MovieChat Forums > Akarui mirai (2003) Discussion > recent review

recent review

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

I just saw the movie. I was taken by surprise at first. The NYTimes made it out to be a horror type film. I saw Kurosawa's "Cure" and enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't be surprised if Hollywoood creates a remake. I digress.

For me, the movie was definitely about a clash of two culture, the young and the old.

As for the structure, I found it to be very unique. Every image was new in my mind. I've never seen anything like it before. It had a narrative structure that I would enjoy studying. It surely is different then what I learn at a college in Rochester, New York.

One person in the person saw some very interesting things in the film that is very persuasive. I can definitely see the symbolism of Che Guevara and everything revolved with that.

In the end, I appreciated the movie and would recommend to those who are looking for more adventureous stories.

Until then,

WJ BOOKMAN

[–] wildstrawbe 19 years ago

I didn't really "get" the Che Guevara t-shirts thing but I thought it was hilarious and a great way to end the film. I think you made a good point when you said that this was about the clash of the young and the old.

[–] badtothebono 18 years ago

"It had a narrative structure that I would enjoy studying." What does that mean?

"It surely is different then what I learn at a college in Rochester, New York."
Do you mean "than"? Huh? It seems just like you what you seem to have learned. Both this film and you like to take up time without actually saying anything.

"One person in the person saw some very interesting things in the film that is very persuasive". "Person in the person", is that like penetration?

"everything revolved with that." What the???? Please, tell me you didn't get into a college. Please.

[–] ratherbnjapan 17 years ago

i think its been discussed that the che guevara thing was really irrelevant. supposedly it was totally a costume designer's choice and kurosawa had nothing to do with it.
anyway, i didn't really get the horror film thing that people say either. i will say though, that the scene with mamoru in his dad's shop while yuji was sleeping, was actually a bit scary somehow, or at least creepy.

[–] danielklembara 12 years ago

I think its not irrelevant. I understand it without thinking about it, cause here the iconic graphic of Che Guevara face is symbol of youth and revolution. I thought its like that everywhere. Isint it?

[–] KenMishima 11 years ago

Wannabe neo-revolutionaries and post-modern anarchist college kids love wearing Che Guevara shirts because they think it's some type of gesture of noble revolution and defiance against TEH MAHN and all that jazz.

But that's not what this film was about. The fact that the kids were wearing the shirts just showed that they're the exact type of youth that I mentioned in the opening sentences of this post. In other words, aimless kids existing with faux-ambition. Not like I've never been there before, albeit minus the worship of false idols (people who still don't realize that Che wasn't so noble like people think, unless you think murdering innocent civilians for no valid reason is noble and valid revolution.)

I also don't think the film is about the "clashes between the old and the young". Take the film's title to heart. The film is a diatribe showing the harsh reality of modern-day (even then, and it's still like this today) of apathetic, boring, eventless everyday lives of ordinary people. Unlike a lot of Kiyoshi-san's films, this phenomenon is more than just a cultural thing -- it's bigger than Japan. This is worldwide. Any devout Kiyoshi fans will know that many of Kiyoshi's films have very strong social commentary undertones (sometimes overtones), usually as just one of the many layers which his films are comprised of.

Yes, there seems to be friction from a few young characters and older ones (Mamoru and Yuji for the young, Mamoru's dad and the two mens' employers), but take note of how *all* four of these characters (including many introduced and observed elsewhere throughout the film) are leading boring, drone-like lives. The father is confined to his little salvage shack day-in day-out, unappreciated and unnoticed by society. The boss openly and annoyingly pines for the days of his youth gone by, and desperately tries to "fit in" with Mamoru and Yuji. Meanwhile, the two young men are both leading dead-end lives working in some boring, mundane plant, where they are given the grand offer to *gasp* work there for the rest of their lives! (effectively)

So yeah, this film is overall really depressing, but maybe it's because it shows how lame reality can be at times. Yes, the film has its fantasy elements, but who cares? Real life has a lot of fantastical moments in it as well, and Kiyoshi is a master of his craft who knows how to effortlessly intertwine film and reality.