about that but yeah. Oh also, fucking loovvved Quentin Tarantino's performance in this. You always need at least one random white guy to spice things up a little. One critique I had was the pacing and setup at the beginning were a bit off and it took me a while to figure out what was going on.

Overall, pretty well packaged and presented garbage with a lot of cool little tidbits and silly moments. Really unfortunate how much of a fucking box office failure this film was lol. It definitely wasn't that bad... 5/10

[themediamercenary]

I enjoyed learning about the epic this is based on.

Blog Post #22: Sukiyaki Western Django by Takashi Miike

Well, that was certainly one of the movies of all time. After scrolling all the way down on the semester syllabus and investigating more into what this film was all about, I was really interested to see what this one had in store for all of us. While it did not disappoint in terms of it being nothing I expected, this film was really goofy and I did not like it. But, I will get more into that in a bit because the summary is more important right now. Takashi Miike’s Sukiyaki Western Django follows two rival gangs, the Heike and Genji clans, who fight for control of a town named "Yuta" where a mysterious treasure is said to be hidden. A lone gunman, known as "The Gunman," (woah what a crazy unique name) arrives in the town and becomes entangled in the conflict. The film blends elements of traditional westerns with Japanese culture, featuring a mix of samurai swords, gunslinging, and eccentric characters. It's a visually striking and action-packed film that pays tribute to both the western and samurai genres while adding Miike's unique flair for violence and dark humor. I thought it was really interesting and creative to almost combine Japanese culture with Western culture because it’s not something I’ve really ever seen done before, so I guess it was a cool movie to see how directors explores the tastes of worldwide audiences and how they combine to make a product for all audiences.

One thing that I thought was really interesting is how this film feels very heavily rooted in samurai films that Kurosawa made back in the 1900s. Each character having their own title felt very reminiscent of films like Yojimbo and Seven Samurai as they label the characters with their own roles. However, it also embodies many the same labeling as other modern Westerns. For example, while it isn’t a Western, Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs became a pioneer for this style of movie in Western cinema (and I thought it was even funnier that Tarantino himself even starred in the movie, what is he doing there). I liked the style that Miike embodied in this form of storytelling because it was interesting to see how each character played their role from a Japanese perspective versus an American one. These Western-esque labels are not present in Japanese film, so it was interesting to see Miike’s interpretation of it. 

Sukiyaki Western Django also draws inspiration from The Tale of the Heike, a classic Japanese epic recounting the rise and fall of the Taira clan during the late 12th century. Both narratives involve a central conflict between rival clans or factions, which was very cool to see adapted into modern media. Also, the film is known for its blending of Japanese and Western cultural elements, much like the fusion of genres seen in the film. Similarly, "The Tale of the Heike" incorporates elements of both Japanese and Chinese culture, reflecting the historical and cultural exchanges of the time. I thought it was interesting how it took a new, modern genre and mixed in some ancient elements in there too.

[themediamercenary]

Sukiyaki Western Django Blog

God this film was a mess. This film tries so hard to be some revolutionary western film, but it comes across as laughably bad. Take films like Seven Samurai that perfectly capture Western-like motifs of one small force opposing a system and the Dollars Trilogy with its wit and grit. Mikke tries to blend the distant forces for some deeper meaning that remains unseen. By doing this, the characters no longer resemble anything human. Almost everything is hyper-stylized to a degree that feels repulsive to the eyes. In fact, it feels like a poor man’s Django without expanding on its lore with all its pandering fan service and callbacks. Still some of the chaos on display is brutally entertaining, but what good is that if I can’t relate with any of these characters. Not to continue being a hater, but the color gradient here sucks. It looks like digital poop to my eyes. Mikke clearly tried hard for an almost postmodernistic Western palette, but instead of capturing the subtle nuances of such, it just feels pretentious. I get that he was going for a somewhat trashy aesthetic, but it really just looks like trash.

I guess if there are some things I enjoy I do like the setting to an extent. It does capture the unrelenting chaos of the Wild West. You really feel like these are times where just about anyone could get shot. Quentin Tarantino also has a fun cameo in here, where he smashes a block of tofu on someone’s head, which is something. The non-chronological timeline is neat at times, but it pales in comparison to other films. All the characters at least have interesting moments. This helps with the plot which is a completely toned down and uninteresting version of a person vs system narrative. I also enjoy the originality of the fight choreography. Mixing fluid swordplay with gunplay adds an edge to the film’s camp. The biggest disgrace is having the actors speak English instead of Japanese. It completely removes any emotion from the characters as they ramble. It’s very detached and easy to be lost in what anyone is saying. In one way, it adds a layer of surrealistic and unintentionally funny scenes. Still the film would’ve much more endearing in Japanese. I feel like there’s a great film buried in here. The originality is present, but there’s no substance at all.

[themediamercenary]

Great take. I enjoyed the overarching analysis of the characters.

あん - Sweet Bean

I want to start off by appreciating the double meaning of this title in English. Whether it was intentional or not I'm not entirely sure; however, when Tokue entered Sentaro's life she could have easily been described as a Sweet bean. She was very kind to not only Sentaro, but anyone she interacted with, taking every opportunity to admire and love the world around her. With a sense of sincerity with her character, she had been perfecting her sweet bean paste recipe, offering it to Sentaro and breathing life into his long cold heart. Throughout the majority of the film, Sentaro is subject to a mountain of debt. It's explained that the owner of the Dorayaki shop had paid it off, so now Sentaro owed their family, having to work and manage the stand in recompense. Initially he struggles with the Anko recipe and ends up giving up on it entirely in favor of premade Anko. He maintains himself in this sense of mediocrity, slave to the whims of his debtee and his wife. Filled with sadness and content to glumly push through his daily routine, he gives up on the Anko recipe until Tokue presses for employment.

Tokue's employment marks a shift in Sentaro's daily routine, and pushes him to value his work. When Tokue and Sentaro work to create the improved dorayaki, Sentaro for the first time is able to eat the entirety of a dorayaki, but also smiles at his customer's reactions, taking pride in their work. Similarly, the customers too benefit from Tokue's sweetness through daily conversation as she mans the shop and via her upgrade to the recipe.

With Tokue's integration into the shop and Sentaro's life, we are reminded as to why Sentaro is in this metaphorical prison in the first place, when the shop owner's wife returns to complain about Tokue and how she likely has leprosy. The shop owner's wife, (we will name her tsuma from here on) tells Sentaro that he has to fire Tokue, fearful of the stigmata surrounding leprosy, born primarily out of fear and a lack of awareness as to what it is and the treatments against it (while it is bacterial, anyone who has been using antibiotics to fight it (the recommended solution offered by the WHO starting in 1985), is no longer contagious after 3 days). In this act, Tsuma is taking the new found spark in Sentaro's life and asking him to kill all relations with it. She could have tried to help conceal Tokue's identity, or recognized that her shop was multiplicatively more popular due to Tokue's influence and fought on her behalf, but she let her fear and lack of awareness lead her to trying to re-secure the cage Sentaro found himself in.

(realizing im hitting the word count)

She finally puts the nail in the coffin when she decides to entirely remodel the shop and force her nephew into the vacancy left by Tokue's forced ejection. Tokue's influence in Sentaro's life helped him to realize the potential joy of his career and what life could be should he put his heart into it. She acts as a mother guiding him out of the whole he was in and away from an experience she too found herself in at one time in her life, ultimately leading to Sentaro going independent and starting his own Dorayaki venture.

[themediamercenary]

I enjoyed the cinematography as well and how it combines the nature and cooking.

Sweet Bean Blog Post

Compared to the other films that we have viewed in this class, Sweet Bean is one that I found to be melancholy yet relaxing, reminding me quite a lot of Tokyo Story earlier on in the semester. Similarly to Tokyo Story, Sweet Bean is a grounded emotional drama between a small cast of characters that ends in tragedy with a somber yet slightly hopeful message at the end. However, for me, I found Sweet Bean to be a tighter experience compared to Tokyo Story overall. There feels like there is less down time compared to something like Tokyo Story where there are many static shots of the background and the compositions of nature, and while Sweet Bean does have these kinds of shots as well, they feel less frequent and are placed when needed.

I also enjoyed the aesthetic of Sweet Bean greatly, as the main character of the film, Sentaro, is running a dorayaki stand in Tokyo, creating this nice atmosphere of beautiful nature shots mixed with cooking, a combination that I find particularly appealing. I was also surprised by the emotional heart of this movie, Tokue, a woman in her mid seventies who wants to help out in the stand but Sentaro initially declines this request. Tokue eventually wins Sentaro over however and shows him how to properly make bean paste for his dorayaki. The scenes with these two cooking together is delightful and makes for a very heartwarming experience. Their dynamic is the best element of the film by far and makes rewatching the film more viable and enjoyable for the audience.

Sweet Bean, much like Tokyo Story, is filmed in a very intimate manner, with lots of close-up shots of the characters in intimate spaces, particularly in the dorayaki shop since by its nature it is so small. However, this is common with Naomi Kawase’s style of filmmaking, where it is almost filmed like a documentary, which makes the audience have a connection that feels all the more personal to the world and characters. Tokue is revealed to have leprosy in the film and this feels like a significant blow to the audience since it feels like we are friends with her after spending so much time with her and Sentaro in the stand and watching them cook. Tokue is able to teach Sentaro about how to move on from his feelings of regret and being stuck in life, especially with him being stuck in a stand that he doesn’t even like the food he makes in the first place. By being able to experience joy through others with his cooking and enjoying life with the people around him, Sentaro is able to grow as a person by the end of the film, despite experiencing significant loss with Tokue.

[themediamercenary]

Sweet Bean

Being our most modern film in class, Sweet Bean is a nice change of pace. It’s nourishingly filmed like Tampopo while embracing a dramatically grounded style. Notably Naomi Kawase’s is very laid back as if you’re taking a cooking class. Despite the obstacles, I couldn’t help but smile throughout the film. A large part of this does with the main character Tokue, who is played serenely by Kirin Kiki. In fact, she’s sweeter than any of the dishes made. Her heart and soul translates nicely with the ethereal shots of Tokyo that capture its beauty in every degree. After all, her adamance on the importance of soul in whatever one does embodies this overarching menu. This essence is captured by her efforts to help Sentaro’s burdened bakery. She provides peace and comfort to someone that that only chooses stress and anger. Coincidentally, she fills a much-needed role that he never really saw coming. She helps create a purpose to his being. In return, she relives her old youth while she still can. Her passing hits hardest with the knowledge of her last few words. It’s the idea that someone’s worth lies in their being and enjoyment of the small things rather than their career that finally speaks to Sentaro. In a moment of vulnerability, Sentaro bares his ashamement  to her posthumously for injuring someone in a pub brawl. Inspired by Tokue’s mana, Sentaro attempts to change first by recognizing his problems. Although he’s still tied to the doroyaki shop, which still remains a somewhat hopeless loaned-up endeavor, Sentaro accepts his condition by enjoying the things around him. The ending is utterly bittersweet as Sentaro futilely makes dorayakis but this time he appears content.

[themediamercenary]

I found your commentary on South Africa being the only safe spot very interesting. It really solidified why they’re safe and how they could also potentially suffer the same fate.

Pulse

When watching Pulse, I kept asking myself what the message or idea was behind this movie, and it did a great job at addressing that throughout; however, there are occasional mixed signals. The message behind Pulse that the director had for the audience is that the internet is removing us from genuine human interactions. By doing so its causing everyone to be lonely and effectively become isolated in their own worlds, leading to the eventual death of their connections to humanity.

The movie establishes this idea from the very beginning when Ryosuke connects to the internet. He initially connects only to see others who are connected to the internet feeling alone. Their heads are down, and eventually, even one looks up to see the new soul who joined the system. All are connected, and all are alone. Every time we see ryosuke connect to the internet, he is met with this same sight, of individuals devoid of human connection. During the film, we even see the characters briefly talk about the effects of the internet and how, despite connecting people, the connections it makes are superficial and aren't meaningful like those found in reality.

As internet access is spreading more and more people are being labeled as missing. More are being subject to the isolation brought about by the internet and being ripped from genuine human connection. At the garden, it slowly creeps through, grabbing one person after another under the guise of being a ghost. One by one, people go to interact with a person lost to the "ghost" only for they themselves to discover the remains of their loved ones and become lost themselves. When they search for their loved ones, what they find in their search is the internet. They, too, become exposed, becoming lost to its pull.

In the end, we find that everybody is gone as the reach of the internet has become nearly global, and the only safe spot is reportedly in South Africa. This makes sense because South Africa is generally known to be behind in comparison to the rest of the world in terms of modernization. The internet's reach, while vast, is still impeded by South Africa's lack of access. The thing that is confusing here, though, is how the captain of the ship mentions that there is a signal coming from South Africa indicating its safety. Assuming that this movie is related to the expansion of the internet and the death of human connection, using a signal as a medium for establishing the safety of an area seems like quite an odd choice by the director. The captain could have said he heard a rumor about it being safe, or even that the ghosts haven't been able to make it there yet, but he chooses to indicate it via a signal. It almost makes me wonder if that's the directors way of foreboding the spread to South Africa as well as the coming lack of security for the remaining protagonist.

[themediamercenary]

Pulse

Pulse is a thought-provoking J-horror film that could not be more relevant right now. In fact, I might just enjoy it more than Ringu. It showcases the sinister consequences of the internet on alienation and suicide. This almost feels too sinister in a time now where people are more depressed than ever and addicted to their phones. So what happens when the internet is littered with ghostly forces of nature? The film answers that question nicely. It’s nonstop panic and tension that’ll leave you fearing your next FaceTime. We get on FaceTime and trust what’s on the other end which is exactly why the fear and paranoia present here is disturbing. What happens when you can’t trust what’s on the other end? What if it’s collecting information on you so that could it could bring your demise? All the questions are essential and forward thinking for when the film was released. It might even be a film out of its time. After all, back then people weren’t using the internet like we do now. It was a tool for accumulating information in a pinch. Now it’s connected to the devices we own; those devices are engrained in our veins. With this is in mind, I wonder how much worse the film’s apocalypse would’ve been if it was set in the present.

That’s why the screens present throughout the film are horrifying. The ghosts move as if they’re splitting time. This makes way to constant horror as their relentlessly hidden pursuit entails that anyone could bite the dust. JPEG-like effects also enhance their mannerisms almost as if the internet is fueling their power. Humans are reduced to data, and data that is being used to actively prey and target them. The sheer thought of it is scarier than any horror film villain. If humanity technological advances can bring our downfall, then the film suggests that humans are playing with God-like powers that aren’t safe for the general public. Unfortunately, the inclusion of technology is so prevalent nowadays that we are almost powerless against it if it chooses to turn against us. The film’s apocalypse was a little too goofy. You really expect to believe they can’t found on a boat while planes are hilariously crashing in the air. Still, the ashy leftovers are terrifying and solidify the terror of the situation. The film leaves us with two people alive, and their fates don’t look so convincing.

[themediamercenary]

You perfectly captured the film’s feeling of insurmountable hopelessness.

Pulse

When watching Pulse, I kept asking myself what the message or idea was behind this movie, and it did a great job at addressing that throughout; however, there are occasional mixed signals. The message behind Pulse that the director had for the audience is that the internet is removing us from genuine human interactions. By doing so its causing everyone to be lonely and effectively become isolated in their own worlds, leading to the eventual death of their connections to humanity.

The movie establishes this idea from the very beginning when Ryosuke connects to the internet. He initially connects only to see others who are connected to the internet feeling alone. Their heads are down, and eventually, even one looks up to see the new soul who joined the system. All are connected, and all are alone. Every time we see ryosuke connect to the internet, he is met with this same sight, of individuals devoid of human connection. During the film, we even see the characters briefly talk about the effects of the internet and how, despite connecting people, the connections it makes are superficial and aren't meaningful like those found in reality.

As internet access is spreading more and more people are being labeled as missing. More are being subject to the isolation brought about by the internet and being ripped from genuine human connection. At the garden, it slowly creeps through, grabbing one person after another under the guise of being a ghost. One by one, people go to interact with a person lost to the "ghost" only for they themselves to discover the remains of their loved ones and become lost themselves. When they search for their loved ones, what they find in their search is the internet. They, too, become exposed, becoming lost to its pull.

In the end, we find that everybody is gone as the reach of the internet has become nearly global, and the only safe spot is reportedly in South Africa. This makes sense because South Africa is generally known to be behind in comparison to the rest of the world in terms of modernization. The internet's reach, while vast, is still impeded by South Africa's lack of access. The thing that is confusing here, though, is how the captain of the ship mentions that there is a signal coming from South Africa indicating its safety. Assuming that this movie is related to the expansion of the internet and the death of human connection, using a signal as a medium for establishing the safety of an area seems like quite an odd choice by the director. The captain could have said he heard a rumor about it being safe, or even that the ghosts haven't been able to make it there yet, but he chooses to indicate it via a signal. It almost makes me wonder if that's the directors way of foreboding the spread to South Africa as well as the coming lack of security for the remaining protagonist.

[themediamercenary]

Pulse

When watching Pulse, I kept asking myself what the message or idea was behind this movie, and it did a great job at addressing that throughout; however, there are occasional mixed signals. The message behind Pulse that the director had for the audience is that the internet is removing us from genuine human interactions. By doing so its causing everyone to be lonely and effectively become isolated in their own worlds, leading to the eventual death of their connections to humanity.

The movie establishes this idea from the very beginning when Ryosuke connects to the internet. He initially connects only to see others who are connected to the internet feeling alone. Their heads are down, and eventually, even one looks up to see the new soul who joined the system. All are connected, and all are alone. Every time we see ryosuke connect to the internet, he is met with this same sight, of individuals devoid of human connection. During the film, we even see the characters briefly talk about the effects of the internet and how, despite connecting people, the connections it makes are superficial and aren't meaningful like those found in reality.

As internet access is spreading more and more people are being labeled as missing. More are being subject to the isolation brought about by the internet and being ripped from genuine human connection. At the garden, it slowly creeps through, grabbing one person after another under the guise of being a ghost. One by one, people go to interact with a person lost to the "ghost" only for they themselves to discover the remains of their loved ones and become lost themselves. When they search for their loved ones, what they find in their search is the internet. They, too, become exposed, becoming lost to its pull.

In the end, we find that everybody is gone as the reach of the internet has become nearly global, and the only safe spot is reportedly in South Africa. This makes sense because South Africa is generally known to be behind in comparison to the rest of the world in terms of modernization. The internet's reach, while vast, is still impeded by South Africa's lack of access. The thing that is confusing here, though, is how the captain of the ship mentions that there is a signal coming from South Africa indicating its safety. Assuming that this movie is related to the expansion of the internet and the death of human connection, using a signal as a medium for establishing the safety of an area seems like quite an odd choice by the director. The captain could have said he heard a rumor about it being safe, or even that the ghosts haven't been able to make it there yet, but he chooses to indicate it via a signal. It almost makes me wonder if that's the directors way of foreboding the spread to South Africa as well as the coming lack of security for the remaining protagonist.

[themediamercenary]

I also appreciated how depressing and realistic the ending was.

Ringu

This was one of the films I was most excited to watch when we first started this class. I am a big fan of horror and this is a classic in the genre. However, after watching the film I actually would classify it more as a thriller because of how it really isn’t scary but it is more on the mystery of what is going on and who the actual killer is. Obviously in the end the killer is Sadako, who is so well known now. I think why the film was different than what I expected was because of the American film where they just added more scares and made it a lot less about the suspicion of what’s going on. The one thing that I will always give credit to a film for doing is that of holding back and what I mean by that is the final reveal of Sadako at the end of the film. When she is revealed we do get what is a legendary scene and rightfully so but also of what she looks like and with the only thing that we see of her face being that of her eye when she kills our main  character’s husband. The one thing that I can also say about the film is that of the feminist approach to the film where as I wrote in my essay that in a lot of horror films the final person in the film will be the girl or the final girl as she triumphs over evil however in this case it’s actually not just that but also the killer. They showed multiple women throughout the film who had a lot of power. Not just Sadako but also her mother who predicted the volcano erupting. These women were all banished by the media and their own caretakers. When women were put in power they were seen as monsters or witches. When Sadako kills yeah that was a bad thing to do but the whole mob mentality they had against her mother was totally uncalled for they just wanted to not see someone like her have this sort of power over them. And the film also doesn’t have a good ending. It literally ends with our main character killing her dad to make sure her son survives. It’s a sad but good ending in my opinion because it wasn’t as simple as trying to get the bones of Sadako’s body and all that. The film holds its place in horror history and Japanese film history and I can’t wait to see more films like it and just more of J-Horror in general as I’ve heard its a crazy time and I’m all here for it.

Grade: A

[themediamercenary]

I agree that Sadako is a somewhat sympathetic character.

Ringu Blog Post

Ringu is the first film we have viewed in this class that has had a sizable horror element present. Honestly, going into the film, I was expecting way more horror just from what I know about it from pop culture references. However, Ringu presented itself as way more of a mystery and psychological horror film than I had initially anticipated. Rather than have the characters cower in fear from the VHS that they watched that caused them to become cursed, the characters work towards understanding the cause of the phenomenon, the people involved, and how the curse itself is able to function.

On a basic level, the curse functions as a post-mortem revenge system created from the rage and hatred of the young girl pictured in all the promotional material for the film Sadako. Sadako’s mother, Shizuko, she had supernatural ESP abilities allowing her to predict the near future among other things. I found the primary scene with Shizuko being one of the most interesting scenes of Ringu. It begins with Shizuko being brought by a doctor looking to make himself famous by discovering her, and Shizuko displays her supernatural abilities in front of representatives of the medical community. However, as a commentary on human nature, the doctors shun Shizuko’s abilities because of their closed-mindedness and inability to accept what is different from them. Ringu tackling such a relatable problem for many people caused me to see the film in a more modern light and it has something to say about today’s world as well.

These negative emotions cause Sadako to act out and kill one of these medical professionals, which gets Shizuko in bigger trouble and labeled as a freak. I expected Ringu to deal with the idea of a true monster in a more supernatural way, like Shizuko is just a supernaturally evil force. However, Ringu disregarded by expectations and made Sadako a more relatable character yet misguided character that has had heaps of tragedy thrown upon, including the actions that led to her death. While you do feel sympathy for how Shizuko and Sadako have been treated, the audience is not meant to be entirely on the side of Sadako’s actions either. This is primarily because while she is out to release her anger upon those who have wronged her, most of the people that get killed by her in the film are completely unaffiliated with the people that shunned her mother. Therefore, it has an interesting take on victimization and blind rage, as though it can seemingly be justified by the inflictor, it does not accomplish anything in the end. The investigation to find the backstory of Sadako and understand her was a direction I did not expect the film to take but I found it to be very refreshing and made it more rewatchable overall.

[themediamercenary]

Ringu

Ringu is the definition of something almost worth the hype. On the one hand, its ambient and sinister atmosphere sets it apart from other horror films, but on the other, its scares are honestly kept to a minimum. Reiko and Ryuji’s investigation brings intriguing lore about the tape, but unfortunately it detracts from the horror and never graphically showcases the atrocities committed by Sadako. In fact, her inclusion is kept to a minimum with the infamous TV scene being a most menacing standout. Her design is grotesquely fascinating with her missing fingernails being a key horrifying factor. Also, the grainy aesthetic is easily the most impressive aspect about the horror. It adds a creepy tone that’s largely devoid in spite of the threats that surround Reiko and Ryuji. Despite this, the film’s iconic poster might honestly be the scariest thing about this film; no scene really captures the gruesome aura surrounding the poster. At times, I wish the honed in on the horror and procedural investigation. Going from short gory visuals back to the investigation arc really left me wanting them to combine both sides. For anyone looking for several thrills and scares, they might be left disappointed at how scatterbrained it is. The film never makes up its mind on whether it wants to be a horror film or a mystery thriller. This left the plot feeling very incomplete even if the pieces add up in the end.

At least, the film’s final act doubles down on the dread of the situation. A notably gross sequence involves Reiko and Ryuji navigating a filthy well so that they can touch the rotting corpse and absolve them of the curse. Although it’s devoid of the menacing presence found within the poster and TV scene, this showcases how far they are willing to go for success. The shocking twist remains Ryuji’s death after, proving how little their efforts went. Reiko is left with a choice to pass her curse onto someone (her dad) or let it consume her. This ending is easily my favorite part of the film and adds to the bleak reality at hand. It leaves you thinking. Also, ending on an industrial techno song really solidifies that nice 90s feel.

[themediamercenary]

You captured exactly what’s so captivating about this film to me. It never took itself too seriously while delicately building a setting.

Swallowtail Butterfly Blog Post

When I heard we were going to be watching another crime film for this class, I imagined it would be in a similar vein to Hana bi, which was a grounded and emotional drama about the downward spiral of crime. However, if Swallowtail Butterfly did anything for me then it subverted these expectations hard as it does have moments of strong emotion as well as intense action, over the top characters, and a gruesome depiction of a gritty underworld. Whereas a film such as Hana bi had most of the crime elements come from the yakuza and Nishi’s actions throughout the film, every group we follow in Swallowtail Butterfly is neck deep in some kind of underworld money making scheme or fighting other gangs to maintain their territory.

What stuck out to me when I first saw Swallowtail Butterfly was the number of different ethnicities in Yen Town, as the characters go from speaking Japanese to English to Mandarin to Cantonese, showcasing how in this future Yen Town is a melting pot of all kinds of different cultures. Yen Town has its own distinct atmosphere to it because of all of the languages and type of people within it, and also due to the amount of time we spend exploring it. The main cast of characters open their own music club, make record deals, walk down streets with drug addicted civilians, and encounter the mob. All of the scenes add to the gritty feeling of Yen Town making the city itself a character in the film, matching in implementation and atmosphere to Night City in Cyberpunk or futuristic Los Angeles in Bladerunner 1982.

The primary strength of Swallowtail Butterfly for me was the world-building present, because after the initial acquisition of the cassette tape, the entire group splits up and follows their own pursuits. This changes the pacing from a typical linear film pacing to more of a slice-of-life style of pacing, where we are switching to different character perspectives individually. Following so many different perspectives gives the audience a better sense of scale of how much is going on in Yen Town at any one given time. However, among the most action-packed events taking place on screen is Ryo’s pursuit of the cassette tape found by the main group at the start of the film, where he and his goons chase after the tape in all the ways you would expect to the mafia to go after an object. Holding up meetings, high speed car chases, hostage situations, Ryo has an air of intimidation to him that makes him almost seem untouchable, and every time he is on screen I was thoroughly entertained. Since Swallowtail Butterfly follows a cast of characters, I did not mind if some of the group were less interesting than others because there were so many of those I did like that I was entertained all the way through.