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Kikujiro (Japan)

Click the poster to buy the DVD and open up Japan!

Kikujiro Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Want to experience Japan without paying the expensive flight tickets? Then watch Kikujiro. You’ll travel the cities and country of Japan with little Masao and Kikujiro and do things that probably aren’t in the guide books, like betting on bike races and having fun at a local fair. You’ll also get a beautiful soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi to go with it all!

Why Watch Kikujiro?

If you like coming-of-age films or road trip movies! This one is inspired by The Wizard of Oz!
For some cool camera shots. Look out for one shot from the inside of a glass, and another shot from a car hub-cab.
For another Kitano classic (check out his gangster flick Hana-bi for something different)
It’s a postcard tour of Japan – watch this if you want to go to Japan!

The Breakdown

Kikujiro starts with a slow motion shot of a young boy running across a pedestrian bridge. He is smiling and is wearing a backpack with little wings attached to it. The camera follows him as he runs from one side of the bridge to the other.

The young boy, Masao, is described as a ‘gloomy kid.’ His parents left him when he was a baby and he has grown up with his grandmother ever since. You start to feel sorry for him as soon as his school finishes for the summer holidays. He runs home by himself, he lets himself into the house by himself, and eats a plate of food left for him on the table by himself. He’s all alone with no parents. The next morning, he walks to football practice but the instructor tells him that the session is cancelled because of the summer vacation. He plays by himself for a bit before going home. Poor Masao! He just wants a friend!

He doesn’t get a friend, but one of his grandmother’s friends (Kikujiro) reluctantly takes him to find his mum. Their journey takes us through a diverse range of life in Japan. First, Kikujiro takes Masao to the cycle races as a good luck totem for his betting. After he strikes a bit of luck, we are taken into a strip club and a Japanese diner. Later we are taken to a local fair, a hotel resort, and even end up at a bus stop in the country which is reminiscent of the bus stop in My Neighbour Totoro. Watch Kikujiro to experience Japan!

Conclusion

Just like The Wizard of Oz, Masao comes across a rabble of people from different walks of life. They all allow Masao to escape his loneliness for the summer holidays. Kikujiro shows the versatility of director Kitano as he ranges from Yakuza gangster film Hana-bi to this endearing coming-of-age film.

The Colours of the Mountain (Colombia)

The Colors of the Mountain Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Buy by clicking on the poster or find it elsewhere!

Watch The Colors of the Mountain to see the beauty and ugliness of Colombia side by side. See beauty in the lush vegetation, innocent school children, and peaceful life in the countryside. And see ugliness in the spreading war between the local guerillas and paramilitaries. Luckily for tourists, the ugliness of the war has subsided. And luckily for film viewers, Colombia is still producing great films, just go and watch Embrace of the Serpent after this one.

Why Watch The Colors of the Mountain?

For a great coming-of-age film (for more coming-of-age films check out Kids Return, The Wounded Angel)
See the beautiful Colombian countryside and the people that live in it
Witness how the war between the guerillas and the paramilitary groups affected life in Colombia (for something similar, see Silvered Water which follows a young kid living in the Syrian war zone)
See how arepas are made!

The Breakdown

The Colors of the Mountain starts with a shot of a small house in the lush Colombian countryside. A boy with a football in his arms runs down the drive and into the rolling fields across from his house. The countryside is full of sounds of insects, birds, and frogs, and you can almost feel the heat. The boy runs to his friend’s house and persuades him to come and play football.

This is their simple, peaceful life. They wake up, eat, and either go to school or play football. 9-year old Manuel’s parents are always around the house, tending to their two cows, fixing the house, or cooking. Life is good.

However, the signs of trouble become more and more obvious. The first sign of danger is the graffitti written across the wall of the school in red: ‘el pueblo con las armas, vencer o morir’. This roughly translates to ‘the town with weapons, conquer or die’. Secondly, the potential danger is confirmed in Manuel’s Dad. When Manuel and his Dad are milking their cow, his Dad spots four men in ponchos walking up to their house. You can just make out the butt of a machine gun on one of them, protruding from their clothes. Manuel’s Dad urgently grabs Manuel and runs him into their house to hide. His reaction confirms the threat of the men in ponchos, and the danger they live with which is largely unnoticed by Manuel and his friends.

Conclusion

The Colors of the Mountain shows us the danger posed by both the Guerillas and the Paramilitaries in rural Colombia. It also shows us how normal life can temporarily appear in a war zone. For those that want to see Colombia in all it’s beauty and ugliness, this one is for you.

No (Chile) – Probably The Best Film About the Fall of a Modern Dictator

No Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

No is probably the best film about the fall of a modern dictator (Pinochet in Chile).

Why Watch No?

To see what life was like in a country where police brutality was not just normal, but expected: Pinochet’s Chile
If you work in advertising and want to see how you could change the world
Because it’s got Gael Garcia Bernal in the lead role, that guy in Motorcycle Diaries, Amores Perros, Desierto, and many more
It’s another great film from Pablo Larrain; for more check out Neruda, Jackie, and Tony Manero

The Breakdown

It’s 1988 in Chile, and Chile is still being lorded over by Pinochet, one of the world’s most repressive dictators. After 16 years in power, growing international pressure has forced Pinochet and the Chilean government to hold a vote where the public can vote ‘No’ for a democracy or ‘Yes’ for another 8 years of Pinochet. Gael Garcia Bernal plays Rene, one of Chile’s top advertising professionals who has been given the opportunity to lead the ‘No’ campaign to end the Pinochet dictatorship.

You’ll see that the team behind the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns use completely different advertising tactics. Whilst the ‘Yes’ campaign goes for very obvious propaganda messages depicting Pinochet as a national hero, the ‘No’ campaign message simply tries to depict ‘freedom’ (kind of like your typical Coke or Pepsi ad). If you don’t know anything about advertising, this film is worth watching just to see how people use adverts to influence people.

You’ll also notice that this film looks different from most. To film it, Pablo Larrain used 3/4 inch Sony U-matic magnetic tape, which some might recognise from old TV news shows. It’s grainy look gives the film’s storyline more credibility as it makes it appear more like a documentary film. It made me believe that Rene was an actual person, and that this whole film was based on truth. In reality, it’s only based on a true story.

Image result for no film

Conclusion

No is shot well, has a great story line, and you’ll learn something about Chilean history. It was also nominated for an Academy Award so I’m not wrong.

The Assassin – Live the Art of an Assassin in 8th Century China

The Assassin Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

You may have seen a lot of films without really paying attention to how they’re put together. But to get the most out of The Assassin you’ll need to become aware of the subtleties on camera. Everything is set up to celebrate the art of the assassin and it’s just beautiful!

Why Watch The Assassin?

It’s one of the most beautiful films of the 2010s!
To immerse yourself in 8th Century China
If you’re a fan of martial arts and want to see the art of an assassin
Because it Hou Hsiao-hsien won Best Director for this film at Cannes

The Breakdown

The Assassin is set in 8th century China when the Tang dynasty is in decline. It’s based on the story of Nie Yinniang written by Pei Xing, a writer from Tang dynasty era China. Sometimes knowing the origin material of the film isn’t that important, but knowing the story of Nie Yinniang will help you get the most out of watching The Assassin. Check out a short summary below!

Summary of Nie Yinniang

(Mostly based on info from the internet – for more in depth summary and background to The Assassin check out this article on Taipei Notes)

The Tang crown prince sends his tenth daughter Princess Jiacheng and her twin sister to a nunnery for safety (from the Anlushan rebellion). Princess Jiacheng returns home when it’s safe, but her sister stays on and leads an order of assassins.

Later on, Princess Jiacheng marries Tian Xu (who holds power in the Weibo district of China) to secure peace in the region. The Princess adopts Tian Ji-an and gives birth to Yinniang, who both grow up as childhood friends. When they’re both older, the Princess gives two jade disks to Tian Ji-an and Yinniang to symbolize their future marriage. However, their relationship is broken off when Tian Xu marries his son to the daughter of one of his strongest allies. Yinniang is then sent to the Taoist nunnery to live with Princess Jiacheng’s assassin twin sister. She later returns when her old childhood friend has taken over from his father on orders to assassinate him.

The Breakdown continued

The Assassin is not like your usual martial arts film. Firstly, it helps to have a bit of background (as written above) as Hsiao-hsien rarely delves into any exposition. Secondly, the whole film is a piece of subtle beauty geared to celebrate the art of the assassin. And before you stop reading because I’m sounding a bit pretentious, I’ll try and demonstrate why.

For most of the film, the only thing you’ll hear is nature, from birds singing to the wind blowing. Similarly, for the most part, the shots are mid-distance and still. Both these things create calmness as the sounds are natural and the pictures are still. Think of the ambience/tone it creates as a still lake.

The stillness creates an environment for the assassin to showcase her skills. She must do her job without disturbing the serenity of her environment, or using our analogy, without splashing into the lake. And of course, she does this well. Firstly, she sneaks around the house of Tian Ji-an without making any noise (you’ll always hear the same natural noises in the background). Secondly, the director rarely breaks from mid-distance shots. When he does for the action scenes, the assassin deals with her victims quickly to avoid creating a disturbance or ripple. She never sticks out. Yinniang and the director, showcase the art of the assassin.

Image result for the assassin film

Conclusion

I’m not sure how this film was overlooked by the Academy Awards after picking up the Best Director at Cannes. Perhaps, because many viewers come out a bit confused as the director chooses not to offer too much exposition.

If you take a moment to read up a bit of background before you watch this film (see above) and are up for delving deeper into a film than usual, by watching it more than once, this may well become one of your favorite films.

Lamb – See a Patriarchy Struggling to Get By

Lamb Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Beautiful scenery, beautifully shot, Lamb could be a travel commercial for the Ethiopian tourist board. But the beautiful landscape can’t be fully enjoyed by Ephraim and his family as they’ve run out of food. The worst of each of them shows itself on film as they struggle to get by – will Ephraim’s beloved lamb survive?

From: Ethiopia, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Amazon Prime, Kanopy, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: Pather Panchali, Rams, Abouna