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July 31, 2006
What I'm Watching
Tokyo Monogatari. It's remarkable to see just how much Tokyo has changed in the past 50 years. Steam locomotives, traditional tiled houses everywhere, the inordinate amount of respect paid to the grandparents. And yet, the interaction between the characters still seems familiar and similar to (some) modern Japanese families. The other day a friend asked me if I thought there was a Japanese equivelant to Im Kwon-taek, in that Im takes on dual roles as storyteller and cultural documentarian. Many of his films seem almost made for future generations -- like time capsules, they feel old as soon as they're made. I don't think any Japanese director is quite analagous to Im, but maybe Ozu serves a similar function. Except that instead of preserving the traditional cultural performances and art of his time, Ozu preserved the everyday family dynamics of his generation. It's possible to track the changes in the Japanese family through Ozu's domestic dramas -- compare Tokyo Monogatari to Ohayo (Good Morning), for instance.
Also watching Psych. A very fun crime show. A perfect companion to Monk.
And tomorrow I go off to the press screening of Gedo Senki, the new film by Goro Miyazaki (Hayao Miyazaki's son). Looking forward to it. It could very well determine the future of the studio.
Posted by b-applegate at July 31, 2006 4:32 AM
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