Table of contents:
- 1. Paprika (2006)
- 2. The Tale of Princess Kaguya, (2007)
- 3. Nobody Knows (2004)
- 4. Tokyo Sonata, (2008)
- 5. Hungry Lion, (2017)
Video: 5 touching Japanese films that will leave few people indifferent
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Japanese culture is wide and multifaceted, and therefore it is not at all surprising that talented artists, screenwriters and directors give the world not only amazing anime, but also touching dramas, fascinating, fairy tales. Today we will tell you about the five brightest representatives of Japanese cinema, by which it is impossible to pass by.
1. Paprika (2006)
Based on the novel of the same name, Paprika is a Japanese animation classic that even jumped across the Pacific Ocean and gained immense popularity in the United States, where it was widely released. This sci-fi psychological thriller is a dizzying dream that turns into a waking nightmare in a matter of seconds.
The multi-layered, incredibly vivid and mysterious film tells the story of Dr. Atsuko Chiba, who, upon entering her patient's dreams, assumes the role of the detective's alter ego: Paprika. The plot is complicated when the devices used to infiltrate the dreams of her patients are stolen, and therefore used for much more insidious purposes. Paprika explores the deepest corners of the subconscious of his patients in bizarre and frightening dreams to prevent the citizens of Japan from completely losing their sanity and self-esteem.
This captivating animated film was created with the intention of blurring the line between fact and fiction. Unlike Disney cartoons and other forms of animation, Paprika is more than just an escape from reality while hiding from mundane problems. There is no limit to the imagination as such, but perhaps the most memorable element of this anime is its connection to reality and a dysfunctional dreamworld that can still be manipulated by those with the means to enter it from the real world.
2. The Tale of Princess Kaguya, (2007)
Created by Isao Takahata, this is one of Studio Ghibli's most anticipated and brightest animations, based on a 10th century Japanese folk tale about the bamboo carver. Takahata is known for taking the time to take eight years to finish this film, which tells the story of the life of the princess and her fate. Unlike other animations, The Tale of the Kaguya Princess is entirely line art. Refraining from graphic editors and various computer programs, Takahata painted everything by hand. The plot of this picture is not only a broken heart and loss, but also identity.
The story begins when a bamboo carver, Sanuki, discovers a small child in the forest that fits in his palm. He brings the wondrous child home to his wife, and together they take care of her, watching how gradually over time the girl turns into a beautiful girl, whose appearance and charm prompts Sanuki to marry her "daughter" for a princess and move to the capital to live a more beautiful, noble life. The princess has a hard time adjusting to this new life and yearns for her home in the woods and the friends they left behind.
3. Nobody Knows (2004)
Hirokazu Koreeda is one of the most recognized Japanese directors of our time. His latest work, Mambiki no Kazoku, won the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Well known for his attention to detail in family drama, Koreeda has long been making feature films as if they were stylized documentaries. A film titled Nobody Knows (Dare mo Shiranai) is a great example of this.
In a society prone to not being criticized by the daily media, Hirokazu's films focus on family circumstances, exposing Japan's social dilemmas on a much larger scale. In the drama Nobody Knows, the director masterfully portrays the situation with children, where the elder brother Akira, who is only twelve years old, takes care of his two younger sisters and brother in a Tokyo apartment. This picture tells about the touching affection of four children for each other and how they spend time alone. And it is not at all surprising that when watching this film, tears come to my eyes from the surging feelings and experiences.
4. Tokyo Sonata, (2008)
Having lost his job at a respectable company in Tokyo, the Japanese employee is immersed in his mystery. He doesn't tell his family about his unhappiness and he carries his shame with him wherever he goes, often leaving home under the pretext of work, but instead heading to overcrowded agencies or even homeless shelters serving food. Meanwhile, his son Kenji, a sixth grader, decides to secretly start taking piano lessons against his family's relentless wishes.
Sentimental to the core, especially in its final scene, this film tells the story of how strong the internal pressure of Japanese society, in which the loss of a job is equal to the loss of one's own identity and life purpose.
5. Hungry Lion, (2017)
Hungry Lion premiered at the 2017 Tokyo International Film Festival, and viewers were at a loss for how to react. The main character of the film, Hitomi, a popular student of her high school, is under suspicion that she was the same girl in the erotic video, which captures the student with her homeroom teacher. Suspicions turn into continuous accusations, even the closest people doubt her furious denials. With each passing day, the pressure from relatives, loved ones, friends and acquaintances becomes stronger and stronger, and in the end the girl makes a desperate decision - to turn to the media.
Ironically, the film, in particular its ending, was highly controversial in the discussions that followed its release. Perhaps this is a testament to the success of the film's own criticism of criminalizing victims, especially young girls and women, who have a different story than the one being told.
Continuing the theme - whose work is admired all over the world.
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