romance

6

Hana-bi (Japan)

Hana-bi Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Ever heard of a Yakuza film? The Yakuza are the Japanese gangsters much like the Mafia in Italy or the Triads in China and Hong Kong. Intrigued? Hana-bi is a Yakuza film with more than the usual violence. You’ll meet a former cop who turns to the Yakuza for loans to help his dying wife. Watch the film to find out if he manages to pay of his debts whilst learning about his own life.

Why Watch Hana-bi?
  • It’s a sophisticated Yakuza film
  • To see one of the best gangsters on film in some kick-ass sunglasses!
  • Takeshi Kitano won the Golden Lion for this film, establishing him as one of Japan’s top film-makers
  • Kitano even painted all the paintings seen in this film!
The Breakdown

Hana-bi starts with Joe Hisaishi’s film score (he’s the guy that produced most of the sound of Studio Ghibli) playing over a few pictures of saints (which Kitano starts with in a few of his films). In the opening scene, two men in blue boiler suits are staring silently at a guy in a suit and sunglasses in a half empty parking lot. The soundtrack stops as one of the guys in blue slaps a wet cloth onto a car bonnet and starts cleaning. The guy in the suit watches him clean for a minute before kicking him off of the car.

The guy in the suit and sunglasses is Nishi, a violent former cop, and the main protagonist of this film. We learn about his past in his flashbacks. Nishi has segmented flashbacks to the same event multiple times throughout the opening 30 minutes, but the whole flash back is not shown until later in the film. Early on, it shows two people being shot multiple times on the floor. It is not clear who is shooting them or why they are being shot but it obviously pains Nishi. We learn that he was held responsible for their deaths and relieved of his job.

Without a job, Nishi spends most of his time with his wife who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. He brings her cakes and puzzles but they never talk. He obviously cares for his wife, but his dead pan face makes it appear like he is begrudgingly keeping her company. As stated by his former colleague ‘work is all they have ever known’ so this unexpected free time to spend with their wives and their hobbies is unfamiliar. Without work they are lost.

Conclusion

Hana-bi is a stripped down Yakuza (Japanese Gangster) film. Instead of focusing on violence and gangs, Kitano chooses to focus on the impact of retirement. Nishi and his colleague are both forced out of their police jobs because of a tragic accident. Both of them cannot forget the accident and both of them do not know what to do with their free time.

7

Gloria (Chile) – There’s Plenty of Fun to Be Had in Your 50s

Gloria Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

If you think life is all downhill as you get older, think again, and watch Gloria. The magic of Paulina Garcia’s Gloria shows that middle aged life is whatever you make of it – it can be awesome as any other part of your life. She dances, goes bungee jumping, does yoga, and goes out with whoever she wants – she’s truly an independent woman.

From: Chile, South America
Watch: Trailer, Amazon Rent, Amazon Buy
Next: A Fantastic Woman, Tony Manero, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Continue reading “Gloria (Chile) – There’s Plenty of Fun to Be Had in Your 50s”
8

Amor y Frijoles (Honduras) – Romantic Drama in Small Town Honduras

Amor y Frijoles Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

If you’re a fan of indie films or telenovelas, you’ll enjoy Amor y Frijoles. It’s got the feel of a heart-warming indie film, but the romantic drama of a Mexican telenovela.

Why Watch Amor y Frijoles?
  • Experience life in a typical town in Honduras
  • For telenovela level relationship drama
  • See typical Honduran food: Baleadas
  • Witness the effects of boredom on Ojojona’s inhabitants
The Breakdown

Amor y Frijoles starts with a load of establishing shots of the town of Ojojona as it wakes up in the morning. You’ll see shots of the churches, the streets, the butcher chopping meat, vendors preparing coffee, and the rural landscape which surrounds the town. It’s a typical Honduran town, and acts as a microcosm for the entire country.

This isn’t great news for Honduras. As whilst the town is portrayed well, the main characters are not. Firstly there’s Dionisio, Karen’s husband. He obviously doesn’t care for his wife as he comes home late every night and ignores her. Karen also suspects that he’s cheating, and he probably is, even if it’s never confirmed. Secondly there’s Ramiro, Karen’s best friends husband. At every opportunity he voyeuristically checks out Karen. There’s even one obvious shot of him gazing at her boobs.

Dionisio and Ramiro compose a pretty awful picture of Honduran men. But luckily(?) for them Karen stoops to their level and therefore half  vindicates their awful behavior by having a one-off affair with Ramiro, her best friend’s husband! The drama!

Why are their relationships so extra-marital?

There are so many extra-marital affairs because they are all bored. Karen cooks baleadas in the morning before she goes home and watches hours and hours of reality and religious TV. The directors show her following the same mundane routine everyday. It’s obvious she’s bored, but she’s too stuck by her routine to break from it. Therefore, it’s no surprise that when the TV breaks, she looks to other entertainment to fill the void.

This is also true for Ramiro, Karen’s best friends husband. He’s never shown doing anything other than driving around town aimlessly. It doesn’t look like he has a job or any hobbies to occupy his time. Therefore, without anything to do, he keeps trying to seduce Karen.

Conclusion and What to Watch Next

Amor y Frijoles is a well made, easy-to-watch Honduran film. It’s got the feel of a great indie film. However, the plot is anything but relaxing, it’s full of the relationship drama you expect to see in Latin American telenovelas.

For more controversial relationships in Central America, check out two films with Gabriel Garcia Bernal:

Or, if you’re after a more romantic love film, check out The Road Home by Zhang Yimou or Sepet, a teen love film set in Malaysia.

9

Sepet – A Rom Com that Exposes Class and Race Dynamics in Malaysia

Sepet Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

If you like rom-coms you’ll love Sepet. But even if you don’t there is much more to this film then a cheesy romance. Sepet exposes the class and race dynamics of Malaysia of a society that evidently still hasn’t recovered from the effects of colonialism.

Why Watch Sepet?
  • It’s a chick flick with substance
  • You’ll learn a bit about the legacy of colonialism on Malaysia
  • Watch it here on YouTube
  • Learn about social and racial discrimination in Malaysia
The Breakdown

The romance between Jason and Orked starts after a chance encounter at Jason’s VHS stall on a busy Malay street. However, they are both from opposite ends of Malay society, Jason (or Ah-loong) is ethnically Chinese whilst Orked is ethnically Malay. As you’ll learn, this is a problem. Chinese-Malays are seen as inferior to ethnic Malays and therefore relationships between Malays and Chinese is taboo.

In case that isn’t enough to emulate Romeo and Juliet, Jason also has a much lower social standing than Orked. You might notice this from seeing each of their respective houses. Orked walks around in a big bedroom with big closets, walks up and down stairs to show that her house has two floors, and has a maid. In contrast, Jason’s house appears open to the elements with concrete floors. His family all crowd around a small table for dinner.

However, what does Jason do to help his chances of getting with Orked? He tells her his name is Jason, a ‘nice name from London.’By associating himself with Britain, he associates himself with the old rulers: British colonists. Orked doesn’t fall for this trick. She later brings up the issue of colonialism with her friend and references French colonists in Algeria. They instituted a belief that whites were superior and that the darker you were, the more inferior you were. It’s obvious that Malaysia has shared this colonial legacy the way the lighter skinned Malays treat the ‘slit-eyed’ Chinese.

Image result for sepet film

Conclusion

Sepet is a great example of a chick flick that has layers. Behind the cheesy romance is a country still dealing with the legacy of colonialism. Jason and Orked are two sweet teens trying to navigate the race and social boundaries of Malaysia.

Will they stay together? Watch it here on YouTube (although some sound is missing).

 

 

10

Anori – A Love Triangle Framed by Greenlandic Myths and Icy Landscape

Anori

Anori Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Anori’s sweeping shots of Greenland’s snow covered glaciers and mountains sets an awe-inspiring tone for the film. The ethereal landscape shots add to the mystique of the Greenlandic myths spoken between Anori and Inuk that frame Anori. However, the beauty of the set up and intriguing mythical framing unfortunately don’t carry through into the bulk of the movie, as a simple love story and black and white battle between good and evil fall flat.

From: Greenland, Europe/North America
Watch: Trailer, IMDb, Website
Next: Tanna, Romeo + Juliet, Miryza

The Breakdown

Anori starts with panoramic shots of Greenland’s glaciers and snow capped mountains backed by loud idyllic music, not too far off the airy sounds of Sigur Ros. It sets a tone of wonder and mystique that supports the dreamy scenes of Anori telling Inuk the Greenlandic myths she learnt as a child. With both of them dressed in white and shot brightly, these scenes feel like they’re happening in another realm.

From the mystical opening, the film cuts to Inuk falling into a coma after an accident at sea. After Anori flies to the hospital to be with him, the film jumps into the past to show us how Anori and Inuk met and how their love for each other grew.

Anori relies on images and sound to convey emotion. Like the characters in a Terrance Malick film, Anori and Inuk don’t say much to each other and appear completely in awe of each other. Their racing emotions are carried in the melodramatic soundtrack whilst their growing love is visualized in the newly blossoming Spring landscape. The images and music are nice, but not unique. They hit the expected notes of a romantic TV soap or telenovela, which makes the melodrama a bit obvious.

The lack of dialogue also hinders the film’s ability to develop the characters. As the flashback scenes are bathed in bright light and melodramatic music, we only see Anori and Inuk through rose-tinted glasses. We never see another side to their lives or hear about their backgrounds, so we can only take them as unquestionably good people. This portrayal becomes more problematic when the antagonist to their love is revealed and is presented as evil incarnate. Whilst the antagonist has his own problems, they are shown to be caused by them, forcing us to accept that he is simply evil, with no chance of redemption. The lack of dialogue and character development leaves the three main characters as a bit one-dimensional: they’re either good or evil, leaving no room for our interpretation.

What to Watch Next

If you’re looking for quick tragic young romance,the obvious place to go is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Baz Lurhmann’s adaption is the most extravagant. Tanna is a great modern day adaptation set within the Kastom tribe from Vanuatu.

Or if you’re looking for films which combine love and myths, check out the melodramatic Mirzya from northern India.

Or for more indigenous films from North America, check out Edge of the Knife or browse the NFB catalogue of free indigenous films and take your pick.