some critics claimed that it ignored the atrocities of japan before the bombing, and just focused on a japanese family, some even saying that Kurosawa had made an anti-american movie. actually, the old woman in the movie, who lost her husband 45 years earlier, because the bomb, she says several times that she is not bitter or angry at the usa, she blames the war itself, not a specific nation. and i believe that the fact that the story tells of a family, gives authenticity to the movie, as they were not involved in any war-crimes themselves. this movie is about a family, not about the history of wars in asia.
however, we see the movie from her grandchildren's perspective, which gives the movie some kind of distance, despite the strong theme. Kurosawa was one of the best directors of all times, but this is unfortunately not one of his best movies. one reviewer whose name slipped my mind, called it a "sketch".
but it's a strong movie, with the old lady struggling with her own memories and her uncaring children as she takes care of her grandchildren who are staying with her as their parents have gone to Hawaii to visit a rich relative, played by Richard Gere. He does a good job speaking japanese. when american actors speak japanese it sounds usually very fluffy and childish, but i think he does a good job.
sorry, but i couldn't find a subtitled trailer:
i'm glad to know that Gere is also a buddhist and a true humanitarian soul. he was probably very happy to work with Akira Kurosawa, in a story about forgiving and learning from the past, in this movie that was one of Kurosawa's last.
today my thoughts are with the survivors and relatives after the Nagasaki bombing in 1945.
=)
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i've just updated my blog, with a new look, and a partly re-organized structure.
in the menu on the right you can see CATEGORIES, now also including MOVIES, OTHERS and a special category for everything regarding my japan experiences and visits, obviously called JAPAN.
i have also re-organized ALL posts (from the start of this blog) so they are easier to find, as some posts never had a category at all. that's fixed now. only some small posts are still un-categorized, so only the really curious person can find them =)
i hope you like the new black and green "bamboo" look. as always, let me know what you think.
=)
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yesterday i came to KOBE, and i stay in a very very very very very small hotel room near sannomiya station. the room has a bed and.... not so much more. i can barely open my suitcase on the floor, because there's no space.
today i visited the HYOGO PREFECTURAL MUSEUM OF ART in kobe, watching two exhibitions:
Five Rooms for Contemporary Paintings
and
REIKO and 100 years of Japanese Modern Art
;)
Kishida Ryusei - "Young Girl (Reiko Standing)" (1923)
rtm.pref.hyogo.jp/eng/home.html
=)
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yesterday i went to THE NATIONAL ART CENTER in roppongi, central tokyo, for the big exhibition Post Impressionism: 115 Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay.
many lovely paintings by Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat, Toulose Lautrec etc etc, made a big impression on me. but suddenly a quiet painting by Picasso surprised me unexpectedly. it kind of spoke to my heart:
;)
it's a highly recommendable exhibition, but it leaves your senses quite tired, at least if you're open to the expression of these brilliant european artists.
this lovely little flying bird with a message has nothing to do with post-impressionism but i include it because i like it. it gives me good vibrations.
yesterday's theme music was:
CLAMMBON
and
KIRINJI
=)
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last weekend i visited the SALVADOR DALI exhibition at moderna museet (the stockholm museum of modern art). it was the final week of this exhibition which had a record number of visitors, over 200 000.
SALVADOR DALI 'couple with their heads full of clouds' (1937)
i've always been very fascinated by DALI's art, and this exhibition displayed a great number of works, which also included jewelry, bizarre clothes, a telephone, a chess game, etc, everything designed by dali. there were also art by the young artist FRANCESCO VEZZOLI, whose work is very inspired by that of dali.
it took 2 hours to see it all, and i'm glad i went!
=)
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i've watched quite a few great movies lately, they're all from asia and deserve a mentioning.
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
china (director: zhang yimou)
the trailer only shows the action scenes, but i like the movie because there's actually a story. amazingly beautiful movie, colours, themes, etc. the "ethnic" music is the best i've heard in any movie, it's by japanese composer and producer SHIGERU UMEBAYASHI.
here is the love theme music, touchingly brilliant:
»soundtrack at itunes
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
hong kong (director: wong kar-wai)
breathtaking is the word. a detailed study of passion and forbidden love, this is the visually most beautiful movie i've seen (some call it "2 hour perfume ad" because of the lingering beauty of every second). it also has music by SHIGERU UMEBAYASHI, here's the theme song used:
EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN
taiwan (director: ang lee)
a warm story of three unmarried sisters living with their widowed father. he's a semi-retired master chef, and the movie has lots of scenes with gourmet cooking. the main themes are the necessity of romance in life, the necessity of food (and drink!), and aging.
unfortunately, the only trailer available is this awful american trailer. please watch the movie instead!!!
=)
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i watched a lovely japanese movie yesterday, HONOKAA BOY, released in march, directed by Atsushi Sanada.
such a wonderful movie! warm, entertaining, funny, and very intelligent.
as most movies that i like, it's very slow-paced and the characters are portrayed with humour and love. japanese student Leo takes a year off college to go to hawaii to see the "moonbow" (a rainbow with light reflected from the moon).
in the town Honokaa he starts to work in the cinema, and a warm friendship grows between him and the older woman Bee who decides to cook for him every day.
I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!! it's one of the best i've seen for a very very long time!
here's the trailer. sorry, but i couldn't find one with english subtitles.
watch the movie now!!!!
Official website:
honokaa-boy.jp
=)
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"a taste of japan and sweden, at the same time"...
filmjölk with the taste of green tea, i must admit it sounded lovely! i'm not a very big fan of filmjölk (a swedish kind of yoghurt, but less sour and less thick), but i decided to give it a try.
my one question is: exactly WHERE is the taste of green tea?
it was not in the package i bought.
or, WHAT exactly was the green/yellow hot drink that i've learned to love on my visits to japan, called green tea (macha/sencha)?
i must admit though, that i love the calligraphy on the package, by japanese master ERI TAKASE.
takase.com/GraphicDesign/GraphicDesign.htm
=)
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i love the vibrant, colourful paintings of PAULA RINDBORG.
she now has an exhibition in stockholm, so it's a great opportunity for everyone to get acquainted with her work.
the exhibition opened yesterday and continues until THURSDAY the 8th only.
open 11-19
ALLA GALLERY
köpmanbrinken 6, gamla stan
stockholm
» paularindborg.com
=)
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finally C'EST LA VIE will be released worldwide, through my record label TERRINHA RECORDS' cooperation with german distributor MCONNEXION.
here's the album front cover:
and the back cover:
i'll let you know when it's up for purchase and download.....
=)
the scandinavian version, with ALL songs in swedish, will look almost the same...
C'EST LA VIE - 11 SÅNGER PÅ SVENSKA
(11 songs in Swedish)
front cover:
.....and the back cover, also with songs 1,2,4,11 and 13 in Swedish:
=)
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