2012 MUBI World Cup Voting, Match #59: Japan (Silence Has No Wings) vs. Wales (The Other Side of the Underneath)
I could do with seeing more Kuroki films myself- Preparation for a Festival and Assassination of Ryoma are highly thought of.
Japan (Silence Has No Wings) 1 – Wales (The Other Side of the Underneath) 0
Great pick for Japan I nearly submitted this one. Bergman could learn a few lessons from Kuroki. What a beautifully visual film. I’ve been away for a while but I finally have seen two films in a pairing.
Oh yes Preparations is fantastic.
I was intrigued that Jane included this song in the film, i wondered if it brought her to tears as it did me, it’s one of my favourites. Here is it sung so beautifully by Roy Clark back in the day.
I fell in love with the early imagery of Wings being emotionally attached since childhood to caterpillars and butterflies, holding my breath when the train bore down on the fragile beautifully made little lifeform – and more recently in my literary project have been required to research butterflies and found them truly fascinating, sadly they have greatly diminished in our every day environment down here. I felt a lot for both films, but Underneath seemed ultimately the weightier work. I was moved by a lot of it, but that old woman chanting was heartbreaking to me, thinking of the feeble futile attempts so many elderly or mentally ill women must make to keep at bay the intrusive/and or abusive practitioners carers and so on in institutions. Nightmare stuff.
Yeah, Silence has no Wings is very beautiful- hats off to Suzuki Tatsuo. I would be happy to see it again. So I will have to see Preparations, then.
Because it’s a much smaller subject, i know Welsh cinema better, really, though even then i need to see The Silent Village (which might be next in line in this world cup) and Cukor’s The Citadel.. Others from Wales worth seeing: Hedd Wyn, about a young poet who goes off to fight in WW2, and Eldra about a romany girl and a fox. Both in Welsh, set in beautiful North West Wales. Submarine was Sight & Sound film of the month- not bad and quite popular.
Bringing the 2 countries together there are Japanese films by the Welsh director John Williams, e.g Firefly Dreams. Or Miyazaki animations with a Welsh influence- Howl’s Moving Castle and Laputa, Castles in the Sky
Japan (Silence Has No Wings) 1 – Wales (The Other Side of the Underneath) 0
I’m not keen on a lot of Country music but that Roy Clark song is excellent and he has a fine voice. At 51 maybe i left it too late for a singing career. Meg, you’re convincing me to love Silence has no Wings more. At first it got me thinking of the entomologist in Woman of the Dunes, and has similar close-ups of flesh (as does Hiroshima mon Amour, another film that came to mind)
Your Welsh list proved quite insightful. Until now, I had drastically undervalued Wales’ contribution to cinema. I didn’t know Richard Ayoade’s Submarine was a Welsh film. I saw it earlier this year and loved it.
I think this match is tied 6-6.
Patagonia is quite a tender film, about a photographer and his girlfriend (pretty Nia Roberts) who go to Patagonia and hit relationship problems, while an elderly Patagonian woman of Welsh parentage travels to Wales to visit her mother’s home, accompanied by a young lad who gets friendly with the singer Duffy. I sensed the exact spot it was destined for, my favourite lake and valley in Wales! Separado is a documentary road movie cum historical comedy drama cum musical cum gaucho Western, with singer Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals travelling briefly in Brazil and then Patagonia in search of his Welsh Patagonian singing gaucho uncle.
@ Meg and others interested in butterflies; there’s a short film While Darwin Sleeps, on youtube or my list A Collection of Films Chosen in Honour of Alfred Russel Wallace
Silence Has No Wings has made a comeback. The final hours of voting will be interesting. Either way, this is exciting and I’m so glad I decided to start posting here.
I hope we get to see at least one of those films in the Cup.
Well, if Japan wins then i’ll look forward to (hopefully) a new discovery!
oops, sorry, i was posting in the wrong place
Very nice insights by Matt and Jorge. I enjoyed that bit Jorge described and was besotted by the use of the third person voice over and some of the camera angles were truly breathtaking. Reminded me of Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil at times. I just wish these assorted moments had made a holistic impression on me.
Thank you, Rohit. You essentially just described how I felt about The Other Side of the Underneath. It has some excellent moments, such as the ones I just described, and I have been unable to get the crucifixion image out of my mind since, but those moments failed to add up to a fulfilling overall experience for me. I can see myself giving it a second viewing in the future, although likely not anytime soon.
Japan (Silence Has No Wings) 0 – Wales (The Other Side of the Underneath) 1
Is the final whistle due to blow or is there injury time?
In the meantime….
wake up riss!!!
final score is japan 6-wales 7
kenji would u like to do the honors seeing as it’s your submission? perhaps u could then sing your national anthem in welsh for our entertainment. i’m not going to post the new match as i’m sure riss will be back soon xD
let’s just make it official shall we
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad,
Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.
Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad.
Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i’r hen iaith barhau.
Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd,
Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn, i’m golwg sydd hardd;
Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si
Ei nentydd, afonydd, i mi.
Os treisiodd y gelyn fy ngwlad tan ei droed,
Mae hen iaith y Cymry mor fyw ag erioed,
Ni luddiwyd yr awen gan erchyll law brad,
Na thelyn berseiniol fy ngwlad.
love the way welsh looks. now if kenji will sing for us… congratulations wales!!
beautiful Kenji – congrats to Wales, a good match. Andhika certainly had a better run here than with Forbidden Door.
w00t for Wales!! Sorry I wasn’t around to close it. I really need this vacation!!!
It was a great match. Both films represented their country well, as there was only a one-point difference in the score, and both films prompted plenty of intelligent discussion. I voted for Japan, but congratulations to Wales and Kenji!
I enjoyed the animated short. The style is eye-catching, and I appreciate the surreal imagery.
Apursansar submitted the film too. Thanks to Andhika for a very worthwhile discovery for me, and so, more to check out by Kuroki.
Matt Thornton
While I have not seen it, I’ve actually heard of Patagonia, assuming you mean the 2010 film. I don’t believe it was commercially released in the United States.
I appreciate the recommendation and I have just added With Beauty and Sorrow to my MUBI watchlist. I have seen very little Asian cinema, so I will try to find this one. Are any more of Kazuo Kuroki’s films worth a look?