Thoughts & recommendations

EratiK Member

From: Paris Registered: 2010-07-15 Posts: 874

Hey.

I'd like to share some things Japanese related, but not create a different thread everytime, so here goes. It'll be mostly books and movies.

Recently I've seen 砂の女　(Woman in the dunes). A true masterpiece (not a B movie like I usually recommend). Black and white.

I remember some of you complaining about Japanese bureaucracy awhile back. It's true once you've mastered the language, there is still the cultural barrier, which is problematic because it relies heavily on unconscious stuff.

In order to get aware of this cultural dimension, I'd recommend an author -- most of you have probably already read -- I'm studying this semester, called Edward T. Hall. Sure, the formulation is a bit dated, but the principles are essentially sane. I've read two books so far: The hidden dimension, and The dance of life. One deals with how space is apprehended in culture, the other is about how time is. Both have a chapter on Japanese culture.

Incidently, Hall's definition of the primary level of culture is pretty close to what Levi-Strauss calls structures. To enrich your perspectives on Hall, and on anthropology, I'd recommend another book The savage mind (by Levi-Strauss) I've also read recently.

Well, that's it for now. Enjoy.

EratiK Member

From: Paris Registered: 2010-07-15 Posts: 874

Feeling a little gore right now, so I thought I'd recommend Gothic & Lolita Psycho, if you haven't already seen it.
Not an everlasting classic, but a must-see, like Tokyo Gore Police, or The Machine Girl. ^^

Last edited by EratiK (2011 July 27, 5:46 pm)

definitely Member

Registered: 2011-04-25 Posts: 14

Adrift in Tokyo
Memories of Matsuko
Twilight Samurai
Zatoichi: Darkness is his Ally
Nobody knows
Air Doll
The ballad of Narayama
A silent Duel
The Human Condition i, ii, iii

Just a list of films I thought were particularly insightful or just enjoyable to watch (zatoichi )

I'm not a big fan of those B grade movies, althoooough Big Tits Zombie was entertaining I guess muahahah.

If you liked Woman in the Dunes, maybe you'll like Onibaba... I wasn't too fond of suna no onna though. [spoiler] I guess I found it frustrating at the guys inability to escape, when it didn't seem impossible. He wasn't blindfolded when escorted to the pit. And he could have just run along the beach waters edge to escape. If the film had created situations that were at least believable I might have enjoyed it more. Actually that part still pisses me off. lol![/spoiler]

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Oniichan Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2009-02-02 Posts: 269

2 movies:

Confessions / 告白 (2010) <---- Dark

キサラギ (2007) <------ sort of a whodunit (with a funny ending)

EratiK Member

From: Paris Registered: 2010-07-15 Posts: 874

I've encountered this cute page (don't be afraid to refresh it, the servers always behave weirdly):
http://www.kanjizone.com/fourkanjiidiom … tegory=All
There's about 90 4-kanji idioms. Do you know them all?

@definitely
Woa, thanks very much for a great, consistent recommendation!
You don't muck about. I haven't watched the Human Condition yet, but I probably will someday. All the other movies were really good, and so different. I have a sweet spot for Tasugare, Matsuko and Adrift. If you have more like that, keep them coming.

Also, I've watched other works of Nakano Takao (Big Tits Zombie), and I'd like to recommend a couple: Killer Pussy (which is like Big Tits Zombie), and The Glamorous Life Of Sachiko Hanai (which is more of an experimental movie, very interesting).

I saw Onibaba as a teen on television, but I never got the title, so thanks for letting me be able to watch this classic again.

Last edited by EratiK (2011 September 11, 8:48 am)

definitely Member

Registered: 2011-04-25 Posts: 14

Man, Woman and the Wall (pinku lol, but also with a funny/quirky plot - also I think ties into "Air Doll" touching on the loneliness theme or break down of communities in apartments/big cities - bit of a stretch lol.)
kuroi Ame
The taste of Tea
Ramen Girl (Brittany Murphy - A bit cheese/tacky at times but watchable - I think it's one of her last movies )
High & low - can be quite slow, an old kurosawa film so not for everyone.
The Hidden Fortress... also kurosawa, worth watching tho imo.

some really well known ones are

Tampopo & Shall we dansu, but you've probably seen these, i'll mention them nonetheless.

My movie recommendations are running out I'm afraid.
Usually I check out IMDB to read reviews before seeing any movies lol... so I think my choices will be pretty solid

I've seen quite a few other films - but these were my picks really. There might be some I've forgotten.

Last edited by definitely (2011 September 11, 8:46 am)

EratiK Member

From: Paris Registered: 2010-07-15 Posts: 874

Just to follow up on the 四字熟語, someone made an Anki deck with 3300 of them, using a spreadsheet from Katsuo. Check it out if you're interested.

PS: sorry definitely, haven't watch the second recommendation yet. I'll have spare time in the summer.

Last edited by EratiK (2012 January 16, 4:03 pm)

chamcham Member

Registered: 2005-11-11 Posts: 1444

There is a really good book called "making sense of japanese".

It is an attempt to explains the nuances of the language by focusing on what is happening inside the japanese mind. It helps you to understand how native japanese see the world.

It also has the best explanation (20 pages) of "Wa vs. Ga" that i've seen in any book.

Really awesome read.

Last edited by chamcham (2012 January 16, 4:55 pm)

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