Tony Takitani

Jun Ichikawa's Tony Takitani (2004) is essentially a character study of the title character. He (and his wife, too) has to deal with grief and existential crisis as he begins to realise how shallow and wasted his life has been for a long time. The film's extremely dense narrative relies a lot on a narrator. The screenplay becomes a bit metafictional when the characters sometimes fill in for the narrative by speaking a few words (or even complete sentences) the narrator would say. Using a narrator is an easy (and heavy-handed) way to make the film focus on pretty much anything - however, the narrator is used so well that it does not become a problem at any point.

The alienation caused by the metafiction is increased by the distant form. Most of the time the characters are observed from a distance. A lot of shots from the first half of the film end up behind an obstacle (or alternatively, begin by coming from behind an obstacle) which makes it feel as if the viewer was peaking from around a corner to follow the life of the protagonist. The film's charming lighting and sentimental musical score are pleasant as well although they could have been a tad better.

Tony Takitani is a film in which everything works well, but it doesn't reach the masterpiece status because it doesn't manage to dig deep enough during its short running time (75 minutes). I recommend wathcing it even if only for Issei Ogata's magnificent performance (better known as Yi yi's Mr. Ota).

Score: 8 out of 10

Woman in the Dunes

Watching Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman in the Dunes (1964) was a stunning experience. In the movie, an etymologist is searching for insects in the desert only to be eventually trapped in a sandpit with a widow. He is forced to live down there and shovel sand. Even though the premise sounds simple, the film is utterly complex, engaging and, most of all, haunting. It is one of the most famous films of the Japanese New Wave - a cinematic movement I'm extremely interested in.

What I love the most about the film is its rich content. The story can be seen an allegory of a lot of things, but even the allegorical subtleties are a bit meaningless in the end because the film is a stunning portrayal of isolation and existential crisis. Sand's role changes in the film a few times, but its metaphorical power never fades away - it is also probably the finest cinematic depiction of sand in general. The characters are also extremely fascinating: intially they seem rather blank, but the hidden complexity is revealed bit by bit.

The film's claustrophobic and intimate form is haunting and unforgettable. Initially, the shots of the beautiful scenery left me in awe, but as the plot thickens the form becomes very close to the characters - even to the point of extreme close-ups of sand on their skin. The cinematography is simply perfect in its movement and framing. The use of sound is brilliant: after I had watched the film, I left the DVD menu on because I wanted to hear the wind blowing - the effect I had listened to for 140 minutes. The sound design has such a hypnotizing and gripping feeling to it. Toru Takemitsu's awesome musical score blends in with the sound effects brilliantly.

Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman in the Dunes is one of the finest films I've ever seen and I believe it is even more rewarding on multiple views.

Score: 10 out of 10