Scarlet Road (朱の路 2002)

Scarlet Road (朱の路, 2002) was the first completed film from Tomoyasu Murata’s acclaimed stop-motion Michi (Road) Series. I have read that he plans a total of five films in the series, three of which have been released so far. I am not sure of the order in which they are meant to be screened. Although Scarlet Road was the first film released, the DVD cover for Indigo Roadclaims that it is Episode 1.I...

Teinosuke Kinugasa (衣笠貞之助, 1896-1982)

The National Film Center at the National Museum of Modern Art is currently running a special exhibition on the life and works of Teinosuke Kinugasa (衣笠貞之助, 1896-1982) to celebrate the 110th anniversary of his birth.Kinugasa rose to fame as an oyama (female impersonator) in theatre and from 1917 in Shimpa silent films. In early silent cinema in Japan it was quite common for men to play the roles of...

Mr. Children's Hero (ヒーロ、2002)

In my ongoing investigation into the work of Tomoyasu Murata, I discovered that he re-edited the short film Shiro no michi (White Road, 2003) into a music video for the popular J-pop band Mr. Children (aka Misuchiru). It was a strange experience to watch the images accompanied by a pop ballad, when the original film is much more quiet and reflective. At least it gives you an idea about the look...

Lost in Translation (ロスト・イン・トランスレーション, 2003)

This piece on Sofia Coppola’s Oscar winning film, Lost in Translation, has been quietly simmering away in the back of my mind for the past three years.My husband and I went to see it on our first date since the birth of our son at the wonderful repertory cinema, the Exeter Picturehouse in Devon, England. My husband had just accepted a job at Tokyo University and we were heady with excitement at the...

Murata: Black Room & White Room

Acclaimed animator and artist, Tomoyasu Murata (村田朋泰), has opened a new exhibit at Gallery Momo in Roppongi called “Black Room & White Room.” Murata’s work embodies a wide variety of styles and techniques. If someone new to his work watched his film Sakadachi-kun (Handstand Boy) Intently Running (さかだちくんひたすら走る!, 2005) back-to-back with White Road (白の路, 2003) one would be surprised to discover that...

Marie Antoinette (マリー・アントワネット , 2006)

Sofia Coppola’s vacuous film Marie Antoinette (2006) is as decadent as the aristocratic world it portrays.The ingredients of this confectionery of a film include a high volume pop soundtrack, sumptuous costumes, Manolo Blahnik shoes, elaborately arranged dinners and desserts, and of course, the most luxurious set imaginable: Versailles.It is a shame that all this elegance and attention...