Japanese film: DOLLS (2002)

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Dolls (2002) directed by Takeshi Kitano

I had originally planned to talk about Eat, Drink, Man, Woman for the Asian film I watched for this class; however, an unexpected opportunity brought me to this film, so I thought I would discuss it here.

We have a wonderful colleague here at Carson, Josh, who teaches English, Philosophy, and Cinema, and he often will invite classes other than his own to watch an intriguing film. A few weeks ago, he offered this film to my regular 10th grade English class, so we went. I was worried that the students wouldn't stay with it as it is very slow moving, very quiet, and full of vivid images. However, I was pleasantly surprised at both my students and my own enjoyment. Here sat many of the most rambunctious kids in school, and they watched and tried to understand the symbolism, and were able to discuss advanced elements of archetypal imagery. Almost every kid stayed awake (hey, that's an accomplishment early in the morning!) and most at least had an appreciation for what they watched.

The film focuses on the characters' emotions, but the overall premise of the movie is this:

Throughout Dolls we feel as if we are observing the life of two Japanese Banraku dolls on an inner journey to escape the prison of their reality as they tell their story through three couples who seem to be struggling with similar themes and emotional issues. [The kids didn't get this part right away]

The centerpiece is the sad story of Matsumoto and Sawako. These two youngsters plan to get married, but then Matsumoto caves in to pressure from his parents to marry the daughter of his boss. On the day of the wedding, Matsumoto finds out that Sawako tried to kill herself. Matsumoto leaves the wedding to get Sawako out of the hospital, and he leaves everything (his parents, his job, his future) to take Sawako away.

But Sawako is greatly ill from her traumatic experience and is almost child-like, especially in the way she wanders off, so Matsumoto ties them together with a blood-red cord, and they become known as the 'bound beggars.' Their wordless, hypnotic wandering lets them encounter others who have their own pain in their lives.

Along the way we also pick up the story of an elderly Yakuza gangster, haunted by memories of the lover he deserted three decades earlier and generations of "brothers" for whose deaths he was, in the accepted order of things, responsible. Another strand is added to the imagistic weave via Haruna, a doll-like pop idol and Nukui, a fantatical groupie "blinded" by devotion to her. Literally!

We watch as they struggle with their lives, which have been made nearly unbearable by their mistakes and decisions. Some may have the capacity to end happily, but all will clearly struggle. This almost silent contemplative art is much more poetic than dramatically complex and yet intricately woven so as to mingle the dreams and imaginings of six souls longing for completion. [Josh's question to the students: Perhaps examine the IMAGES you see in this film. What do they represent?]

I think this film was beautifully photographed and choreographed (when you see the film, you'll know what i mean), and it is something I would not have thought to watch. However, I remembered the lecture that we had on Japanese theater, and the opening and closing pieces show the masterful puppetry. I think this film could be used in a history class, but most specifically in a drama class. Once you've seen the film, you can really see the connections between the motions of the puppets and the characters in the center of the film. I was lucky in that my students actually stuck with it because it is very quiet, but I think it can be useful both in the use of clips or the film as a whole. I highly recommend Dolls.

[Edit by="cnorth on Jan 2, 4:52:54 PM"][/Edit]

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