MovieChat Forums > Vaiburêta (2005) Discussion > To Puke or Not to Puke, that Is Not an O...

To Puke or Not to Puke, that Is Not an Option

posted 15 years ago by Axeyard
4 replies | jump to latest

The 'scenery' reflects the emptiness of the Japanese dream, as does her contempt for the absurd commodification of life: "White Day," when the guy is supposed to support the junk food industry by expressing love or affection via white chocolate: quid pro quo for the chocs received on Valentine's Day, and so on. But there's nothing to put inside oneself as an alternative to materialistic insanity, except maybe a brief touch: 2 days, max, in her case.

She manipulates the guy in the truck, actually. He has to endure her puking and insanity, her mood shifts, all for a little bit of companionship: the sex is almost secondary and is initiated by her. Then, at the end, she says that *he's* consumed *her*. That seems to me the false note in this movie. There is madness, disease, but this doesn't fit, somehow. It feels like over-correction for the need to portray a woman who comes out on top, as the dictator of the narrative. The guy isn't consulted. That's a bit cruel, considering all the crap he's had to put up with. Not too many guys want a nutcase on their hands and this guy comes across as being mentally stable. When she had the breakdown at the truck-stop, his attitude was above and beyond the call of duty for a truck-driver.

She needs to get her hands on some proper medication and stay off the booze. But she won't. All quite real. Which is what makes this movie tolerable, for all its faults. There is so much crap out there that even something like this seems pretty good. At least it's honest in its mistakes.

So, she's not changed at the end. There's no transformation at all. But that's the way life is, most of the time, for most people. Movie theory demands a change in the character. This doesn't give one. She's back at the same place, buying the same booze, she knows the voices will be back; she's just had a momentary respite. Maybe that's a smile on her face, that's about it.

Maybe that's why a lot of people don't like it much. She pukes up the emptiness of the dream until there's nothing there. That's one thing that punters don't want to see. They should have gotten married, raised a family, started a whole new cycle of disease. Let's be grateful they stopped it while they still could. Decent enough movie, but I'm grateful too for the fast-forward button on my viewer.

[–] polysicsarebest 14 years ago

This movie rules.

Good analysis, though.

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pre·ten·tious: characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.

[–] bonaparta 14 years ago

i just watched the movie and then read your text. I liked your first passage but after that I dont agree. you´re taking sides of how the girl was this and the guy that. your view is materialistic as you say she should get medication as if that cures her problems. Pills would be a merely a cover up in her case. She saw how she could get coured namely by having companionship but her world is ultimately too corrupted for it to last.

Her ending thoughts were harsh I agree. One could symphatise with him and wish for a happy ending as they embrace and give the viewer the romatic completion that they crave for.
But these were her thoughts and thats why they were valuable as to staying true to the character.

all im saying is that there is much more to this movie than can be expalined by a simple western point of view.

Putting children in this diseased world? I dont understand this. The world is always full of problems, diseases, pain and suffering but that was always and will always be as that gives joy its name because its rare and desirable.

[–] KFL 13 years ago

"White Day" is probably, for most Japanese women, the single day of the year when they feel most vulnerable. They're suppose to receive white chocolate or some such from the man/men who are thinking of her.

Rei of course hasn't received anything, doesn't expect anything. That feeds on her depression.

The "He consumed me" at the end is translated clumsily, though I'm not sure what is better. Perhaps something like, "I didn't change him--he changed ME".

IOW, pretty much the opposite of what you've assumed here. She IS changed...somewhat. Although she still ends up buying the liquor at the convenience store.

I liked it a lot more than I had expected to. But this is one film that's going to be hard to recommend, just 'cuz it will affect different viewers in very different ways.

That's what his stare has been saying to me all along: 'At least I galloped--when did you?'

[–] Killingforcompany 13 years ago

That was a very cynical analysis, I must say. Especially the last bit about continuing the cycle of disease!

She obviously felt a sense of happiness and comfort with the truck driver. Whether it was ephemeral or not doesn't lesson the experience that she spent with him, and this movie was just a snapshot of that particular moment that they were together. The voices are going to return because she is no longer with him. She was able to put the voices to rest because she was with him and for a moment she wasn't consumed with herself - her own thoughts, neurosis, etc.

Was the truck driver well adjusted? Depends... he did lie about his past. What about being a compulsive liar? He obviously had some sort of self-esteem issue because he had to make a bunch of stuff up about his past.