Comments on: Ugetsu http://www.thefifiorganization.net/janus/ugetsu/ Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:34:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jeff http://www.thefifiorganization.net/janus/ugetsu/comment-page-1/#comment-776 Jeff Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:01:54 +0000 http://www.thefifiorganization.net/?p=1791#comment-776 Ugetsu is a film I watched because I wanted to try some other classic Asian cinema. I am glad I watched it and found much of it worth the time, but I could not help but feel that there was sub-context that I could never get. Jason's view on this and mine really overlap here. Ugetsu is a film I watched because I wanted to try some other classic Asian cinema. I am glad I watched it and found much of it worth the time, but I could not help but feel that there was sub-context that I could never get.

Jason’s view on this and mine really overlap here.

]]> By: Matt http://www.thefifiorganization.net/janus/ugetsu/comment-page-1/#comment-775 Matt Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:50:23 +0000 http://www.thefifiorganization.net/?p=1791#comment-775 The Japanese are wacky. I say this for having been born in Japan and brought up on Japanese stories in my youth (“Peach Boy” being a particularly good one). This doesn’t take into account the children’s story: “The Man and the Lump” (in his neck) and, of course, some of the most bizarre story telling in video games and anime. When “Ugetsu” crossed my path it was after three straight English speaking films so I was once again back to watching a film with subtitles and this film is based on some historic or classic stories swirling around Japan. So was this going to be fancifully wonderful or, uh, wacky? Was I back into “Beauty and the Beast” (which we saw in week 3 or 4 or something) or was this something akin to “The Seven Samurai?” The film starts out very similar to “TSS.” In fact, it could be the previous attack a few months prior to where “TSS” starts. Seems we’re back in 1600 Japan and the warring groups are cutting a swath through rural Japan. Killing/raping women, forcing men to work hard labor. We’ve even got a “samurai wannabe” – but, alas, that is where the comparisons fade and “Ugetsu” kicks into gear. Here’s the basic story as best as I can explain it. There’s a farmer, see, and he fires pots on the side. With the war coming he thinks he can possibly use it to his advantage and sell some of his wares and make some cash and provide for his lovely wife and child. With his co-farmer Tobei (the samurai wannabe) they head off to the big city. Tobei is unable to join a samurai clan and our hero (who’s name escapes me – just scroll up to read what Jason wrote) comes back with money and a kimono for his wife. They’re happy. He’s a success! Ah, but with success comes obsession. If he can get 3 silver pieces for just a few items…how much could he get for dozens of items!? He’s been bitten by the “money bug” and he’s sinking fast. Obsessing now with making and baking pots he drives his wife to distraction. She wants to go back to the simple farm life they had but, golly, he can’t do that. He’s got POTS TO SELL! When the evil clan overtakes the town they flee to the woods – after much arguing about leaving the f*cking pots. Still, he returns to find that the kiln is out, but the pots are wonderful. With new resolve he gathers the pots, his wife and child, Tobei and his wife and they set out in a boat. Let me pause here: So far, this story is done pretty conventionally. Nothing really wacky here…just wait… Warned by a dying sailor to stay away from the pirates they make land. Our hero tells his wife to go back to the farm and he’ll return in 10 days. Tobei, Tobei’s wife and our hero work their way to a bigger city where once they land they have great success in selling their wares. Golly, they’ll be rich in no time. Tobei, seeing a group of samurai remembers his quest to be a bad-ass spear wielding warrior and runs away from his wife. With money now he can buy the armor and the spear and be a samurai like he always wanted. His wife goes in search of him only to be raped by some evil samurai (a kids movie this is not). Our hero now alone, sells some pots to a woman who is in a regal get-up. She’s with her nurse and they want him to bring all the stuff to their manor down the hill. After packing up, he heads there – only to see some beautiful kimonos that would look wonderful on his wife. He even imagines her there. Once he gets to the manor…everything kind of shifts in tone to something a tad more ominous. The “Princess” tells him that she can make all his dreams come true…all he has to do is marry her (isn’t this what every woman says???). He wants money, he wants to sell pots, he’s been away from his wife and child for God knows how long and the Princess is beautiful and has those annoying smudges over her eyes. He doesn’t tell her the truth but then the voice of her dead father emanates from some mask or something and it’s been FORETOLD that he marry her (or something). The creepy nurse gives her blessing, tells them to get jiggy, they take a bath together and VOILA! They’re married. Tobei, a samurai now, wanders aimlessly looking for – I guess – samurai stuff to do when he comes across a famous general who is depressed and asks an underling to decapitate him. Which the underling does. Seeing an opportunity Tobei stabs the underling, killing him and takes the head of the general to the head samurai potentate (or something) who congratulates Tobei on his kill and gives him what he wants: A horse, some vassals and power. Heading out of the town, the vassals want to stay at a local brothel (told you this isn’t a kids story) and who is he to denying his entourage some nookie? When he goes in to take part in the festivities he runs into his wife! Seems after the rape she has been so shamed that she became a hooker. He admits that he only wanted to be a samurai for her. He wanted to become a success for her. But, obviously, he has failed (as do most men). As for our hero. Things are going horribly weird for him. Seems that this Princess and her talking mask (or whatever) are a figamentation of his imagination. Everyone is dead. What is he doing? What is he thinking? Meanwhile…stuck on the farm, our lovely wife and child attempt to wander to the big city to find him. They get attacked by evil samurai and are left for dead. Back at the manor, our hero has met a psychic (?) who says: “Dude, some bad sh*t is going to come raining down on your head.” (I’m paraphrasing.) “Let me help you.” He helps by writing words all over his body. When the hero comes back to the manor for more loving with the new wife, he admits that he’s already married, and the curse written all over him sends the Princess and the nurse into a frenzy. Tobie, back with his wife, throws away his samurai get-up and realizes that life is better lived back on the farm with the love of his life. Our hero wakes up surrounded by a burned out building. The local authorities tell him that everything he is talking about has been gone for years and that he’s crazy. Stunned by the events, he goes home to find his wife and child waiting for him. There is a lovely reunion and all seems right with the world…until the next morning when he awakes to find that it is just him and the boy. The wife had died some time ago…and he realizes the error of his greedy ways. WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS FILM: For some reason I liked nearly everything. Sure the acting was a bit over the top, but it sustained a weird ethereal sense throughout. There was something about it being steeped in reality with a hint of weirdness in the first half that didn’t make me want to laugh when things started getting a little wacky. All-in-all, this was enjoyable piece of film-making that I found very moving. WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THIS FILM: My only real complaint was that the print that was used had some major scratches at some points but that’s a minor gripe. OVERALL: Really very enjoyable. Surprisingly so for some reason. The Japanese are wacky. I say this for having been born in Japan and brought up on Japanese stories in my youth (“Peach Boy” being a particularly good one). This doesn’t take into account the children’s story: “The Man and the Lump” (in his neck) and, of course, some of the most bizarre story telling in video games and anime.

When “Ugetsu” crossed my path it was after three straight English speaking films so I was once again back to watching a film with subtitles and this film is based on some historic or classic stories swirling around Japan. So was this going to be fancifully wonderful or, uh, wacky? Was I back into “Beauty and the Beast” (which we saw in week 3 or 4 or something) or was this something akin to “The Seven Samurai?”

The film starts out very similar to “TSS.” In fact, it could be the previous attack a few months prior to where “TSS” starts. Seems we’re back in 1600 Japan and the warring groups are cutting a swath through rural Japan. Killing/raping women, forcing men to work hard labor. We’ve even got a “samurai wannabe” – but, alas, that is where the comparisons fade and “Ugetsu” kicks into gear.

Here’s the basic story as best as I can explain it. There’s a farmer, see, and he fires pots on the side. With the war coming he thinks he can possibly use it to his advantage and sell some of his wares and make some cash and provide for his lovely wife and child. With his co-farmer Tobei (the samurai wannabe) they head off to the big city. Tobei is unable to join a samurai clan and our hero (who’s name escapes me – just scroll up to read what Jason wrote) comes back with money and a kimono for his wife. They’re happy. He’s a success! Ah, but with success comes obsession. If he can get 3 silver pieces for just a few items…how much could he get for dozens of items!? He’s been bitten by the “money bug” and he’s sinking fast.

Obsessing now with making and baking pots he drives his wife to distraction. She wants to go back to the simple farm life they had but, golly, he can’t do that. He’s got POTS TO SELL!

When the evil clan overtakes the town they flee to the woods – after much arguing about leaving the f*cking pots. Still, he returns to find that the kiln is out, but the pots are wonderful. With new resolve he gathers the pots, his wife and child, Tobei and his wife and they set out in a boat.

Let me pause here: So far, this story is done pretty conventionally. Nothing really wacky here…just wait…

Warned by a dying sailor to stay away from the pirates they make land. Our hero tells his wife to go back to the farm and he’ll return in 10 days. Tobei, Tobei’s wife and our hero work their way to a bigger city where once they land they have great success in selling their wares. Golly, they’ll be rich in no time.

Tobei, seeing a group of samurai remembers his quest to be a bad-ass spear wielding warrior and runs away from his wife. With money now he can buy the armor and the spear and be a samurai like he always wanted. His wife goes in search of him only to be raped by some evil samurai (a kids movie this is not).

Our hero now alone, sells some pots to a woman who is in a regal get-up. She’s with her nurse and they want him to bring all the stuff to their manor down the hill. After packing up, he heads there – only to see some beautiful kimonos that would look wonderful on his wife. He even imagines her there.

Once he gets to the manor…everything kind of shifts in tone to something a tad more ominous. The “Princess” tells him that she can make all his dreams come true…all he has to do is marry her (isn’t this what every woman says???). He wants money, he wants to sell pots, he’s been away from his wife and child for God knows how long and the Princess is beautiful and has those annoying smudges over her eyes. He doesn’t tell her the truth but then the voice of her dead father emanates from some mask or something and it’s been FORETOLD that he marry her (or something). The creepy nurse gives her blessing, tells them to get jiggy, they take a bath together and VOILA! They’re married.

Tobei, a samurai now, wanders aimlessly looking for – I guess – samurai stuff to do when he comes across a famous general who is depressed and asks an underling to decapitate him. Which the underling does. Seeing an opportunity Tobei stabs the underling, killing him and takes the head of the general to the head samurai potentate (or something) who congratulates Tobei on his kill and gives him what he wants: A horse, some vassals and power.

Heading out of the town, the vassals want to stay at a local brothel (told you this isn’t a kids story) and who is he to denying his entourage some nookie? When he goes in to take part in the festivities he runs into his wife! Seems after the rape she has been so shamed that she became a hooker. He admits that he only wanted to be a samurai for her. He wanted to become a success for her. But, obviously, he has failed (as do most men).

As for our hero. Things are going horribly weird for him. Seems that this Princess and her talking mask (or whatever) are a figamentation of his imagination. Everyone is dead. What is he doing? What is he thinking?

Meanwhile…stuck on the farm, our lovely wife and child attempt to wander to the big city to find him. They get attacked by evil samurai and are left for dead.

Back at the manor, our hero has met a psychic (?) who says: “Dude, some bad sh*t is going to come raining down on your head.” (I’m paraphrasing.) “Let me help you.” He helps by writing words all over his body.

When the hero comes back to the manor for more loving with the new wife, he admits that he’s already married, and the curse written all over him sends the Princess and the nurse into a frenzy.

Tobie, back with his wife, throws away his samurai get-up and realizes that life is better lived back on the farm with the love of his life.

Our hero wakes up surrounded by a burned out building. The local authorities tell him that everything he is talking about has been gone for years and that he’s crazy.

Stunned by the events, he goes home to find his wife and child waiting for him. There is a lovely reunion and all seems right with the world…until the next morning when he awakes to find that it is just him and the boy. The wife had died some time ago…and he realizes the error of his greedy ways.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS FILM:

For some reason I liked nearly everything. Sure the acting was a bit over the top, but it sustained a weird ethereal sense throughout. There was something about it being steeped in reality with a hint of weirdness in the first half that didn’t make me want to laugh when things started getting a little wacky.

All-in-all, this was enjoyable piece of film-making that I found very moving.

WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THIS FILM:

My only real complaint was that the print that was used had some major scratches at some points but that’s a minor gripe.

OVERALL:

Really very enjoyable. Surprisingly so for some reason.

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