Fall 2014 #15: Seven Samurai (1954) - Akira Kurosawa

I don’t know how my Fall 2014 Movie Bucketlist got to be 16 films, but don’t worry, there’s one more on this list! After that I’ll get started on my Summer 2015 Movie Bucketlist.

Yeah I know watching new movies is exciting. So this is probably the one on the list I was most nervous about, because it was by far the longest film on my list. The original cut that ran in Japan in 1954 was 3 hours 27 minutes. The American cut was barely two and a half hours, since everyone knows Americans can’t sit through anything. Thankfully the Criterion Collection has the full original cut…

So at literally over an hour longer than the second longest film on this list (Rosemary’s Baby, 2 hours 16 minutes), watching this film definitely seemed daunting.

On top of that, samurai films are not my favorite genre. I mean they’re not my least favorite genre either (cough Westerns). I had seen an Akira Kurosawa film before, Yojimbo, in a film class, so I knew I could count on a good story, even if the acting can sometimes be seriously off-putting.

Basically, as for the plot, a small town of farmers in 1587 Japan enlist a group of ronin (masterless samurai) to protect them from the bandits who threaten to steal all of their crops. The first hour or so of the film involves the farmers finding the first samurai, an experienced warrior by the name of Kambei, and then him helping them assemble the team of seven samurai with them. A hero-gathering montage!

That’s Kikuchiyo, the unwanted seventh samurai.

So the team of samurai decide that the farmers will finish their harvest, and then begin a war with the bandits to protect their crop yield. Cue Intermission.

Once the war begins, the film is a classic (although incredibly modern for its time) action movie. Kurosawa used almost four times the original intended budget for the film, shooting for 148 days in fully-constructed peasant village.

But it sure is one hell of a war. Over the course of a few days, the samurai continuously outsmart and outlast the bandits. At this point, the bizarre unity of the clever and courageous samurai and the terrified but ambitious villagers fighting to defend their harvest reminded me of something.

The similarities between A Bug’s Life and Seven Samurai are actually startling. A victimized village of poor farmers turn to what they believe to be a group of warriors to help defend their harvest from bandits. In A Bug’s Life, the warriors actually turn out to be circus bugs, but using their ingenuity and wealth of resources, the two groups work together to protect the villagers.

So the samurai aren’t circus-folk… but they do have their unique cast of characters that make them strong. There’s a love story, a massive rain-storm during the final battle, and even a harvesting montage. Pixar you are busted.

But I did some research, and apparently Pixar has never commented on these similarities. Instead, they explain that the source of inspiration for A Bug’s Life is none other than one of Aesop’s Fables, The Ant and the Grasshopper, a moralistic story about how it pays to be prepared. There’s not even a wise samurai leader spouting platitudes about things he learned in battle.

Oh well. The film was nominated for two Oscars, best Costume Design for a Black and White Film and Best Art Direction for a Black and White Film. It’s also #20 on the IMDb Top 250, the highest ranking Asian film. If you have three and a half hours you should give it a try!

Day 2: January 4th, 2014: Citizen Kane (1941) - Orson Welles

So this may be a jump in the opposite direction from Spirited Away, but I don’t think it would’ve been possible to finish my college film education without seeing what many critics consider to be the greatest film of all time.

I had the strange experience of watching Citizen Kane while knowing literally nothing about the film except for the ending, thanks to many film professors for spoiling that one. To be honest, I didn’t even know it was directed by Orson Welles, meaning I basically felt like this any time it came up in conversation.

Citizen Kane, according to Wikipedia, is a film à clef, meaning that it tells a nearly true story with a veil of fiction, mostly through changes in names. The subject of the film, newspaper tycoon and politician Charles Foster Kane, is modeled after William Randolph Hearst, a real-life newspaper magnate and politician who used sensationalized stories to influence the American public into buying papers (thanks Newsies). 

The film is told in the period after Kane’s death, when a news reporter named Jerry Thompson tries to discover the meaning of Kane’s last word, “Rosebud.” He interviews many of the people in Kane’s life, including his second wife, Susan Alexander, his estranged best friend, Jedediah Leland, and his butler, Raymond. Each character allows the story to dissolve into flashback, where they recount Kane’s life after his mother discovers a gold mine on her land in his youth and sends him away to be educated by Walter Parks Thatcher, a banker. Because it’s a black and white movie from 1941, some of the time I was like:

but most of the time I was like:

Charles Foster Kane is a great character to follow though, because he is forced to grow up in wealth after spending his early years in poverty, so he spends his time crusading for the rights of the working class. But he is also horribly selfish and enigmatic in terms of morals and convictions. He’s kind of like the Gatsby of the depression era.

One thing I didn’t know while watching the film is that director and writer Orson Welles plays his own main character, Charles Foster Kane. I always find this interesting because even though back then most acting was unfulfilled and dry, being the early years of the Group Theatre and Method acting, Orson as a writer brings more insight into his complex character than any actor could. One thing that I did find a little off-putting is that they only used makeup to age Kane from his early 20s to his 80s. Meaning the nearly senile Kane looks like this.

Only a little too much makeup I think.

But besides that issue, Citizen Kane definitely delivered in terms of how the narrative reflected a troubled millionaire in search of some kind happiness. Not that it’s very sympathetic, but still I thought it was a great portrayal. Welles ended up winning a Best Screenwriting Oscar for the film, and pretty much everyone with a computer has seen this gif:

So between the timeless gif and the lasting cinematic prestige, Citizen Kane definitely solidified its place in our American cultural history, and it’s certainly worth seeing.

Day 1: January 3rd, 2014: Spirited Away (2001) - Hayao Miyazaki

So I spent the past four months in the land of wine and cheese, Paris, and unfortunately I did not make the time I would have liked to to continue this blog. On January 2nd I got back, and after a long early-evening I succumbed to jet-lag by falling asleep at 8pm. Now that the effects have mostly worn off (I still wake up at 7am but whatever), I have come up with a fun proposal for how to spend my arctic-temperature-filled winter break. I have made up a list of 15 movies that I consider to be classics and necessary viewing for anyone interested in film. I am going to watch one film every day from January 3rd until January 17th, and I will give myself 24 hours to blog about it. Most of these films are films I’m slightly ashamed to admit I haven’t seen, so I’m not going to make excuses for myself. Now without further ado, let’s start with Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar winning 2001 film Spirited Away.

I basically had no idea what Spirited Away was about, and now that I’ve seen it, I understand why it’s nearly impossible to explain. It’s very unlike American animated cinema, with fantasy worlds being drawn out very clearly, with explanations as to why everything exists the way it does. Another film which came out in the same Oscar year, Disney’s 2002 film Treasure Planet, is Treasure Island but set in a galactic universe. There are humans and there are aliens, they live in an integrated society and for an American audience with a cultural history of Star Wars, that raises no questions. But Spirited Away draws on Asian culture that I haven’t been as exposed to (unless you count Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was done by animation companies in South Korea and draws on anime tropes). Spirits exist in this world but we don’t know what they do or what their purpose is, we just catch them at this snapshot in time. Lucky for us, Pixar’s John Lasseter is friends with Miyazaki, and Disney approached him to supervise the English language translation and distribution of Miyazaki’s films. That means that the main character Chihiro:

is Daveigh Chase, AKA Lilo:

and her work friend Lin:

is Hercules’ (and the stage version of Beauty and the Beasts’) Susan Egan:

and Chihiro’s friend Haku:

is Hairspray, 30 Rock, and X-Men’s James Marsden:

In the most basic terms, the story is about a young girl Chihiro who finds herself trapped in the spirit world after her father takes a wrong turn on their way to their new house. She meets a boy named Haku, who protects her and tells her that she must get a job at a spirit bathhouse to keep herself safe (since the spirits don’t like humans). The bathhouse is under the control of the witch Yubaba.

Definitely what makes the story most interesting is that no character is inherently good or evil, but each one has his or her own individual set of morals and values. Even though the spirits despise humans, they grow to like Chihiro as her work ethic solidifies her place in the bathhouse. And as they come to accept her, the audience sees Chihiro coming into her own as a young girl who could hardly let go of her mom’s hand in the beginning of the film.

Miyazaki wanted to tell a story about a 10 year old girl who would serve as a role model for other young girls, and Chihiro definitely grows to be both courageous and clever beyond her years. I spent my whole childhood thinking that Disney and Pixar owned the children’s animated film market because no other company put as much heart into their films as those two did, but now I know of another company whose films are basically this:

And I’ll try not to hold a grudge for the fact that Spirited Away beat my favorite animated film of all time, Lilo & Stitch, at the 2002 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. 

Monsters University (2013) - Dan Scanlon

I don’t shy away from telling people that Pixar is the most magical, inspirational production company working in film today. In our post 90s-Disney world, someone has to step up and put all of the pointless sequels and movies based on children’s toys (I’m talking to you, The Lego Movie) and TV shows that are before its own target audience’s time (Smurfs) to shame. And Pixar fills that role time and time again.

Now I know what you’re thinking, Pixar is in a slump of unnecessary sequels and some “meh” movies. Cars 2 was a disgrace (I’ve never even seen it), and I still hold the belief that Disney forced them to make it. Brave was pretty and heartwarming but a bit of a mess in terms of having a coherent story. So without having made a great movie since 2010’s Toy Story 3, Pixar had a lot riding on their first prequel. And that’s why I went in with a lot of expectations, but also why I walked out trying to wipe the tears from my face before the two other families in the theater with very young kids saw me in the light.

I’m not saying the film was perfect. In fact it had an almost identical formula as two other films about college, Sydney White and House Bunny, where a well-intentioned hero turns a group of ragtag fratbros/sorority sisters into popular winners through a lot of trial and error, plus transformation montages. But unlike Despicable Me 2, which I saw three days before, the film had what Pixar repeatedly proves it has, and that’s heart. Cue corny music. 

One thing I loved about the film is that they turned Mike from this funny egomaniac that you just laughed at in the first film into a fully developed, hardworking underdog. I found him so inspirational and courageous that you just root for him from the first scene, where, on a school field trip, he sneaks into a door on the scare floor and sees a real scarer in action. He is forever changed and works incessantly until he has earned his place at the top scaring school, Monsters University. Which is great, because it proves that no amount of difference (he’s made fun of for being so small and not scary) can keep you from accomplishing your dreams.

And yes he’s still lovable and these little easter eggs that reference the first film are magical when you see them. And once at school, Mike meets James P. Sullivan, the self-righteous legacy who got in only because of the merits of his father, Bill Sullivan. Sulley is naturally talented, unlike the intuitive and book-smart Mike, and the two dislike each other from the get-go. But when fate leads them to have to join the least popular fraternity and win a campus-wide scaring competition to prove their worth and not lose everything they had worked for, the two learn to understand each other’s differences and combine assets to make a great team. The film is relatable, touching, and teaches the value of friendship. Also it has a college setting, which is a nice touch considering the first film came out 12 years ago, so most of the target audience then is now in college.

FYI this is just a shot from the teaser trailer and isn’t in the film. So aside from Pixar being the studio that touches hearts around the world, they are also successful enough to afford a quirky and talented cast of voice actors. There’s Billy Crystal and John Goodman as Mike and Sulley again, and Bonnie Hunt (I’m not sure if Pixar secretly owns her or she just loves working for them, because she did Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc, Cars, Cars 2, Toy Story 3, and Monsters University) who plays Mike’s elementary school teacher. They also got Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation, Safety Not Guaranteed) to play an unattached, goth announcer for the Scare Games, but I guess you could have figured that out.

They also got Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Horrible Bosses) to play a new age philosophy major named Art, who basically has all of the best one liners in the film because of how strange he is.

Overall, Monsters University isn’t one of the many unnecessary sequels that fill the younger generation’s heads with animated garbage. Pixar has made 14 films, all premiering at number one at the box office, and 7 have won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Out of those films, 4 are not original stories (Cars 2, Toy Story 2 and 3, and Monsters University). Also Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo, is on the horizon. Before that, they had two original films coming up, The Good Dinosaur, and Inside Out. In my opinion, Pixar has earned the right to a few sequels, because aside from Cars 2, they understand that sequels are more than just quick money, but that they can also further a story so beautiful that it needed to be revisited.

Wreck It Ralph (2012) - Rich Moore

After an extended period at college, it’s good to go home and take a break. On my first night of Spring break, I decide to watch my favorite Disney movie of the past 10 years. For people who know me, Lilo & Stitch came out in 2002, so we’re good. I ordered the DVD and accidentally had it sent to my home address, so this was my face when I came home and saw the DVD in my house.

 Wreck-It Ralph is Disney’s 52nd animated film, and their fifth CGI animated one. (Can you name the others? Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, and Tangled). The original story was written in the 1980s (so… Pong and Pacman would be the only characters?) and then rewritten in the 90s. Finally, the script was settled on, and the cast was signed on. The story is basically the Toy Story of videogames. Within our reality, there is a world where videogames characters are conscious beings who live entire lives behind our backs. At night, when the arcade closes, all of the videogame characters get to interact, explore other worlds, and question their existence. Ralph, played by John C. Reilly, or:

So Ralph comes from the game Fix-It Felix. Voiced by the amazing Jack McBrayer.

The game is simple, Wreck-It Ralph destroys a building, and the player fixes it with Felix’s magic hammer. The movie starts on the day of Fix-It Felix’s 30th anniversary as a game. All of the characters are excited, except Ralph, who the citizens of the game despise for being a villain. Motivated by his insistance on proving his worth, Ralph leaves his game to go to a Halo/Call of Duty type game, Hero’s Duty, to win a medal for being a hero. That’s where he meets Sergeant Calhoun, played by Jane Lynch.

After basically destroying the game, Ralph manages to win a medal, and takes a space ship and crashes it in Sugar Rush, the Mariokart-type racing game inside an entire world of candy. There, he meets Vanellope von Schweetz, aka Sarah Silverman.

Vanellope is unfortunately a glitch of the game, and the ruler of her land, King Candy, refuses to allow her to race. Ralph befriends her and helps her try to win a race. Then everything goes wrong and the movie is literally amazing. This was me the whole time, because this was my second time seeing it and I knew how emotional the ending was.

The movie is not only powerful, it’s also hilarious. Here is a bitchy Sugar Rush racer trying to stop crying. It was also me the entire ending.

And even though the movie creates original videogame characters for us to relate to, it makes great, nostalgic references to ones we all know and love. Here is Q*bert being sad and Pacman gasping.

The ONLY reason this movie did not win the Academy Award for Best Picture is because the average age of the Academy member is 62, and that means they didn’t grow up playing videogames. The plot also deals a lot with code and programming (not that you need to understand either to get the movie) and I could see how it could be lost on older voters. 

Despite this drawback of the Academy, the film is everything I want in a Disney movie. It’s appealing to all ages, as well as emotionally powerful. I prefer it over Brave in so many ways, and the two had a good run battling it out across award season. Wreck-It Ralph took the Annie Award, the Critics Choice, and the Producers Guild, while Brave took the biggest of the awards, the Golden Globe and the Academy Award. Despite the losses, Wreck-It Ralph has much more complexity to its plot and its resolution is so much more heart wrenching. I can’t praise it enough.