Live Long and Prosper

Well, it's time. I have considered the other options for a week in a Zen cave, but it is time. The wind is not favourable. 

When I was looking at the schedule of the posts for the second season adventure, I noticed that the topics are probably not beneficial to the readers. That means they are also not beneficial to the project. That means they are also not beneficial to me. If it were my personal blog, the topics would be fine. But it isn't. If it were the proper time, there would be no problem. But this is unfortunately epilogging. This is about how I've been doing since the last season. This is about what I've been dealing with since the last "spring". Sorry, I have failed to eliminate Ban-nan 万難(all the obstacles). This is not just about the topics, this decision has been made based on my comprehensive assessment of the situations. In short, the wind is not favourable.

I selected the topics because they were the best thing I could show you. They were the subjects that I could write with passion. Just shutting everything down is a bit tasteless. So let me digest the second season and share the adventure one last time.

REVIEW: Jason Bourne

Well, let's talk about JB. Jelly Beans? Oh, thanks, that's sweet, but no, not that one. Jack Bauer? That's close. To me, it's Jason Bourne.

The Bourne series

Bourne series is a Hollywood blockbuster movie franchise which consisted of 'The Bourne Identity''The Bourne Supremacy''The Bourne Ultimatum'. Starring Matt Damon. Based on the novels of the same titles, written by Robert Ludlum, but the story was arranged so much and quite different from the original. And recently, the series got a new sequel, that is the film 'Jason Bourne'. 

Why So Bourne

  

I love this series; first, the story has attractive elements — an assassin, a thirty-million-dollar multilingual human weapon, who lost his memory fights alone with the government agency all around the world so as to gain the lost memory and his life. Second, the score fit like a condom — sorry about the indecent figure of speech, but that's because — music by John Powell who also scored 'Face/Off'. The variety of location led to the variety of sound. Last, 'The Bourne Supremacy' was excellent as both an action movie and a sequel. 'The Bourne Identity', the first film of the series, had a fine harmony between story and actions. For instance, a man who has amnesia in the darkness-coming, conspiracy-hiding, melancholic atmosphere of rainy snowy winter John-Powell European places, and a dynamic car-chase on wet streets. The action scenes were rich in variety — CQC, gunfight, car stunt. Then they escalated action scene brilliantly in the sequel 'The Bourne Supremacy'. And Jason Bourne always survives in adverse conditions.

George Miller and His Fury Road

Last year I mentioned the film 'Mad Max: Fury Road', however, not in a fair way. I care for fairness. And I do like this film. But I couldn't show my admiration for the film enough. The fact is, I couldn't sleep for over a year since that post, because of torment. George Miller, whose name is in the title of this post, is a creator of the Mad Max series and the director, writer, producer of 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015) that is the latest film of the series. Today, I want to talk about him and his films —— briefly and casually. Of course. It's Friday. And I'm going to give you "How to see Fury Road". So, shall we?

George Miller, born in Australia, once a medical doctor, now a film producer, director, screenwriter, known for Mad Max series, Babe series, Happy Feet series. According to his career history, it seems that "vigorous participation, thoroughly and meticulously" is his film-making style and he has been making his visions realised besides his film producer business. Let's take a look at his career briefly;

1979 Mad Max

1981 Mad Max 2

1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie (one episode)

1985 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

1987 The Witches of Eastwick

(1989 Dead Calm)

(1989 Bangkok Hilton)

1992 Lorenzo's Oil

(1995 Babe)

1998 Babe: Pig in the City

2006 Happy Feet

2011 Happy Feet Two

2015 Mad Max: Fury Road

Though one person's deep involvement, there is "Lack of unity and consistency", in other words, "Experimental and curious tendency". You can't read him? Well, he reminds us of someone. He's also involved in most of these films as a writer. I like IMDb but when it comes to a guy like him, who takes multiple roles in a film, it's time to see Wikipedia. The table. And it's coloured! Very helpful. 

'Mad Max 2' was epoch-making. Japanese people are familiar with this world because of the Manga series that was inspired by this film. Miller enlightened me about Tina Turner. To me, she is not a singer but the ruler of the Thunderdome. The Witches of Eastwick, as it turned out, Miller made one of my witch-imprinting films. Dead Calm, Miller didn't direct this film but he really showed me how beautiful an Australian actress Nicole Kidman was. Bangkok Hilton, Miller didn't direct this film either but he did teach me how perilous to accept gifts from strangers in foreign countries is and mesmerising Nicole Kidman was. Happy Feet, I saw this when I was in the mood for animated-film without knowing that he made this film, and it was beyond my expectations. So I studied his career, then a small discovery hit me.

About the Second Season

The last year, the last season, the last feature post dealt with the exhibition and the artist. And this season, the first feature post deals with the same subject. It became too large, unexpectedly, actually. The introduction of the post REVIEW Exhibition "Kaii Higashiyama" represents a sequel that begins with right after the end of the previous work, which is JB style. James Brown? No, that's one of the most notable JB in the world, I admit it, but not that one. To me, it's Jason Bourne, The Bourne Ultimatum. It's an homage to my favourite film series and a greeting to you all. Sorry, I'm late. I've been busy. I'm not a full-time blogging adventurer. 


About Season 2

This is the sequel to the last adventure. Its sub-theme is —— "sequel". The sequel deals with sequel itself, sounds like very my taste. The first season: the theme "to go on an adventure and share it", the motto "Sometimes you gotta run, before you can walk", the goal "to attend Hans Zimmer Live", the sub-theme "Heian / Japanese beauty". The second season: the same theme, the same motto, the same goal, the sub-theme "sequel". Okay?

REVIEW: Hans Zimmer Live Show in the Arena of Nîmes

His film music compositions to be felt with the whole body. An awesome show, a memorable night.

On 24th June 2017, in the Arena of Nîmes, a Roman amphitheatre. The theatre was filled to capacity. 08:30 pm, it began on schedule. I visited the event all the way from Kyushu, Japan. My seat was in the stage-right area, on the third level (in France, the second level). The live concert by German film music composer Hans Zimmer who has a successful career in Hollywood big movies was held in the historic city that is located in Southern France, near the Mediterranean Sea. It was a hot day.

44E

"Trains" that run underground the big city. Creak, squeak, screech, motor noise, and I hear the sound of dark past, dark future, serious threat.  4:37 pm. The threat is imminent. The clock is ticking. However, the subway appears to be running on schedule. All I can do now is just to wait as the train jolt us, passengers. I cannot fail this mission. I need to be focused. One mistake could jeopardise the mission.

4:43 pm. "Revenge", well, yes, this thing might be. To have substantial experience. Revenge for hollow illusions. Morale is getting high.

REVIEW: Woman In Gold

'Woman in Gold' is a film, based on the true story of Maria Altmann, an elderly Jewish refugee, who took on the Austrian government to reclaim Gustav Klimt's iconic painting of her aunt, 'Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I', which was plundered by the Nazis.

The trailer of the film caught my attention because it was gold, Klimt, Helen Mirren. The film was compelling.

In the film, young Maria says that the painting is gold but her aunt somehow looks blue. And this is a film of "Blue and gold". The contrast between blue and gold gave me a unique sensation, it made this film alive. "A brisk elderly woman and a young lawyer who has difficulty in his career", "American accent English in a European court", "Painful memories of the defilers in a magnificent city Vienna" and so on. The score has the same characteristic and made this film memorable. Music by Martin Phipps and...Hans Zimmer. I couldn't notice him while I was watching because there was no his signature. In early spring, I heard the news that Hans was saying Auf Wiedersehen to the Spandex, and I've been thinking if he really has retired from "super hero business" what is going to be the next stage? This score might be a hint of it. I am looking forward to his future works.

Hans in the Wind 3: A wind of Japanese Poetry of Spring 2

Fantastic Writer and How to be like Her

Eddie Redmayne, known for the portrayal in 'The Theory of Everything', plays a starring role in the upcoming film 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'. Wow, I cannot miss this film. The film is inspired by the book of the same name written by J. K. Rowling, and she makes her debut as a screenwriter on this Harry Potter spin-off film. Wow, I have to go to the theatre on the opening day. And it is said that she has already finished the screenplay for the sequel. Wow, amazing. I wish I could write as superb as she does.

REVIEW: 'Onmyoji'

Introduction of the films about Heian part 3

Today is the time of Super Heroes. The last decade was an age of Super Hero films. Actually, there is a super hero of the Heian period. There is a film series about him.

Super Hero

His name is Abe no Seimei 安倍晴明, a powerful Onmyoji. Seimei sees what we cannot see, he make Shikigami(sort of lower-class Spirits) serve him, he finds out curses behind unusual things, he chants charms and performs rituals and break them, he practices the art of Onmyō-dō that transcends human knowledge. 

Because he knows what we do not know, he is proficient in Onmyō-dō, he is a gifted Onmyoji.

REVIEW: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Introduction of the films about Heian part 2

A short review of 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya かぐや姫の物語' as a long appendix to the previous post REVIEW: 'The Tale of Genji'.

Film / Director

The film is based on the classic work of the Heian period, 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter 竹取物語', and the plot is basically the same as the original.

Directed by Isao Takahata 高畑勲 belonging to Studio Ghibli, the Mochi director, and my Mochi brother. He has the same type of personal qualities as me. I have sympathy for his philosophy of nature and life. His conclusion is obvious; Mochi. It's everywhere in his works. O-Kiyo おキヨ of 'Pom Poko 平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ' is my ideal girl. 

And again he made this film Mochi, this is Mochi film expect the grown-up Princess and Mikado the Emperor. The Emperor is portrayed as the symbol of Money, Power, Vanity. The Emperor's chin and outfit are designed to be the complete opposite quality of Mochi. Maybe Takahata needed to face this motif as a Mochi director before he ends his career.

REVIEW: The Tale of Genji

You have slept with thousand people? Cool. I am sleeping with people of recent thousand years. --Yeah?

Okay, I have finished exchanging "That's not too bad" facial expressions with some of you, now then shall we dive into the Heian period?

'The Tale of Genji 源氏物語' is a classic work of Japanese literature, written by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, around the peak of the Heian period. 

If you ask modern Japanese people about Heian literature, they will mention this work. Because it is so important, some call it the world's first novel, everybody learns it at school. And also because it is a masterpiece, its story is thrilling and sensational.

Heian Max: Furyū Road

The Heian period, from the 8th century to the 12th century, between Nara and Kamakura period, named after the capital city Heian-kyō, which is now known as Kyoto. Heian 平安, literally "tranquillity and peace", was eventually a relatively peaceful and stable period, and that made possible the birth of Wayō and the prosperity of Japanese literature.

Let me introduce my viewpoint on the period this time.

Wayō(Japanese style beauty) / Karayō(Chinese style beauty)

Everything is connected, more or less. However, if there are particular examples of the influence on Japanese culture, that would be China and the U.S. China is the father, the U.S. is the stepfather. Mother? It's the earth--God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too--of course. In the 8th century, Japan entered an era of the prosperity of its own art, there was a movement away from Karayō then. Wayō 和様 is a contrast to Karayō 唐様. These terms are normally used in the field of calligraphy but occasionally also in general art. The environment develops human mind, and it's a great inspiration. China gave us great gifts, but our natural environments are very different from each other. 

Upper: Chinese / Lower: Japanese

So when our ancestors looked closely at their environment, when they tried to portray what they really felt in everyday life, Wayō had begun as a matter of course, although it progressed gradually and they were wavering between two styles, philosophies. For instance, they say that Sukemasa Fujiwara(944-998) the Saseki 佐跡 described their contradictory feelings at that time as follows, "漢詩だけでは、また和歌だけでは、何かさびしくものたりない、こうして漢詩における自己充足感の減退と、和歌における未成熟の意識と、こういう方向のすきま、空虚を満たすものとして、和漢をならべたてるという傾向が生まれてくる"

Kanamoji / Brush Calligraphy

When Japanese people were still having communications only orally in ancient times, Chinese character was introduced into Japan. In the Nara period, in the 8th century, people started to describe oral Japanese language by Chinese character. In the early Heian period, in the early 9th century, those Chinese characters were redesigned and simplified by men. And by the end of the 9th century, the movement toward Japanese style progressed, those Chinese characters were again redesigned and developed into Kanamoji by women.

REVIEW: The Theory of Everything

I had never imagined that I would pay for a love story until I saw this film. 'The Theory of Everything' is the first love story film that fascinated me. 

This is a love story--of three, based on a true story of the theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking. Starring Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking, Charlie Cox as Jonathan Hellyer Jones. The story describes love in a not overly romantic way, which is very comfortable, and yet there is certainly the excitement of the new relationship. "We are not normal family", Jane says. Yes, their relationships are not simple. But their love was a light, a hope, an inspiration to me.

Acting

Their acting is brilliant. Eddie Redmayne's portrayal is very detailed, and it carries strong conviction. Professor Stephen Hawking has ALS. Eddie Redmayne realistically portrays the progress of the disease, and the character's feelings and traits by limited physicality. Felicity Jones is also a formidable actor, but the delicious part of their performance is not in individual talents or skills, that is in dialogues, face-to-face communications. Their performances resonate with each other, amplify each other. The croquet sequence, for instance, is something beyond play.

A Brief History of me and Hans Zimmer

I'm sorry about the slightly fanatical title. I just summarised this article. We are not related to each other. I just listen to his music a lot.

So, well, let me introduce our history, from 'Peacemaker' to 'Interstellar'.


A TEENAGER BOY MEETS HANS ZIMMER

When I was an elementary school student, I couldn't understand why my classmates were so excited about music--especially Japanese Heisei pop music. I had never given it any serious thought until MJ hit me.

When I'm first grade at junior high, Michael Jackson suddenly gave me a great inspiration, like lightning. He started music inside me. 'History(1995)' is the first music CD that I've purchased.

I love motion pictures, grew up with Hollywood movies and Disney animations. I watched action movies a lot.

In 1997, "What is good film?", "How do I define good music?", "Film music? How does it work? It all feels similar to me. What's the difference?", a third-grade 15-year-old boy kept thinking about sensuous things logically and started to classify cultural things to answer his own question. 


Then I met "Peacemaker",