settima

Japan

悲愁物語 [Hishu monogatari / A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness] (Seijun Suzuki, 1977)

Apr

13

1997 Masters Tournament

悲愁物語 (1977)

Reiko, looking fabulous, dropped down next to a sand-filled bunker. DP: Masaru Mori.

Golf (or a tiger) in honour of Tiger Woods' 1997 Masters Tournament victory.

 

Reiko (Yoko Shiraki), a professional model – is groomed into playing the circuit by the editor of a golfing fashion magazine. The rookie's unexpected success draws in all sorts of fans, including the obsessive.

ビルマの竪琴 [Biruma no tategoto / The Burmese Harp] (Kon Ichikawa, 1956)

Apr

8

花祭り

ビルマの竪琴 (1956)

Mizushima (Shōji Yasui) holding his harp, looked over by the reclining Buddha. DP: Minoru Yokoyama.

A film about Buddhism, or set in Japan, in honour of the birth of Buddha, celebrated in Japan on April 8 as 花祭り (Hana Matsuri, aka Flower Festival)

“Can't you see that whatever you do is futile? The armies of Britain and Japan can come and fight all they wish. Burma is still Burma. Burma is the Buddha's country.”

– old monk

While stationed in Burma, Mizushima disguises himself as a dhutanga, a wandering Buddhist monk, burying the remains of his fellow Japanese soldiers.

みな殺しの霊歌 [Minagoroshi no reika / I, the Executioner] (Tai Katō, 1968)

Apr

3

1968

しの霊歌 (1968)

A newspaper headline for April 3, 1968: “COMPANY DIRECTOR'S WIFE NEWEST VICTIM”. DP: Keiji Maruyama.

“With bar hostesses, there's a type who are likely to be murdered.”

父ありき [Chichi ariki / There Was a Father] (Yasujirō Ozu, 1942)

Mar

31

a father

父ありき (1942)

Father and son fishing in a creek. DP: Yūharu Atsuta.

A father for OP's father's birthday.

 

A father, and proud teacher, raises his son alone. When the boy is an adult and a teacher himself, the elder's traditional concept of societal hierarchy affirms the balance between the generations.

野獣死すべし [Yajū shisubeshi / The Beast Shall Die] (Eizō Sugawa, 1959)

Mar

30

7 p.m.

野獣死すべし (1959)

Kunihiko Date (Tatsuya Nakadai) driving along at night. DP: Fukuzō Koizumi.

“He’s not a beast. No, he’s a robot. A machine created by a modern, twisted society.”

ドキュメント 路上 [Document Rojo / On the Road: The Document] (Noriaki Tsuchimoto, 1964)

Mar

26

Road Traffic Act 1934

ドキュメント 路上 (1964)

A look from a Tokyo cab driver's perspective. We see the dashboard, heavy trucks ahead, and behind, and the reflection of the driver in his rearview mirror. DP: Tatsuo Suzuki.

Bad drivers: the start of compulsory driving tests in the UK was established on March 26, 1934* with the Road Traffic Act.

“This film portrays the traffic war that goes on every day. — Tokyo, 1964”

– opening title

*I find no solid proof to support this statement

絵を描く子どもたち [E o kaku kodomotachi: jidōga o rikai suru tame ni / Children Who Draw] (Susumu Hani, 1956)

Mar

13

Youth Art Month

絵を描く子どもたち (1956)

A little girl painting. DP: Shizuo Komura.

An artistic child for Youth Art Month (USA).

 

Small children work with clay, paint, and other materials. Under the camera's watchful eye, we see their work come to life.

聖母観音大菩薩 [Seibo Kannon daibosatsu / Eros Eterna] (Kōji Wakamatsu, 1977)

Mar

7

immortality

聖母観音大菩薩 (1977)

The yao bikuni (Eiko Matsuda) rises from the ocean. DP: Hideo Itō.

An immortal character on the date Highlander (1986) was released.

– Dont raise your voice! I'll kill you if you make a sound.

– Would you please?

When a woman eats the flesh of a 人魚 (ningyo, litt. “human fish” but in Western context commenly translated as “mermaid”), she may become a 八百比丘尼 [yao bikuni], an 800 year* old Buddhist nun granted youth and longevity.

 

*The number 8 symbolises growth and prosperity. Larger numbers starting with 8 indicate that the amount is endless, comparable to saying “hundreds/thousands/millions of […]” in English. Therefore, 800 years can be understood as immortal.

憂國 [Yūkoku / Patriotism or the Rite of Love and Death] (Yukio Mishima, 1966)

Feb

26

1936

憂國 (1966)

Reiko (Yoshiko Tsuruoka) walking through her lover's blood, her kimono drenched. DP: Kimio Watanabe.

Covers February 26–28, 1936.

”'I know how you feel,' Reiko says quietly. 'And I will follow you wherever you go.'”

– intertitles

猫と庄造と二人のをんな [Neko to Shōzō to futari no onna / A Cat, Shozo, and Two Women] (Shirō Toyoda, 1956)

Feb

20

Love Your Pet Day

猫と庄造と二人のをんな (1956)

Shōzō (Hisaya Morishige) on the beach with his beloved cat Lily. DP: Mitsuo Miura.

Someone owns a pet on Love Your Pet Day (UK)

“I'm sharing my husband with a cat. This is humiliating!”

– Nakajima

Shōzō is torn between his ex-wife and his current spouse, but really just wants to spend time with Lily, his cat.