Volume 04, Number 11
Movies
Movie News
By Bill Hersey
For their Blood Diamond promotion, Warner brought in the director Edward Zwick, actress Jennifer Connelly, and actor Djimon Hounsou. There was a full house of media at the press conference at the Grand Hyatt. Unfortunately, Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't be here. He was busy doing a documentary film he wrote on global warming. Leo visited Japan about a month earlier with director Martin Scorsese to promote Oscarwinning Departed for Warner Bros.
Zwick was last in Japan three years ago to promote his film The Last Samurai—also from Warner Bros. He said the film was shot, for the most part, in Mozambique, "a country that's had 20 years of trouble, but is now settling down." He added, "it's a very poor country, and I'm happy our film, in one way or another, brought 40 to 50 million dollars to the local economy."
I met Jennifer many years ago. She was a beautiful teenager and has since grown into a beautiful woman. She said she was happy to be back in Japan, and had brought her family with her this time, so hoped to get out and see more of Tokyo and the countryside. She had nothing but raves for "the super director—an informed, concerned human being with a real knowledge and talent for making epic films." She also had nice words for Leo, "one of the most generous actors I've ever worked with—so unselfish and so helpful."
In regards to Jennifer's acting, Zwick said she felt and portrayed the real feeling and energy of a journalist in a dangerous situation. Djimon Hounsou is very proud he was able to be an African man playing an African hero in Africa. He really earned the right to be proud of his highly acclaimed performance.
In regards to the diamond industry, Zwick feels South Africa and Botswana are doing a good job, and there are now some changes in other countries. He did point out there's still smuggling in many countries, and this, of course, keeps most of the people in those countries from getting any benefits from their resources.
Movie Review - 300
By Danielle Tate-Stratton
I have to admit, that as a total fan of light, fluffy movies like romantic comedies and chick flicks in general, I was a little bit worried about how much I was going to enjoy 300, the new epic directed by Jack Snyder, and based on the Battle of Thermopylae between 300 Spartans and 1,000,000 Persians. Not good odds, but one heck of a good battle!
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this film, splattering blood and all. Fighting what must have been pressing temptation to leave out a plot in favor of yet more special effects and battle scenes, the director Zack Snyder (who also co wrote the screen play) made sure to tell a good story as he took full advantage of the highest level of technology available. Perhaps this is because they stayed true to the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller. Unlike most book−film adaptations, which tend to borrow main characters and plot points and then re-write at will, 300 is actually a shot-by-shot adaptation of the book! Even more amazingly, just one scene was shot outside, and the rest was carefully created using blue-screen technology and an army of visual effects, digital artists, and powerful computers. While everything looks as strikingly realistic as it possibly can, given the setting, there are scenes that have been intentionally caused to look slightly grainy or pixilated.
Rather than detract from the movie, it only makes you more aware that the film has a comic book origin. Of course, before there was the comic book, there was a Battle of Thermopylae, upon which the events are based. While the visual portrayal has obviously taken many liberties, the actual events are said to be 90 percent accurate throughout the movie!
While this isn't for the squeamish (there is serious blood spattering at several stages), and certainly not appropriate for children, it is a great movie for anyone who enjoys a good epic battle movie in the vein of Troy or Alexander, or for fans of comic novels and super-effects reminiscent of Sin City.
East/West Double Bill
By M. Halliday
For an admittedly obvious East/West double bill we start with two versions of the same story. Akira Kurasawa's 1954 film The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) is often described as a masterpiece and it's an assessment hard to argue with. Set in the 15th century it's the story of a group of rice farmers terrorized by bandits who hire the Samurai of the title to defend them. This is a true epic that still manages to maintain a rare intimacy. The acting is excellent throughout, particularly Takashi Shimura as the leader of the Samurai pack and Toshiro Mifune as the clownish farm-hand desperate to prove himself worthy to his Samurai 'betters.' The cinematography and editing are of the highest order. Some of the set pieces are incredible, more so considering the lack of special effects and computer trickery. The famous final charge scene in the pouring rain is justifiably one of most iconic sequences in film history. All in all, a revelation. In 1960, The Seven Samurai crossed the Pacific and became The Magnificent Seven. Set in the mid 19th century, the rice farmers have become Mexican peasants; the Samurai gunslingers for hire. Directed by John Sturges, art is spurned for action and while never getting close to the majesty of the original, the remake nevertheless makes for an enjoyable two hours. Packed with stars or more accurately those on the verge of stardom (Steve McQueen was still appearing in the TV show Wanted: Dead or Alive at the time of filming) the first half, the recruitment section, is top rate Hollywood fare from a time when westerns still ruled. Ultimately, perhaps it is the use of music that best illustrates the difference in sensibility of the two versions. Where Kurasawa used music sparingly and in some of his biggest scenes not at all, Elmer Bernstien's score—probably the most famous in Hollywood history, is as gloriously bombastic as it is memorable.