Twenty-fourth. Saint Jack by Peter Bogdonovich (1979)

Saint Jack (1979)
Director: Peter Bogdonovich

I've decided to do my own impression of Jack Flowers in Saint Jack.
Feel free to click on the photos for a better image!

A rough sketch...


Trying to bring out our saint...


Adding the tattoos: Saint Jack and Merlion stands for Singapore.
The halo over the Merlion symbolises a saint.


The prostitute cigar


My impression of Saint Jack (:


[1] Movie Review: Saint Jack (1979). Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9502EFDF173EE732A25754C2A9629C946890D6CF
[2] Saint Jack. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/saint-jack.html
[3] Saint Jack. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://www1.epinions.com/review/mvie_mu-1018088/content_13583421060

Twenty-third. Betelnut Beauty by Lin Cheng Seng (2001)

Betelnut Beauty (2001)
Director: Lin Cheng Seng

To be frank, I did not like this film at all. I felt that the romance of the betelnut beauty and the protagonist was at a very shallow point of view. If there were any other hidden meanings in this film, I may not have understood it. I could not find an explanation in the reviews either. However, this film may bring the attention of the Taiwanese culture as betelnut beauties are often seen in Taiwan. It kind of exposes me to the different cultures and perhaps into the gangster realm. Additionally, I did not like the erotica elements within this film, partly because I felt a little weird watching it. It was not my usual cup of tea and it is still not a nice cup of tea to me. haha

The expression I gave after watching this film was

:/

[1] Betelnut Beauty by Wong Lung Hsiang. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://www.filmsasia.net/gpage139.html
[2] Betelnut Beauty (2001). Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/67673/betelnut_beauty.html

Twenty-second. Red Cliff 1 by John Woo (2008)

Red Cliff (2008)
Director: John Woo



In a nutshell, Red cliff is based on ancient china history the Battle of red cliff which happened during the end of the Han Dynasty and immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in ancient China. However, director John Woo decided to alter the historical basis of the movie using his own feeling and modern feelings in order to make the movie widely accepted by the mainstream audiences and marketing. In spite of this, the gist of the story remained the same as its history that is the fewer and weaker defeating the more and stronger.

Red cliff is the most expensive Asian financed film to date, and this can be shown from the movie’s epic war scene with realistic CGI effects. The filming took place at the real historical site of red cliff, which I feel give the movie a more realise feel rather than having the red cliff being created through computer effect.

In a campaign to eliminate the southern warlord Sun Quan and Liu Bei, Cao Cao brings forth his 80,000 soldiers and succeeded in conquering the southern provinces and lunging forward. Everything seemed lost, but Zhuge liang managed to bridge an alliance between Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Despite still being outnumbered by Cao Cao staggering 80,000 soldiers, the alliance with the wits, knowledge and courage of Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu managed to defeat Cao Cao at the red cliff.

I feel that the movie is intelligently thought out, with large emphasis on the Chinese Art of War (Sun Zi Bing Fa). For audiences who know nuts about china history and Art of War, this movie will provide a good insight to it. Director Woo clearly depicts the various Chinese Art of War strategies in the movie such as the Eight Trigrams Formation.

I particularly like the acting of Tony Leung as the quick witted, composed and courageous Zhou Yu. He succeeded in projecting the character of Zhou Yu in his masterful acting and facial expressions, despite the fact that he was burned out after filming Lust, Caution prior to accepting the role of Zhou Yu. Besides, who would've thought that Zhu Ge Liang could be so handsome! Haha. Overall, Red Cliff is a good film to watch, thumbs up!

[1] The Battle of Red Cliffs. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/34History359.html
[2] Review of Red Cliff. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2008/07/review-of-red-cliff.php

Twenty-first. Howl's Moving Castle by Hayao Miyazaki (2004)

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

"What he (Hayao Mizayaki) creates is not a kiddie movie that appeals to adults, but an adult movie that appeals to kids; that said, it requires a certain suspension of disbelief – not conceptual, but conventional – to be able to endure the many twists and turns, most of which go unexplained, that Miyazaki presents his audience."

- Todd Gilchrist

I absolutely loved the film. Just like any of Hayao Miyazaki's films, his imagination and fantasy like animation never failed to impress and captured my heart. It's so beautiful, and for whichever reasons, it makes me tear every time I watch and re-watch his films. These are my favourite parts in Howl's Moving Castle.

Howl's clumsy moving castle

Hmmm! I've got to stay calm...


I move the castle!


Sophie's kindness


You can come here whenever you want, Sophie


We can't let those bombs kill anyone anymore.


You're so warm and fluttery like a butterfly, Calsifur


Wow Sophie, your hair looks just like starlight. It's beautiful...


[1] Howl's Moving Castle Review: A terrific little fantasy that will arouse one's childlike curiosity. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://movies.ign.com/articles/624/624042p1.html
[2] Howl's Moving Castle Review. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://omohide.com/1778/howls-moving-castle-review/
[3] Howl's Moving Castle by Jasper Sharp. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/howlsmovingcastle.shtml
[4] Review of Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Retrieved on 1 May 2011 from http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2011/03/review-of-howls-moving-castle-by-diana-wynne-jones/

Twentieth. Nang Nak by Nonzee Nimibutr (1999)

Nang Nak (1999)
Director: Nonzee Nmibutr

I watched Nang Nak together with my friends Xiaoting, Peishan and some other friends that were not from this course. As all of us were very afraid of horror movies, we took a deep breath and a leap of courage to bring ourselves to watch this very popular Thai horror movie in 1999. That was why we had to gather many friends, the more the merrier. Still, the experience of going through the horror elements in the film especially towards the last part when she starts to go to the temple to haunt all the monks was really agonizing. Our hearts almost stopped when we watched it. Our faces were like…



If we were to follow Abbas Kiarostami’s style of filming faces and portraits of actresses while they watch a movie like in Shiri, filming our faces when we’re watching Nang Nak would turn out into a comedy instead. And we made sure that this would be the only horror film that we’ll be watching for this film diary.

After the EXCITING film, this was the conversation that we had.

Yvn: Wahh… that was damn scary lah!

XiaoTing and Peishan nods furiously.

Peishan: But I feel that the wife is really quite poor thing, because she was just unlucky that she died when her husband is away and that she lost the child too.

XiaoTing: Yeah, at first it was kind of peaceful and we knew that she meant no harm, she still wanted to take care of her husband and imaginary child.

Yvn: And her undying and overwhelming love really gave her a lot a lot of power for her to create an illusion for such a long time for her husband…

Peishan: But I believe it is because the husband had also a very strong love for his wife for him to be under the illusion…

XiaoTing: It was quite sad that when he realized something was wrong he tried to kill his ghost wife by burning down the house. I sympathize with Nang Nak actually in this case. She must have felt very hurt and betrayed that is why she is so angry.

Yvn: But I think exorcising her is the only way to be liberated from the pain. In the first place, it was no one’s fault that she ended up this way. When she went into labour, I’m sure the villagers also tried their best to help her.

Peishan: Actually, I’m always very interested in these kinds of folktales. Although she does not have long hair, her face is really scary with all the effects and her mouth that is always very black.

XiaoTing: Yeah, the black thing that the villagers always keep chewing on… What’s that?

Yvn: Don’t know… haha. I always want to watch horror films because I’m very curious about how the characters, normally a girl or woman, turns into a vengeful spirit because of the people who harmed them. But I would always regret everytime after watching it cause I’ll think too much and won’t be able to sleep at night.

XiaoTing: Imagine watching in a theatre where the sound effects are really very loud and scary!

Peishan: But from research, I found out that the tale of Nang Nak is one of the most popular in Thailand. People really believed in it and they have a shrine for her. It is said that if you pray at her shrine, the spirit of Nang Nak will protect you. It is still very popular in Thailand now.

XiaoTing: Yeah the shrine has a statue of Nang Nak in gold. She is also carrying her baby. Maybe the shrine and the tale remind the Thai of a wife’s loyalty and love and how benevolent this love is.

Yvn: Wow, her statue sure looks really really creepy...


Paying respects to Nang Nak at her shrine

[1] NANG NAK Thailand 'GHOST WIFE' SLOW MOVING SUPERNATURAL ROMANCE. Retrieved on 30 April 2011 from http://www1.epinions.com/review/mvie_mu-1102083/content_191578672772
[2] One of the most popular Thai Ghost Stories. Retrieved on 30 April 2011 from http://ghostsofthailand.com/Nang_Nak_Thai_Spirit.html
[3] Nang Nak Ghost Shrine. Retrieved on 30 April from http://www.richardbarrow.com/unseen-thailand/nang-nak-ghost-shrine.html

Nineteenth. Blissfully Yours by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (2004)

Blissfully Yours (2004)
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul



Above is a montage of our favourite scenes from Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Blissfully Yours produced in 2004. We (Xiao Ting, Peishan and myself) have decided to come together to watch this show together after FIL230 session, a week after we had made friends with one another during Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee who can recall his past lives.

In our own opinion these scenes were our favourite only because they were the more aesthetically pleasant ones. It was also because of the following reasons:

For instances, the two pictures of the scenes from the top right hand corner of this montage in the clockwise direction showcase Achiatpong taking its tone and viewpoint from those of the not sophiscated Min (starred by Min Oo). I pointed out that the two pictures are in fact diary notes and sketches of Min that were some sometimes superimposed over the images in the film itself. We were initially quite puzzled by the appearance of the superimposed sketches. Thanks goodness Xiao Ting had done her research on the movie review before this film. Hence she explained to us that “Min is slightly rounded out through voiceovers and the superimposed drawings he has made- another distancing device meant to give viewers to identify with him” Meanwhile just as we were all on this topic of the diary notes and sketches, Xiao Ting has a flair in drawing excellent sketches as well as we noticed XiaoTing's sketches in her daily planner. I too helped out with designing the montage. (:

Meanwhile, the two scenes at the bottom of the montage present to us the scenes on the journey from inside the car in which Roong (starred by Kanokporn Tongaram) took Min out to the jungle for a picnic and other things that lovers do together. However, for the 3 of us the emphasis was more on appreciating the beautiful sceneries that were presented to us on their way to the jungle for the picnic. Although the bottom right hand corner one had been in fact removed from the Thai released, we all thought that it was a good shot and a good transition to the second part of the film in the forest. This particular scene in fact depict that the focus of the firm has now already shifted away from their urban lives (and perhaps the hardship they suffered in their normal daily live at work etc. back in the city. The village look so serene, peaceful and calm. Meanwhile the bottom left hand corner is a picture of the scene of the winding road to the forest from the city. This is in fact a symbol of the characters’ moving on from their life in the city to the short get-away in the jungle. These 2 pictures from the Toyota Corollas’s front and back windshield showing the sceneries on their way to the forest were my personal favourite as it brought back fond memories of my road trip with friends to Chiang Mai 3 years ago.

We were also captivated by the sceneries in the forest near the Thai-Burmese border. The breathtaking sceneries were shown by the two pictures on the top left hand corner of the montage that show the characters in the forest from different views. In particular, the most top left hand corner of the montage actually shows the two pair of couples (Min and Roong as well as Om and her lover [Tommy] indulging in the acts of fulfilling their various desires) nearby each other (in fact, only separated by a tree)

The 3 of us unanimously voted the screen shot in the middle as the picture that we loved the most in the movie and have thus created a heart-shaped effect around the screen shot. These beautiful sceneries shots in the film made it easier for normal audiences like us to become aware of the issues of the shattered Thai economy and the Burmese military junta subtly.

[1] TR. (n.d.). Time Out Film Guide .Retrieved from: http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/68019/blissfully-yours.html
[2] Young, D. (2002, May 17). Film review for Blissfully Yours Sud Sanaeha (Drama-Un Certain Regard/Thailand-France). Retrieved from: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117917770?refcatid=1050
[3] Pinkerton, N. (2006). Reverse Shot. Retrieved from: http://www.reverseshot.com/article/blissfully_yours

Seventeenth. The Goddess by Wu Yonggang (1934)

The Goddess (1934)
Director: Wu Yonggang

For this film, I watched with my friends Pei Shan and Xiao Ting! This is the conversation that we had after watching the film. We didn't really like it a lot maybe because it's a silent film. But this is my second glimpse of Ruan Lingyu and this was the third last film she acted in before she died in 1935.


Me: So how you all feel about the movie?

Xiaoting: mmm… I guess it was quite boring.

Me: yeah I think it was quite boring too. The story is kind of cliché about how a single woman tries to give the best for her son against all odds.

Peishan: But I think right… we cannot forget this is actually done in 1934!

Xiaoting: Yeah, the theme of having prostitutes in the past in China is something that is not very glorious.

Me: Yet the director actually named this film the goddess…

Peishan: By right the goddess in the past refers to someone who is pure and filled with love. But this time what we see is a prostitute that is often looked down by the society.

Xiaoting: Then I guess the director really does have an open mind at that point of time because these kind of undying love for her child is often… erm overlooked by everyone in China…

Me: Maybe it was sort of an autobiography of himself and that’s how he wants to repay his mum… or like pay a tribute to her as he appreciates her benevolent love!

Peishan: Haha.. maybe.. I think Ruan Lingyu is really pretty…

Xiaoting: Yeah… during that time she really has a lot of elegance!

Me: I hate the fat fat guy that treats her like she’s his property. Like some ‘jikopeh’ know!

Peishan: Err.. in the film he actually is a ‘jikopeh’ haha.

Me: Oh yeah, that explains. But I’m quite sure that during that time I would have hated these kind of men in China who think they are so big because they have power and money and because they are guys. But then again, if I were to be in that era, I would have conformed to the society’s standards.

Peishan: Her life must be damn hard...from the way she looks and how tired she gets after every night We should give credit to this film because it is done such a long time ago!
Peishan: Yeah I think so too, the part where she is with her son is so soothing. It kind of brought to me that she really loves him a lot.

Xiaoting: Well, I bet your mother loves you as much.

Peishan: I am grateful for that… (:

Me: Me too! But I almost fell asleep while watching the film hahah. Oops.

Peishan: The review says that in China at that time she is actually portrayed as an independent woman because of that kind of strong determination that she has. Well, we wouldn’t know what had happened to her husband. But in the film she wasn’t well-liked by many people right…

Xiaoting: Yeah kind of, you can see it from other people’s expression when they look at her. It looks like they are disgusted with her but some do look like they pity her because of her status and her son.

Me: Well, even for us, in our society if we just look at a prostitute there are some kind of stereotypes that appear in our minds, like those negative kind, but we’ll never know if they are actually working to support their own children.

[1] Wu Yonggang – Shen nü / The Goddess (1934). Retrieved on 29 April 2011 from http://somewordsandplaces.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/wu-yonggang-shen-nu-the-goddess-1934/