Wardrobe for a Mad Woman

Madam Wong, one of the characters in my next film idea, is a fallen fashion icon gone mad in mourning. She roams the neighborhood in outrageous, crazy outfits, often with children laughing and jeering her on.

At the Balenciaga and Spain exhibit, many of his latter, sculptural creations got me excited. I began to see Madam Wong's shameless outfits take shape. It's her form of extreme mourning.

Here are some photos scoured from the Internet for this "scrapbook" page for reference in designing Madam Wong's wardrobe. They include some modern designs "inspired" by Balenciaga.

This wedding dress design, based on a nun's outfit, reminds me of Chinese mourning clothes for women, where they wear a white hooded outfit made of hemp sack. I can see Madam Wong in something like this for the funeral service for her son.

Akira Kurosawa Centennial

It's 100 years since the great Japanese movie director Akira Kurosawa was born. If you're a fan, it's a great time to look around, and find places that are showing his best films on the big screen.

The Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley (near San Francisco) is doing just that. Last night, I saw Kurosawa's directorial debut film, Sanshiro Sugata, and its sequel, Sanshiro Sugata II.

Good learning

It is instructive to see this fantastic director's early efforts. I love the carefully choreographed camera movements and acting. The first fight scene of course is amazing—the bold lighting contrast, the choreography of camera and actors as they prepare to fight. An influence, no doubt, on the drama of the stand-off in Westerns and Spaghetti Westerns.

I also love the scheming scene in the jujitsu dojo. The dance between camera and actors is elegant and smooth.

The occasion has inspired me to read up more on the director, both the praise and the criticism.

The test of time

But to be honest, it wasn't that much fun to watch. Unlike some of my Kurosawa favorites, Sanshiro Sugata I and II are film geek fare that don't quite stand up to the test of time. Ironic since these films were commercial hits in their days—not artsy films like Kurosawa's later efforts. But film-making has progressed so much since the film was made that it no longer moves the audience in the same way. The editing is where it breaks down the most, especially for the fight scenes. They feel flat, and fail to build suspense and energy for the modern viewer.

But I'm expecting his classics to stand up well and still move all audiences, film geek or not. It will be exciting to see Yojimbo and Ran on the big screen in the next few weeks! Too bad we'll miss the Seven Samurai and already missed Rashomon. Maybe we'll watch those on DVD.

Changeling - チェンジリング

I didn't really know about the story of this film, not until I finished it last night... Knowing that this was based on a true story, me & my husband was thrilled and shocked. Never knew that justice & truth were so easily bend by powers. The people we trust that we can put our lives to can be so ignorant and cold hearted. When a man with power thought something is right, he can convince others to think the same way and take the same acts... how terrified!! From this film, it reminds me that how cruel man can be, but in the same time, how strong the love of man can be too... whenever I think of this, I recall the sayings of chinese philosophers Xun Zi & Mencius. Where Xun Zi believe that man is born with natural 'waywardness', but in opposite, Mencius believe that man are born to be naturally good. But I think there is both... or maybe man are born with both of these, just that which of them is stronger within you. Once being influence, you can change so much in the way you think and the life you will lead!! Human can be so wise but so weak too, just like diamonds can be so strong yet fragile. 

昨夜見るまで、こんなに重い映画だと思ってなかったです。本当の話だと知って、驚きを隠せない夫と私です。。。なんだかすごく重い気分になり、恐怖を感じました。事実と正義はこう簡単に権力に押し流されるとは思わなかったです。命を預けるほど信用している人たちはこんなに無知で、心が冷たい人間であるなんて、びっくりしました。権力を持つだけで、信じきったことを他人までそう思わせるのは本当に怖いです。この映画で、人間ってこんなに冷酷無残な生き物でありと同時に決して動揺しない愛情を持つ生き物でもあることを感じさせてくれます。こう考える、中国の思想家、荀子と孟子の思想を思い出します。荀子は人間が「性本悪」と信じ、孟子は「性本善」と説き、けど両方とも正しいではないでしょうか？ひょっとして、一人の人間に両方の本性を持っているかもしれません。ただ、どっちが強いだけです。教育や影響により、考え方や生き方を変わってしまう本性である。人間ってともて賢明ですが、とても弱い生きものでもあり、ダイヤモンドのように固いけれどとても脆いです。

死ぬまでにしたい10のこと - My life without Me

週末、姐が勧めた「花様年華」を見ようとしましたが、小さいレンタル屋しかない近所にはなかなか、香港の古い映画を借りることはできなかったため、洋画の「チェンジリング」と「死ぬまでにした10のこと」を借りました。時間がないため、取りあえず7年前の映画の「死ぬまでにしたい10のこと」を鑑賞しました。

すごく、もりたくさんで、感動シーンばっかりの映画ではないです。けど、なぜか、一つ一つのシーンが頭に残り、胸いっぱい感じがした。ごく普通のことしか写ってなくて、ごく普通の「10のこと」ですが、すごく考えさせられました。自分ならどうだったんだろう、旅に出るとか、思い出をたくさん作るとか、家族との時間一分一秒でも増やしたいとか、娘との写真を現像し切れないほど撮るとか。。。でもよく考えたら、ひょっとして彼女と一緒かもしれない。。。これは、本当の現実だから？これの方が悔いが無い？これの方が家族の悲しむ記憶や思い出が最少限に押さえられるから？これの方が大切な時間を無駄にしないから？。。。なぜか涙が溢れてきた。

自分のしておきたいこと、しないといけないこと、時間かぎりではなく、常にできたでしょうか？なぜ、言わないといけないことがなかなか口から出せないだろう、人間って後悔しない限り、大切さを理解することは不可能でしょうか？

In the weekend, I tried to borrow the film 'In the mood for love' recommended by my sister. However, due to there are only small rental shops around my house. Only a small choice for Hong Kong films... so I rent 'Changelings' and 'My life without me' instead. Lack of time, I went for the old film made 7 years ago 'My life without me'.

There are not much sceneries or touching scenes. But, don't know why, every single shot get caught in my head so clearly which filled my heart. The '10 things' she wanted to do is so simple and every scene is simple too, but so rich that keeps me thinking & thinking over & over again. Will I do the same thing as her? I will want to travel to places I have never been to, I will make as much memories as I can, I will precious every single min & seconds with my family, I will take pictures that I can no longer take with my daughters... but... thinking deeper, maybe I will do the same as her. Maybe this is what reality is, maybe this will have less regrets, maybe this will lessen the pain and sad memories for my love ones, maybe this is the best way to precious the time left... tears started to run down my checks.

I wonder if I have done the things I need to do or I want to do at all times. Why is so hard to say some words to the ones I love? Do we always need to regret so as to realize how important it is? I hope I'm leading a life with me in it, and with the things I like and people I love.