Twenty-four Eyes

Since last Christmas, I've been eager to see Keisuke Kinoshita's films. Why? I found out that he served as the "sensei" for Akira Kurosawa and Masaki Kobayashi - two of my favourite directors - so I guess his films should be at least interesting. Recently I bought Eureka's release of his Twenty-four Eyes (1954) - a film (based on Sakae Tsuboi's novel of the same name) about a young teacher as she begins to teach 12 six-year-olds. The film spans over the period of nearly two decades to tell the story in its entirety.

Initially the film seems to be quite lighthearted, but the further the film goes the more tragic it becomes. Yes, it is very sentimental, but like with Kurosawa's films, I enjoyed the extreme sentimentality. Kinoshita pulls it off perfectly even though the film is full of strong emotions for an hour straight. He expresses the individuality of each child and creates colorful characters. It is heart-wrenching to see how the society oppresses the women and then the war takes away the men. The film is not only about the characters, it's also about Japan in a period which forced the nation to change a lot.

The most notable aspect of the entire film is the cinematography. Kinoshita creates compositions that will never leave my mind. They are so hauntingly beautiful and striking - and it gets even better because there are certain compositions that are used many times during the film. For example, the interiors of the teacher's home is only shot through two compositions even though a lot of screentime is spent there. The film's pace is calm yet dense - the plot unfolds like life usually does.

Twenty-four Eyes moved me to tears. It's a powerful film, but sadly too unknown. It actually beat Kurosawa's Seven Samurai for Kinema Junpo's Best Film of the Year award in 1954. Even though I would not agree with the choice it still says a lot about the undeniable power of the film.

Score: 10 out of 10

A Summer at Grandpa's

Hou Hsiao-hsien's film A Summer at Grandpa's (1984) was inspired by the childhood memories of the screenwriter Chu Tien-wen who has collaborated with Hou on almost every film he has made so far. The coming-of-age story is set into motion when a 11-year-old boy and her 4-year-old sister leave for their grandparents' house while their seriously ill mother stays at a hospital in Taipei. The film is the boy's recollection of harsh, funny and unforgettable events which took place during the visit.

It is fascinating to follow the development of the children throughout the film. They have to face hard situations they cannot comprehend yet a certain degree of maturity becomes visible in their behavior. While the flick is essentially a coming-of-age story, it doesnt avoid harder subjects which the children have to face: thematically it is surprisingly wide and satisfying. The film's narrative is a little elliptical so it might be a bit weird to watch it at first, but it is not something that is hard to get used to.

Hou's minimalistic form flourishes here more than in The Boys from Fengkuei. The revisited compositions are used well to subtly affect the viewer. He observes the small yet important moments with both honesty and passion.

In overall, A Summer at Grandpa's is a film that works well on all departments, but that doesnt mean it's a masterpiece. My fascination with Hou is becoming stronger all the time. The film is also very nostalgic for me at least: it reminds me of my own childhood vividly. Thus, I can say it is a successful film.

Score: 8 out of 10

The Boys from Fengkuei

I've been interested in Hou Hsiao-hsien, the Taiwanese auteur, for quite a while. I saw his City of Sadness (1989) a few months ago and fell in love with it - I'm going to rewatch it soon. In any case, I wanted to get more familiar with his filmography and started with The Boys from Fengkuei (1983). Initially, the film is about a group of reckless youngsters who spend their days by drinking and fighting in a small town called Fengkuei. After a while, three of these guys decide to go to a bigger city to look for work. Gradually the film becomes the story of Ah-ching (one of the three) who has to face the problems the cruel reality brings up.

The film is a nice take on nostalgia and coming to terms with life. While it's not vastly insightful in its content, it is satisfying enough on its own. The film's beginning and ending are amazing and should be appreciated - the development of the characters becomes extremely obvious when the two are compared.

The form isnt very "Houesque" yet, but there are a few of his trademarks visible already. For one, he likes to revisit older compositions on a few occasions although it doesnt have an impact as big as, say, the hospital composition in his City of Sadness. The takes arent nearly as long as in his other films, and the framing is a bit rough. The erratic camera movement is a bit distracting at times, but luckily it isnt too bad in general. The weirdest aspect in the form was the musical score: Hou uses well-known Western classical music which either works somehow or not at all. For example, his use of Vivaldi's Winter was rather random and that piece of music always reminds of Oldboy, which didnt help at all.

In overall, The Boys from Fengkuei is a decent, likable film which suffers from notable flaws. It is a must-see for Hou fans.

Score: 6 out of 10

Persepolis

Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis (2007) is based on Satrapi's graphic novel which - in turn - was based on her own experiences of growing up in Iran and Europe. Marjane is a 10-year-old girl when the Iranian Revolution takes place in 1979. The Shah of Iran is replaced by Islamic fundamentalists. Unfortunately, The new Iran isnt better than under the rule of Shah - in fact it's even worse.

The film follows the aftermaths of the revolution - and a terrible war - with stunning depth. The storytelling is complex and phenomenal. The film seamlessly moves between the content's personal and social layers and the density of its content is unbelievable.. Marjane's coming-of-age is portrayed in a delightfully detailed way. For example, her moody relationship with God is briefly yet brilliantly handled in the film.

The film's imaginative (mostly) black and white animation is perfect. The character and art design are unforgettable. The film's use of music gives a strong image of what the world was like back then. I would especially like to mention the hilarious rendition of Eye of the Tiger, used in order to mock cinematic training montages.

In short, Persepolis is a brilliant account of what has happened in Iran in the past few decades - and it also impugns the positive views of Europe. The film is surely one of the masterpieces of the decade.

Score: 10 out of 10

Spirited Away

The Japanese animation studio called Studio Ghibli is one of the best known animation studios, and high quality is always guaranteed for all of the films they produce. Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001) is probably the most famous title of their filmography, and probably the most critically acclaimed as well. Spirited Away is the story of a young, insecure Japanese girl who enters a fantasy world after her parents are turned into pigs due to their greed. 

Spirited Away has a vast amount of things going on under the surface. It is full of brilliant metaphors ranging from environmental themes (Miyazaki examines the current condition of Japanese rivers) and search of identity (in a literal way on a grand scale) to simple things (like a giant baby). Despite being "awfully rich" in its content, Spirited Away delivers a fascinating and gripping adventure that rivals most other adventurous cinematic stories.

Hayao Miyazaki was actually going to stop making films after Princess Mononoke (1997), but after he was his friend's sullen 10-year-old daughter, he was inspired to make Spirited Away. He wants to deliver a message for the insecure and shy Japanese youngsters in Spirited Away through the main character. Because of that Miyazaki said the film is "for the people who used to be 10 years old, and the people who are going to be 10 years old."

Miyazaki's talent as a great storyteller shouldn't go unnoted. The film progresses on a rapid pace yet it is so charmingly calm and feels far from a rushed narrative. The narrative flows smoothly throughout the film. Miyazaki also has a great eye for editing which strongly supports his storytelling.

It has become Studio Ghibli's trademark to draw breathtaking and haunting backgrounds for their films. The entire world literally becomes alive through the stunning background art. The quality of animation is ridiculously high. Chihoro's movement is so animated with a stunning amount of detail. The film's character and creature design are spot-on as well.

Spirited Away is a FANTASTIC film - even by Ghibli's high standards. I believe no one can resist its delicate charm.

Score: 10 out of 10