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Three Kurosawa posts by Wabisabi

Reading Wabisabi’s latest Kurosawa related entries at her blog Beniguma, I just realised that I didn’t link to his earlier post on The Bad Sleep Well. I should have, as it was quite good.

So, here you are now, three recent and rather straight-to-the-point articles by Wabisabi on three of Kurosawa’s earlier films:

1. First of all, Wasbisabi gives us a few observations regarding The Bad Sleep Well.

2. Then she has given us some thoughts about One Wonderful Sunday.

3. Finally, there are her thoughts on Stray Dog.

I look forward to reading more of Wabisabi’s opinions on Kurosawa’s films. And, by the way, the short pieces that she has written on her blog about other Japanese films are also well worth reading.


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Wabisabi

Actually, it’s ‘her’…

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Vili Maunula

Oops. Apologies for the error of judgement. I have now amended the text accordingly.

The whole day I have been fighting against the urge of watching ‘One Wonderful Sunday’. And Dodesukaden, just to see about the link you mentioned. But there’s other things to do, as always…

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Jeremy

I dont instead this to be rude, but it appears to me that she only watch the film once, to me some of her comments and observations would differ upon a second viewing. I did enjoy reading her articles,
I think the comments on Stray Dog, where among the best and well done.

Regarding the question on the lost gun in Stray Dog, as if it could simply be replaced.

After WWII handguns where very rare even among police and military forces.
The detectives (Murakami) attachment to the gun is for many reason. Like a samurai sword, this is tool for survival, its regarded as a honor to own and the thought of losing such a item is unthinkable. To be a young detective and lose your gun, would be the biggest folly one could make. There perhaps is no simpler task for a detective then to keep his gun with him at all times. I dont believe the police force would give him a new weapon and his desire to resign would be expected. Giving the chance to keep his position, he must therefor prove that he deserves it, reclaiming the gun is the bare minimum he could do. If not to bring back honor to him and police department, then for the simply fact a criminal with a gun, would in a sense be unlimitedly powerful. The criminal has equaled the playing field with the police and has more power then other criminal, he can kill without effort or skill.

However this is truly minor to the whole story, the gun is really irrelevant. The act of the stolen gun is a simple plot device, and the passion of the search as mention in Wabisabi’s article,metaphoric of his “soul”

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BMWRider

A law enforcement officer losing his or her weapon anywhere in the world is likely to be unemployed. Additionally think about the huge guilt one would bear when the thief began using the weapon. I never really thought the movie was “culturally” unique, just inciteful into the mindset of officers.

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Wabisabi

I agree. When I look back at the movie reviews I wrote, say, five years ago, I find that I no longer agree with what I said anymore. It is also true that I only watch a movie once before blogging about it. I am no professional critic and do something very different for a living. My posts are not meant to be the final say, just something ephemeral to work off the thoughts and feelings I had right after I watched a film.

Thank you for all the information related to policemen and guns. Very helpful for someone as young as I who grew up with the proliferation of guns in society at large.

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Vili Maunula

I personally really treasure a reflection that I can read from a person who has seen some Kurosawa film for the first time. This is especially true when the writer doesn’t just repeat something he or she has read somewhere else, but in fact gives us personal reflections on the film, as Wabisabi has done in her posts.

After all, the opportunity to watch Kurosawa’s films for the first time is lost for those of us who have watched all of his films repeatedly, and read so much about them. The closest we can therefore get to the feeling of a “first viewing” may therefore be other people’s reports.

Also, I don’t personally value a first viewing any less than, say, a 130th viewing (not that I would have seen any Kurosawa film that many times). Neither of them, to me, is any more authoritative or authentic an experience — they simply come with different contextual settings.

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Jeremy

Wasisabi- I wasnt intending to say, that you were wrong, nor did I believe you thought your comments to be definitive. I just personally had a different view then your. I too have written and said things about movies, years ago to only completely disagree with myself years later. I do enjoy reading intelligent comments regardless if they differ from mine or not.

BMWRider- I was reading a few months back, the FBI, critized for the amount of weapons and laptops that are lost yearly. Labtops that the government consider top-secret have been lost with no record. Many government issued weapons have been reported stolen, it appears the FBI does nothing more then replace the officers weapon. It would be nice to think they would but some effort into returning, their items, but declare it a waste of man power.

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Jeremy

Vili, you must of posted as I was typing, but I fully agree.
I did instead to make comment, to the fact the review was original and not just a recite of the previously mentioned.
I’ll stand by my original comment, but I hope she didnt find it to be insulting by any means. I do disagree slightly with what I originally wrote and should of understood that a first time viewing, could be in fact be a more insightful look upon a film.

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Vili Maunula

Jeremy, one could of course now point to your first and last comments and say that neither of them is a more authentic or authoritative comment — they simply come with different contextual settings. 😉 But, more seriously, I’m pretty sure Wabisabi didn’t take your comment the wrong way.

Interesting stuff you wrote about FBI’s losing their stuff. I actually wonder how many of their employees just walk out with their laptops and report them “missing”…

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BMWRider

I believe that FBI losses are in storage, not in field weapons. Also weapons that are lost while working in a harsh environments, like those lost in the ocean while boarding ships for inspection are not as critical as those lost on inner city streets. I have only heard of one person who lost a pistol, and he paid dearly for it. His career changed soon after.

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Vili Maunula

Guys, I think you’ll need to stop talking about this, or some Hollywood producer will notice and next year we’ll have “Michael Bay’s Stray Dog”, starring Jamie Foxx and Sylvester Stallone, and set in the US of America. 😉

Actually, if I were the producer, I’d get Scorsese to direct, and cast Matthew Perry (yes, “Chandler Bing” from the TV series Friends) in Mifune’s role. Scorsese, I think, could be one of the few contemporary directors that I know who could “contemporarise” the film without making a mess of it, and I have simply always wanted to see if Perry has what it takes to play a straight dramatic role. For some reason I have for a few years now believed that Perry would be excellent in a role similar to this, but he would need one heck of a director to guide him into it.

What do you think? If you were told to produce Stray Dog to contemporary audiences, who would you get? Or would you just jump out of the window?

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BMWRider

I liked Luke Perry in Jeremiah, he could make the role of the cop his own. I would like to see Val Kilmer as the thief. I think he could make the character almost sympathetic, though an offbeat actor who would do a great job is Jeff Conway.

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Jeremy

I rather be known as the guy who jump out of the window, I;d even do a back-flip to add some originality to it, then the one who made a new Stray Dog.

I would of never guessed anyone would pick Matthew Perry or even Luke Perry, Indeed no one less then Scorsese could pull this off. It would be the surprise of a lifetime or the greatest disaster.

I would too pick Scorsese to direct, to me their would be little doubt to his effectiveness to make it correctly. As for actors, I guess I would say Don Cheadle but thats a big maybe.

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