We Hate Hollywood

In lieu of a top ten list of the year, Alex and I have opted to do a top ten list of the decade.  This is far from an original idea, but it’s been a fun project not to mention a very difficult one.  Aside from culling an initial pool of films from the past ten years was a feat in itself.  But to pick your top ten favorites from that pool is a feat that was almost Sisyphean (sorry, I was reminded of that word recently and it stuck).  I don’t know the number of times a film bounced between my top ten list and Honorable Mentions.

Speaking of Honorable Mentions…we were going to keep the list much shorter but decided that it’s ok to have a lot of Honorable Mentions since we are covering 10 years.  There are thousands of movies released worldwide over the span of a decade.  Having 40some Honorable Mentions is not a big deal.

Keep in mind this is purely subjective.  We feel strongly about our picks, but they might look different if we tackled them 6 months from now.   We are not issuing a formal decree that these are the best movies of the year and shame on you if you disagree.  People never agree on these kinds of list, and we don’t expect you to.  But, if you haven’t seen some of these, you probably want to take a look.  Tell us what would be on your list that we’ve left off.

One final note: There was no collaboration between us in making our lists.

Alex Vasquez-Cariaga

10. Gomorra (2008)

A mafia movie that shows the real life, not the glamorous facade. There is a reason why we all don’t turn to a life to crime.

9. The Fountain (2006)

The story of a man passionately and frantically trying to find the cure to help save his dying wife. The wife played so lovingly by Rachel Weisz is accpeting of this and dearly wants Hugh Jackman’s character to understand what she is going through. The other struggle is Jackman who is the sole man trying to conquer death at seemingly any cost. Aronofsky did heavy research interveiwing people who were dying young on how they go through this struggle and inevitably die “more” alone because those closest to them cannot accept it and end up playing the role of spectator. The tasks’ of both characters is so daunting that its understanding is played out in 3 different periods of time that all come together at one final endpoint. It is the event of death that shows how strong their love for one another is. To say symbolism was used heavily is an understatement but it was done so beautifully that I could not do it justice in words. In fact, the movie had only a budget of 35 million. Having done so much with so little in today’s Hollywood standards is an acheivement in itself. And on a side but nonetheless important note - One of my personal favorite composers, Clint Mansell, creates a soundtrack so hauntingly fantastic once again that I still listen to it on a somewhat regular basis.  All parts come together to create this theme of duality we deal with in our existence - black and white, light and dark, pleasure and pain, life and death.

8. No Country For Old Men (2007)

Bardem plays quite possibly the creepiest monster in a non-horror film. The haircut is pretty iconic as well. Jones plays the lawman pushed to the side as we are witness to a world of terror that no longer has use for a man like him. A stand out piece of work by the Coen brothers who, if I remember properly, said this during their acceptance speech for best picture at the Oscars - “Thank you, all of you out there, for letting us continue to play in our corner of the sandbox.”

7. The Dark Knight (2008)

Comic book movies are a gift and a curse. Gift because they already have a character that has a well placed familiarity. Curse because, well, it is a comic book. Nolan creates a comic book world believable enough not to make us think it would really happen in this reality but enough so that we can connect with everyone involved. And lo’ and behold…that gay cowboy you made fun of and made countless jokes about (yes you did, even I am guilty of it) was the best Joker since he was originally written and drawn by Bob Kane many many years ago. This film went back to the original modern American mythology that is Batman. Though not completely devoid of flaws, this is the best comic book movie period and one of the best films of the decade for sure.

6. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Del Toro was able to show you why his peers think so highly of him with this film. A horror movie where the horror in fantasy is as dark and ugly as the reality shows us a young girl who tries to find light in the darkness of 1944 fascist Spain.

5. The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King

Now I wanted to put all three here but that was unfair. And the book(s) are far superior. The most ambitious undertaking in film history. 3 films, all done at one time and this is the capstone to that work. When the definition of Epic is looked up a reference point shall direct you to this movie.

4. Lost In Translation (2003)

A married, middle aged, aging actor going through a midlife crisis and the wife of a celebrity photography share a great adventure through a couple of nights in the city of Tokyo. There is an undeniable connection between these two generations and an understanding that most couples never seem to get. In the short amount of time they spend together, a final whisper which is speculated on to this day is a reminder that no matter how far apart the closeness is always there.

3. Gladiator (2000)

“A general who became a slave. A slave who became a gladiator. A gladiator who defied an emperor.” A film tag line was better than my short explanation so I am going to stick with that.

2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Ang Lee’s Chinese kung fu masterpiece about a princess, a thief, two aging warriors and a sword is so beautifully choreographed and cast so perfect for it not to be in anyone’s list is unfortunate.

1. Children of Men (2006)

The world is unable to produce anymore offspring. The viewer is denied the reason why this occurred though speculation is dabbled on in the movie very briefly. This brings you to a place that has fading hope and this is important. It helps build up to a moment in the film that is awe-inspiring and rewarding to the viewer. A newly born baby is able to bring a stop to bloodshed, albeit briefly, and not displayed in a cheesy way.

Honorable Mention

There Will Be Blood, Brotherhood of War, The Royal Tennebaums, Wall-E, O Brother Where Art Thou, Twilight Samurai, Little Miss Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Last King of Scotland, In America, Casino Royale, Kung Fu Hustle, Kill Bill, The Incredibles, House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs, The Departed, Tsotsi, Passion of the Christ, Black Hawk Down, Munich, Traffic, Gone Baby Gone, In Bruges, Sunshine, Grizzly Man, Inglorious Basterds, Mystic River, Into the Wild, Training Day, The Cove, Up, Before Sunset, The Bourne Ultimatum, City of God, District 9, Gangs of New York, Hero, Let the Right One In, The Wrestler, Letters from Iwo Jima, A Beautiful Mind, Oldboy, Memento, A History of Violence, The Prestige, Hotel Rwanda

Paul Chinn

My list shocked me.  When I first began working on this project, there were films that I thought for sure would be in the top ten that weren’t.  Some didn’t even make the Honorable Mention cut.  It doesn’t mean I think low of these movies.  We are talking about a decade after all.  Many of these were very hard to leave off of the Top Ten (esp LOTR trilogy and Into the Wild).  These films would have been on if I expanded my last to 12.  Each of my remaining picks were mostly for personal reasons.  They challenged or moved me in specific ways.  Challenged some paradigms.  Good art does that.

10. Up (2009)

It was tough to choose between this and Wall-E.  Both films surprised me at how much they moved me emotionally.  But Up hit my wife and I both like a sledgehammer for personal reasons.  I cried like a little girl more than once during the film and don’t know if I could stand to watch it again.  But I’ll never forget it.  I never thought a “kid flick” could do that to me, but Pixar continues to amaze me at how strong their storytelling is.

9. The Lives of Others (2006)

I was strongly encouraged to watch this film by my father and also the film reviews of people much smarter than I.  I watched it and liked it a lot.  I revisited it recently and was immeasurably impressed by the film from a technical standpoint.  It is brilliantly acted (Ulrich Mühe’s transformation is only made more heart breaking by the fact that he died shortly after the film’s release) and impeccably paced.  More importantly, the story is absolutely engrossing and a testament to the power of art in the face of something so oppressive and dehumanizing as Communism.

8. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)

I have strong opinions on abortion. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that too many people pass judgment on a political hot button issue like this without really seeing the face of it.  This Romanian film by Cristian Mungiu reinforces that in its raw, unblinking look at two college women who go through a night in hell when one of them has an illegal abortion performed in the twilight of Communism (seems to be a theme developing here, eh?).  The film doesn’t judge it’s characters whatsoever.  It also contains probably the tensest dinner party scene ever filmed.

7. Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 (2003-2004)

Quentin Tarantino’s homage to Shaw Brothers cinema was a hell of a fun time.  Only QT could make a movie that was influenced by the likes of Lady Snowblood and François Truffaut’s The Bride Wore Black and make you giddy as a teenager.  Hip, extraordinarily bloody, funny, and a surprisingly endearing story about motherhood.  It also contains one of the best battles of the decade - a sword fight in a trailer.  I know a lot of people prefer Vol 2 over Vol 1.  I thought both volumes were equally strong.

6. No Country For Old Men (2007)

I loved this movie.  Then it got to the last 20 minutes, and I walked out saying I hated it.  I thought the conclusion was pretentious and unnecessary.  And the more I thought about it over the next few hours, the more I realized I was wrong.  The movie (and Cormac McCarthy novel) really did have something to say about the nature of evil.  It is also one of the best cat-and-mouse chase films of recent years with one of the creepiest cats ever.

5. House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Yimou Zhang is not only one of the best Chinese directors working today but arguably one of the best in the world.  He’s only been directing for 20 years and has made several iconic films (Hero is in my Honorable Mentions).  The House of Flying Daggers blew me away.  It is exhilarating, eminently romantic, and tragic in a Shakespearean sense.  I have watched the final sword fight in the snow many times.  Kathleen Battle’s rendition of “Lovers” is haunting.

4. The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan.  Wow.  He completely upped the ante on the superhero genre with Batman Begins and showed that it can transcend mere idol worship by creepy kids living in their parent’s basement.  Then, he completely uncorked it for The Dark Knight creating, as Robert Wilonsky says, a gritty 70s crime thriller masquerading as a superhero film.  The rave and Oscar win for Heath Ledger’s performance was much deserved.  He not only created an indelible villain but channeled a truly unnerving psychopath the likes of which we hadn’t seen in this genre before.  And seriously…a comic book franchise starring Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson, and Liam Neeson…how does that happen?

3. In America (2002)

Jim Sheridan is a master at telling stories about the human condition.  In America devastated me.  It is one of the most tender and affecting stories of sacrifice, family, and death I’ve ever seen that never stumbled for one second into melodrama.  It is real and immensely uplifting.

2. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo del Toro is a force to be reckoned with.  This is storytelling at its very best.  This adult fairytale features an astonishing performance by 12 year old Ivana Baquero.  I love how del Toro can take stories like these and set them among actual historical events (Spanish Civil War).  The film also contains some of the most striking and unforgettable visuals of the decade.  This is a true delight.

1. The Wrestler (2008)

I knew The Wrestler would be on my list, but even I was surprised that I placed it this high.  The film is universal because it is a look at a man who has spent his whole life doing something he loves at the expense of those around him.  Yet the price of walking away from it is more than he can bear.  This could happen with people of any profession, and many of them end up homeless, in prison, drowning at the bottom of a bottle, or in a cemetery.  Aside from that, I can’t tell you why the film strikes such a strong chord with me.  It just does.

Honorable Mention

The Cove, Children of Men, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tsotsi, The Orphanage, Grizzly Man, Let the Right One In, Donnie Darko, Inglourious Basterds, Spirited Away, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby, Munich, Passion of the Christ, Letters from Iwo Jima, Wall-E, Black Hawk Down, Milk, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, The Descent, The Hangover, Traffic, Adaptation, Mystic River, Capote, Infernal Affairs, The Departed, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Oldboy, A Beautiful Mind, The Kite Runner, 28 Days Later, Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War, City of God, Up in the Air, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Into the Wild, In Bruges, Hero, Precious, Waltz with Bashir, The Visitor, Sunshine

Written and directed by Marc Lawrence
Starring Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott, Mary Steenburgen, Elisabeth Moss, Michael Kelly, Wilford Brimley
Release Date - Dec 18, 2009

Meryl and Paul Morgan’s (Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant) marriage is coming apart.  Then hijinks ensue when they witness a high-profile murder and are thrust into the witness protection program.  Forced to live in a small Wyoming town, this successful Manhattan couple must deal with small town life and, presumably, learn to love each other again.

Ugh.  Just writing that gives me gas.  This looks insipid, uninspired, unfunny, and completely devoid of originality.  Sarah Jessica Parker is not funny.  Hugh Grant hasn’t made a good movie since 2002’s About a Boy.  Marc Lawrence wrote Miss Congeniality 2. I rest my case.

Written and directed by Christian Carion
Starring Diane Kruger, Benno Fürmann, Guillaume Canet, Daniel Brühl, Gary Lewis, Alex Ferns, Steven Robertson, Ian Richardson
Rated PG-13

In December of 1914, there are many accounts (primarily through letters) of fraternization between French, German, and British troops on Christmas Eve.  While specifics are difficult to pin down, there are enough of these letters to show that these fraternizations occurred over 700 kilometers between Ostend in Belgium and Basel in Switzerland.

Director Christian Carion’s Oscar-nominated 2005 masterpiece focuses on a group of French, British, Scottish and German soldiers on this historic night.  There are six main characters.  Audebert (Guillaume Canet) is a French lieutenant as well as the son of an overbearing general.  Palmer (Gary Lewis) is a British priest who joined the war as a medic primarily to keep an eye on two boys from his church, Jonathan and William.  Gordon (Alex Ferns) is a Scottish lieutenant who works closely with Palmer.  On the German side is famous tenor Nikolaus Sprink (Benno Fürmann) and his Danish girlfriend Anna Sorensen (Diane Krüger).  Sprink is pulled to the front lines during a performance with Anna.  His lieutenant Horstmayer (Daniel Brühl) looks down on Sprink.  He has a very low opinion of artists who become soldiers.

It is Sprink’s singing that serves as the catalyst which brings these soldiers together.  After several days of intense fighting, he strolls into a snowy No Man’s Land singing “O Come All Ye Faithful”.  It is haunting and powerful.  It is also a reminder that God is there with them even on the battlefield.  After all, God has always been there.  It is man who decided to fight.

Religion, in fact, plays a huge role in the film.  It begins with some disturbing images (also based on fact) of schoolboys from France and Germany reciting poems that praise their country and spread hatred for their enemies.  It’s religion as propaganda bolstered by another scene in which a Scottish Bishop preaches to the troops about their God-given mandate to kill Germans.  It is a disturbing scene that serves as a turning point for one of the main characters.

The genius of Joyeux Noël is that it manages to simultaneously be a sobering and wise insight into the nature of war and an affirmation of the real meaning of Christmas.  And not in a Hallmark kind of way.  These are men who come to realize the irony in celebrating the birth of Christ during a cessation of hostilities.  There is a friendship that spreads like wildfire throughout the ranks as these men - through song, drinking, and sharing of pictures - come to realize that their governments have ordered them to kill each other yet they believe in a different King.

Many of the specific events in the film are based on fact including a cat that goes back and forth between the trenches before being arrested for treason as well as a woman (Anna) being brought to the trenches to assist in the Christmas festivities.  In fact, there is a fascinating interview on the DVD in which the director talks about many of these true events.

This is actually a terrific family film if you have older kids.  In fact, the film has a unique history in that it was first rated R by the MPAA until Roger Ebert blasted the decision, and it was changed to a PG-13.  There is a brief scene of nudity during a tastefully filmed sex scene.  Aside from that, there is nothing objectionable.  While the war scenes are filmed with great skill, they are not graphic.

This is a true holiday treasure unlike anyone you’ve seen before.  It will definitely help you have a Joyeux Noël.

Directed by John Hillcoat
Written by Joe Penhall, Nick Wechsler
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Guy Pearce
Rated R for profanity, violence, partial nudity
Rating - 1 bullet hole

All I know is the child is my warrant and if he is not the word of God, then God never spoke. - The Man

Cormac McCarthy’s 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning novel is bleak, haunting, depressing.  Also, an unforgettable read that lingered with me days after.  I feared that this mood would not translate to film.  Thankfully, it does for the most part.

Viggo Mortensen is the Man.  He and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) wander the country, orphaned by an unnamed apocalypse.  They struggle.  Survive.  Suffer.  Very few people are left.  Many of them are bloodthirsty cannibals looking for survivors to consume.  But the emaciated Man and Boy push forward aiming for the ocean.  Scavenging for sparse food sources.  Armed only with 2 bullets.  One for each of them if circumstances become dire.

Director Hillcoat is masterful at creating an oppressive atmosphere.  Gray skies.  Ashen land.  Cold rain.  Dark nights.  Gaunt figures.  Blood-stained snow.  A world that has ended with a bang and a whimper.  When the Man and Boy discover a can of Coca Cola, you feel relief as an audience.  When the Man finds a sofa to sit on, you feel comfort.  The respites are brief but welcome and necessary.

The biggest detractor from this mood is the inclusion of the Man’s wife (Charlize Theron), a character with a very small part in the novel.  She is long dead but haunts his dreams and memories.  Her character is not necessary for the film.  Her presence reeks of the Factory’s need to have a female character no matter what.  Irrelevant exposition not present in the novel.

Viggo Mortensen, as usual, is terrific.  His face screams with quiet suffering.  Every action he takes is out of fierce love for his son.  Kodi Smit-McPhee is also strong as the Boy.  He somehow maintains his innocence after all he’s seen.  Their relationship is real.  Not melodramatic or histrionic at all.

Of course, it’s probably impossible to completely capture the feel of the book.  Hillcoat’s direction.  Joe Penhall’s adaptation.  Javier Aguirresarobe’s cinematography.  Warren Ellis and Nick Cave’s score.  It comes pretty damn close.

Directed by John Woo
Written by Terence Chang, John Woo, Khan Chan, Kuo Cheng, Sheng Heyu
Starring Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Chang Chen, Zhao Wei, Hu Jun
Rated R for war violence
Rating - 1 bullet hole

The great John Woo is back with a vengeance.  After a stint in the US making mostly bad movies,  the best action director alive returned to film-making in China with the war epic Red Cliff.  In Asia, the film was released in 2008 as two parts totaling over 4 hours.  With a budget of about 80 million, it was the most expensive Asian film.  Part 1 grossed 124 million, making it the most profitable movie in mainland China, toppling the record previously held by Titanic.  Yes, even there Titanic shattered records.  Now, a 2 1/2 hour cut of Red Cliff is making its rounds in the US.

The movie is based on an actual battle, The Battle of Red Cliffs, which occurred in the winter of 208/9 and was a key battle in determining the course of the Han Dynasty.  The ruthless Prime Minister Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) manipulates Emperor Xian (Wang Ning) and takes the imperial army on a mission to destroy the southern warlord rebels Sun Quan (Chang Chen) and Liu Bei (You Yong).  Liu Bei is the first target.  Cao Cao decimates the southern province of Jingzhou including many civilians.  Liu Bei’s family is murdered, the sole survivor being his infant son.  Liu Bei’s chief advisor Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) heads to Eastern Wu to form an alliance with Sun Quan.  He is aided by Grand Viceroy Zhou Yu (Chinese megastar Tony Leung) and Yu’s sister Sun Shangxiang (Zhao Wei).  Meanwhile, Cao Cao forms a great naval alliance with two naval commanders Jingzhou and sets out for Red Cliff, the southern bank of the Yangtze, preparing to attack from land and sea.

While many versions of the battle exist, the most detailed account comes from Zhou Yu’s biography.  I am no history professor but my understanding is that the film takes liberties with what is considered to be the truth about specifics of the battle.  That’s nothing new for film to take artistic liberty with fact.  Most historical epics do that.  Whatever the truth, one of the most fascinating aspects of the film is the great attention to strategic detail.  Cao Cao and Zhou Yu carefully lay out their plans.  They know each other well and spend a great deal of time outguessing each other…which routes the other will take, what tactics and formations they will use, how they will use the weather to their advantage, etc.  I was reminded of the battle of wits between Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu An in We Were Soldiers.

What is also astonishing about the film is the attention to detail.  While there are some scenes in which obvious CGI is used, there are also scenes featuring astonishing numbers of extras and animals that recall the glory days of the war epic in which Kirk Douglas or Peter O’Toole adorned the battlefield.  Woo says that on most days, he had 1,500 Chinese soldiers to work with.  These soldiers dedicated six months of their lives training in ancient battle tactics and learning how to march with armor and spears.  Hundreds of horses were trained as well.  Filming took 18 months.

Speaking of horses, my film viewing comrade and I were astonished at the scenes with horses.  Many times, horses faceplant in the dirt as they are targeted by arrows or swords.  Since Red Cliff was released in the UK, The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) released a statement saying “With one exception, which has been cut from the film, the BBFC is satisfied with the company’s reassurances that no horses were injured and that various provisions were made to ensure their safety during the making of the film.”  John Woo insists that no animals were injured during filming.  I’ve read much about Woo and have the utmost respect for him.  I believe him, but these scenes are truly amazing.

My biggest complaint with the film is that it is unnecessarily cheesy at times.  The dialogue is a bit corny, and there is some added melodrama between Zhou Yu, his wife, and Cao Cao.  Had these plotlines been cemented with better writing and a more somber tone, this could have been a perfect film.  The film Hero (by director Yimou Zhang) is a great example of a Chinese epic that does not suffer from these maladies.  I was also a little disappointed by some of the special effects in Red Cliff.  When 90% of your effects are well done…it’s very distracting when that other 10% is on screen.

If nothing else, Red Cliff is a must see for its jaw-dropping battle scenes.  John Woo has taken the same skill he showed with choreographing bullet ballets between a couple of guys and transferring it to a large field with hundreds of men wielding ancient weapons.  There is some serious bloodshed here.  It’s nice to have him back.

Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones, Chris Lowell
Rated R for profanity and sexual content
Rating - Golden Gun

“The slower we move the faster we die. Make no mistake, moving is living.” - Ryan Bingham

Ryan Bingham is a shark.  He is a corporate downsizing consultant who spends most of his year flying around the country laying off employees in companies whose managers are too chicken to wield the ax themselves.  He is constantly moving through airport security checkpoints, between arrival and departure gates, and into rental cars.  In his wake, he leaves people at their most vulnerable - jobless, angry, and scared.  In addition to his work, Ryan gives motivational speeches around the country in which he discusses the benefits of a life free of relationships and mounds of material possessions.  He has found happiness in constantly moving forward amidst a sea of traveling strangers.

To say Bingham is played effortlessly by George Clooney is an understatement.  In fact, some have criticized the role as being “tailor-made” for him.  Whatever.  Even if it was, it fits him perfectly and propels the story.  Clooney plays the character with a panache and intensity that makes him - like Michael Clayton - the perfect charming anti-hero.  He is shallow but funny and brutally honest.  In one terrific early scene, he shows a fresh Cornell grad, Natalie, the secrets to air travel.  He explains to her how to navigate the lines by stereotyping the age and ethnicity of the people in front of you.  Natalie is shocked by his method, but Clooney wins over the audience in that scene with his honesty and humor.

In many ways, this is a simple film.  I went into the film armed with a bare minimum of details about the plot.  Because I’d like for you to experience it in a similar manner, I will avoid as much of the plot as I can.  But this is a pitch-perfect drama that underscores the need for real human connections.  It’s so rare to see a film in today’s climate that is so open, honest, and pro-marriage.

The biggest strength of the film is in the script adapted by Sheldon Turner and director Jason Reitman based on the novel by Walter Kirn.  It is intelligent and excruciatingly witty.  Material such as this can be pretentious, but that doesn’t happen here.  In tone, Up in the Air is closer to Reitman’s previous film Thank You For Smoking than Juno.  Yes, it is making a statement about the human condition but it does so without beating you over the head with it or with quirky angst-ridden dialogue.

In some ways, the film is an examination of the ways in which our humanity is being crushed by the gears of corporate America.  No, it’s not a political film by any stretch of the imagination…it’s just a window into what that world does to people.  More importantly, it is an examination of the futility of a life spent chasing the dollar, and the cost of selfish goals.  In a sarcastic and pessimistic world, this is a real and uncommon breath of fresh, rational air.

Directed by Kon Ichikawa
Written by Natto Wada
Based on the novel by Michio Takeyama
Starring Rentaro Mikuni, Shoji Yasui, Jun Hamamura, Taketoshi Naito, Kō Nishimura

“The songs uplifted our spirits and sometimes our hearts.” - Captain Inouye

When I first decided to have a Hidden Gems section on this website, this film was one of the first to come to mind. I first saw it in 2005, and it had a significant impact on me. It was one of those films where you literally sit in silence afterward, awestruck at what you’ve just seen.

The 1956 film is directed by Japanese maestro Kon Ichikawa (some believe he’s in the same class as the indomitable Akira Kurosawa) and written by his wife Natto Wada.  It focuses on an Imperial Japanese Army regiment in Burma towards the end of World War II.  Led by Captain Inouye, the regiment’s (or what’s left of them) purpose is to boost morale through their fighting and singing.  At the beginning of the film, they take refuge in a village and find out that they are being watched by British soldiers.  The Brits overtake them and inform them that Japan has surrendered, but they still need their help.  A group of Japanese soldiers are barricaded in a cave on a mountainside and refuse to surrender.  Private Mizushima, Inouye’s harp player, volunteers.  His efforts are futile and, eventually, artillery rains down on the cave leaving Mizushima as the only survivor.  Mizushima is traumatized by the corpses around him and decides to help bury and pray for the dead.  He accomplishes this task by stealing a robe from monk.

From there, the film moves back and forth from Mizushima and his new found mission to Captain Inouye as his men continue to look for Mizushima believing he’s still alive.

The Burmese Harp is a powerful film about atonement and the power of music.    It’s no secret that Japan had a lot to atone for.  Ironically, novelist Takeyama nor director Ichikawa were aware of their nation’s sins.  At Criterion.com, British film critic Tony Rayns explains “Takeyama, writing in 1946, would not have been aware of the extent or magnitude of the Japanese war crimes committed in Burma and other countries. Such embarrass­ments have never been ­widely acknowledged or reported in Japan, and so it’s entirely possible that Ichikawa was equally unaware of them a decade later.”

The film is strongly Buddhist but its themes transcend religion, shining a light on hope in the midst of death.  Rayns nails the central idea of the film when he ponders “Ichikawa anchors Mizushima’s gradual discovery of his own spirituality in that initial act of theft, a selfish crime that contains the seeds of the thief’s selfless future. For Ichikawa, Burma is, indeed, Buddha’s own land; he films mostly landscapes and temples, generally in wide-angle shots, always stressing the weight of the land and the places in the lives of the humans who pass through them.”

Yes, this is an old black and white film with subtitles.  But, look beyond that if that’s not typically your bag.  The film ends with the recitation of a letter, and that scene hit me like a sledgehammer.  The letter expresses such unfathomable depths of selflessness, purpose, and conviction.  This was truly a film ahead of its time.  Please give it some of yours.

A bit of trivia - Kon Ichikawa died not too long ago - February of 2008 - at the age of 92.