Sunday, May 18, 2008
Tokyo Sonata - Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Masterpiece
There was a special screening of Kurosawa Kiyoshi's Tokyo Sonata a couple of weeks ago, but it fell right on my birthday so I wasn't able to attend. As you know, it's now screening in Cannes' Un Certain Regard programme.
Now, my comrade Tom Mes has just posted his impressionistic review over at Midnight Eye. Without hesitation, he deems it Kurosawa's masterpiece...
See all my TS-related posts here.
Update: Variety Japan reports on Saturday night's screening in Cannes, where an audience (including directors Leos Carax and Wong Kar-wai) of over 1000 people saw the film, culiminating in sustained applause and a throng of people waiting in the lobby to compliment Kurosawa and the cast members.
"I'm pleased and honored for the film to be shown in Cannes, but at the same time it's also scary. People often leave in the middle of screenings. But when the film was over I was surprised at how positive the audience reaction was, and that people were waiting in the lobby," said Kurosawa.
I believe it's the first time a film with my name in the credits has screened in Cannes, and I couldn't be happier that it was this film. Hopefully the first in a long line...
Update 2: Screen's man in Cannes, Dan Fainaru reviews the film here, while Variety critic Derek Elley weighs in with his opinion here.
11 comments:
...i was reading it this morning, first thing. gives me a good sense of what the film's about, so i'm even more interested to see this than just about anything else right now. no sign of trailer yet though.
I'd upload it myself but it's not my place. I'm sure it'll be online soon. Domestic release is now set for fall.
I wouldnt expect you to.
credited for what, remind me?
Cosplay extra.
...i remembered, a soldier - i think? or a sailor moon character?
A soldier who wears Sailor Moon undergarments.
...you haven't put me off. i still want to see it. the film.
So you hope to play a soldier who wears Sailor Moon undergarments in many more films to come?
I hope to be a director like von Stroheim that has actors wear specific underwear to get in character.
For those who read french, few comments start to pop up too :
http://www.chronicart.com/cannes08/cannes08_19.php
http://www.liberation.fr/culture/cinema/festival_cannes_2008/les_films_quinzaine/327126.FR.php
http://cine.blogs.liberation.fr/cannes_2008/2008/05/tout-le-monde-d.html
In short : a very strange and emotional moment when Kurosawa had said about his wife (seriously ill since last week and hospitalized at Tokyo) that the rain outside was "a sign from her, her way to be next to him". Great film. Moving ending. Bong Joon-ho totally loved the movie but he's a big Kurosawa fan anyway. Leos Carax seems moved by it too. why it's not in competition?
Can't wait to see it (jan' 09 in France, it's gonna be a looong wait).
Thanks for the comments and links (I studied French for about five years but can barely speak it, unfortunately).
In this article on the festival's official site, Kurosawa mentions his wife's illness. They're an inseparable pair, so I hope she recovers very soon.
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