Film Reviews- any films related to East Asian culture/history

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

anybody have recommendations/ reviews of films related to East Asia? post here

[Anonymous]

Take a look at Film Festival in the Asia in My Classroom forum.

[Anonymous]

You might try checking out "The Painted Veil." I found this film fascinating because of the time it is set in. There are several reviews that include a synopsis, and aside from the love story, there is a great deal of information about China, its rural customs, the friction between the governments, warlords, and the rising revolutionary forces, and the missionary elements in this setting. Not a waste of time, and I could see using portions in the classroom to demonstrate to students what happens when you have so many factions vying for control in a situation.

[Anonymous]

Another teacher at my school has used the Japanese film 'Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara' to teach students about mood and motif. It's a horror film and was remade in the US under the title 'Dark Water.' When talking with the teacher after viewing the film, he pointed out that the film creates extreme suspense and fear in the audience, but never once shows a drop of blood (It is rated PG-13). This is an interesting contrast to popular American horror films that my students frequently rush out to see. I admit to nearly screaming once...

[Anonymous]

I watched the Korean film "Oldboy" and it was fantastic. It won several awards, including one at Cannes, and I can see why.

The premise is that a man named Oh Dae-Su is taken hostage and imprisoned in a room for 15 years. He is never told why and he has no idea who has kidnapped him. When he is finally freed, he is told that he has 5 days to determine who captured him and why.

As he tries to figure out what has happened, Oh Dae-Su encounters a variety of savory and unsavory characters. He careens through the city (Seoul, I believe) chasing answers. The final scenes in which he confronts his captor are phenomenal.

The movie was actually recommended to me by a student who plans to study film in college, and even though it contains quite a bit of violence and sexual content there are several clips that one could use, especially to show a large Korean city. There is a great fight scene that reminds me of an old side-scrolling video game a la the original Nintendo.

Check this film out. It's worth your time.

[Anonymous]

I wasn't a big fan of the movie. I do agree that it does highlight rural Chinese culture but I'm not sure how useful it could be in a Middle School classroom. Even High School kids might find the movie a bit too long and l boring.

[Anonymous]

I'm so glad I read your post and can't wait to see "Oldboy." This sounds like it will be a useful movie for my tenth grade classroom. Each year I enjoy reading the Chekhov classic, "The Bet" which is included in the William's Law approved text, Elements of Literature, 4th Course for the tenth grade. This is a story in which a banker and a lawyer get into a heated debate about corporal punishment and imprisonment that ends in a bet in which a man wagers 15 years of his life in solitary confinement. It is a very interesting read that many of my students usually appreciate.

This story sounds like it may have many of the same themes as "Oldboy" and I can't wait to view it. I'm confident I'll be able to find a clip that will be useful next time I read "The Bet" with my classes. Thank you very much for your post. You may enjoy the following links:

for the full text of "The Bet."
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Bet.shtml

for a wonderful cartoon of the Anton Chekhov classic, "The Bet."
http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+bet+by+anton+chekhov&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=IwxKSuWeEI24M5ai4K4E&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=841009249#

for more information about "Oldboy"
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=oldboy&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[Anonymous]

I'm so glad I read this review and will try to get a copy of "Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara." I saw the remake entitled, "Dark Water" and remember kind of getting into it, but definitely felt that some poor decisions at the end kind of ruined the film. It was supposed to be scary but turned kind of silly and childish toward the end. It was one of those films that gets so corny that even the other people in the audience start to audibly make fun of it even before it's over. I was into it, but it just fell apart at the end. I'm glad to hear it was only a remake and now I can't wait to see the original.

[Anonymous]

I viewed the film "Shinobi, Heart Under Blade." I saw it on sale at Best Buy and thought I'd give it a try. It has beautiful cover art and it was included in the Toronto After Dark Film Festival where one viewer called it a masterpiece. It was also featured at the New York Asian Film Festival and was an official selection at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2006.

A critic at the Seattle International Film Festival described it as, "...Romeo and Juliet meets special effects, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, soaring-through-the-air..." and also wrote, "It's gorgeous, absolutely heart-breakingly beautiful."

It takes place in 1614 after the Tokugawa Shoguns have united Japan and the land begins to feel at piece. The story is reminiscent of "Romeo and Juliet" because it deals with young lovers who belong to remote ninja clans that have long been in a feud with each other. The film has subtitles that at one point even use the words, "...star crossed lovers." But here is where the similarities with "Romeo and Juliet" end.

Overall I think the film was too bloody and some scenes were just too disgusting for use in school. To me it seemed to have far more action than story and I don't think I would use it in my class at all. In addition, it's also rated R, but hey, at least it was on sale.

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