4 comments

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  chris

  1 year ago

  I went to the cinema yesterday and saw 'Sakuran'
  http://ninamika.com/en/photographs/index.html
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  Ninja

  1 year ago

  Oh, the color in her photographs are so vibrant and wonderful! so how did you like her film?
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  chris

  1 year ago

  (I only meant to proffer an opinion, but it would be easy to write a whole essay!)
  
  I am not normally a fan of Manga, and viewed the film mainly as it was included in a festival celebrating women filmmakers; the director, writer and star are all women.(7% of directors, and 12% of screen writers are women)
  
  Essentially it is a garishly saturated tale of prostitution, love and manners, but like most Manga(in my opinion) the story is weak, characterisation is thin and the ending unsatisfying; but it looks sumptuous and sounds good too.
  
  It naturally has some valid points to make about celebrity and success, the class system and politics, and the role of women both in life and in culture. The goldfish and flowers motif is about right, and the film has an interesting feminine point of view. It is such a refreshing change to see films made by women(I am not generalising, I love hearing other points of view), though some of Kiyoha's actions would not have been out of place coming from a male action hero and there was a curious wrestling ring feeling in some of the brothel scenes; the so-called sex war is never far away.
  
  The soundtrack features rock, pop and jazz but it fits the rather modern steampunk style(think 'Tank Girl' and 'Marie Antoinette'. It is uncompromisingly a women's film(in the sense that it's subject and authors are women) and in the end is about love and the freedom to choose one's own destiny.
  
  I loved the tone and the colours, Anna Tsuchiya is a very good likeness for Kiyoha, and it has a fabulous trailer; Kiyoha's promenade scene is beautiful - really classy. The night I saw the film was very hot and the cinema environment was rather sleepy, but when I watch the trailer I can't help feeling I would love to see the film again.
  
  It is a glorious spectacle and genuinely inspiring, but somehow disappointing. It looks great, sounds great, has a great attitude, but doesn't quite deliver on the promises made by the trailer.
  
  "If ever a film could sashay, it would be Sakuran" - Olivier Ozoux(I think)
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  Ninja

  1 year ago

  My goodness, Chris, thank you for that bit of information. Yes, I imagine you could very well write an entire essay!
  
  Hmm, I could use some eye candy (steampunk fashion would be an added bonus). I do hope you're referring to Tank Girl the comic series and not the movie. Even though you mention that it's a tad disappointing, I think I may add it to the queue (after a few others, of course).
  
  Have a lovely weekend and as always, thanks for popping in!
  
  Cheers,
  Ninja
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