MovieChat Forums > Tengoku to jigoku (1963) Discussion > Glass

Glass

posted 19 years ago by tenordan
5 replies | jump to latest

One thing I noticed during this movie was how many things were seen through or reflected in glass. The rich man's house up on the hill is seen through windows,the view of the city form the same house, reflections of characters in storefronts, and especially the confrontation at the end in the prison where you can see the characters and their reflections as they view each other through glass. There are many other examples, too.

She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?

[–] maggotfarmer 19 years ago

don't forget the sunglasses!

excellent observation, though; this was cited in one of the books on kurosawa as the film's prime thematic device. it made me painfully aware of windows, and the people behind them, everywhere i went. are we being watched and judged by people we've never met, on a daily basis? according to film noir standard, i'd say definitely.

the glass motif was used more recently in michael mann's "collateral", but with no bearing on the plot, played more like a cinematic device. kurosawa is king.

[–] maggotfarmer 19 years ago

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] fearnotofman 18 years ago

That's what I got out of it too, and I made the same connection to Stray Dog. You're in control of your life, and if you have some discipline and work hard, you can make a good life for yourself.

Or, to put it more succintly/cliched, crime doesn't pay.