Illusion vs Reality: understanding Kurosawa’s Rashomon

When thinking about great film makers, Akira Kurosawa is on top of my list, as one of the greatest Japanese directors of all time. I was first introduced to Kurosawa, a few years ago, when I watched Seven Samurai (1954). At first, I was a little bit skeptical about watching this film because the film was over three hours long and it was subtitled, but after watching this masterpiece, I became a huge fan of Kurosawa. Outside of Seven Samurai, perhaps the best known Kurosawa film to American and European audiences is Rashoman (1950), a murder-rape mystery set during the twelfth century.

Rashoman is based on two Ryunosuke Akutagawa short stories entitled, “Rashomon” and “In a Grove”.Rashomon, in a sense, is a film about illusion vs truth. What do I mean by this? It’s simple, throughout the whole film, the audience is provided with four testimonies that conflict with each other over how the murder-rape took place. The audience does not really know who to trust in the film because all the testimonials are different and contradictory.

First, you have Tajomaru (Toshiro Mifune), a bandit who states that he deceived the murder victim (a samurai played by Masayuki Mori) into following him to look at some swords he hidden in the forest. Taromaru then ties him up and proceeds to rape the samurai’s wife (Machiko Kyo) who eventually gives in and is willing to go with him, provided that Taromaru engages in a one-on-one battle with her husband, in order to hide her shame of being raped. Taromaru and the samurai fight honorably, but in the end Taromaru kills the samurai; the samurai’s wife meanwhile flees from the fighting. 

The samurai’s wife’s story, however, is different from Taromaru’s story where she portray’s herself as a helpless victim, (as opposed to Taromaru’ story where she is portrayed as a proud woman willing to defend herself and her husband, but sucombs to Taromaru’s advances in the end), who is brutally raped and after Taromaru departs, she begs her husband to forgive her. The husband, however, looks at her with disdain. His unforgiving look, frightens her and she faints. When the samurai’s wife awakens, she discovers that her husband is dead with her dagger in him. After learning of her husbands death, the samurai’s wife tries to drown herself in a river, but is ultimately unsuccessful.

Reflections on anime and cartoons

For the last few weeks, I have been pondering on an age-old question; why did I take this class (i.e. animation history)? What compelled me to take a class on the comedic talents of Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse? Why was Coraline a much better film than Pocahontas? Why did I write such a long review for Princess Mononoke? These questions are hard to answer, but as I thought about it, taking a class on animation history would be neat and cool. Anime and cartoons have always fascinated me because they provide entertainment, moral lessons, education, drama, and comedy. In my opinion, anime and cartoons provide not only entertainment and escapism, but also a window into the creative imagination of the human mind.

Believe or not, my first experience with the movies was when I was 5, when my parents took me to see Don Bluth’s, The Land Before Time (see picture below), in 1988. Ever since than, I have always enjoyed going to the movie theaters and getting lost in these wonderful animated treasure troves. Disney films and Don Bluth films were always at the top of my list when I was younger to go see because I felt that they were well animated and had entertaining plot lines and characters. As I got older, I discovered anime and my love for animation solidified even more. In fact, anime or Japanese animation has become my favorite form of 2D animation because of the details that Japanese animators pay attention to when animating a series or a movie.

Some memories are better left dead

What are memories? Are they something we need to establish an identity or are they haunting enigmas that plague us when we go to bed at night? These philosophical questions are probably strange to you and me, but to the characters in the Japanese animated (anime) series, The Big O, the nature of memories is both haunting and an enigma. Something happened forty years ago to humanity, when millions of people were mysteriously wiped out; those that survive lost their memories about who they are and what they did. Basically, the survivors had to, not only rebuild their societies, but had to rebuild their identities as well. Throughout, The Big O, memories are often treated like ghosts or nightmares. In other words, memories can be dangerous, especially if, it is something someone does not want others to know about. In the, The Big O, the strange and dangerous nature of memories are what drive this unique, yet sometimes confusing show.

The Big O is about Roger Smith, a negotiator by day, but by night, is a pilot of a giant Megadeus (robot) called Big O. Aiding him, in his quest to protect Paradigm City (supposedly, the only city with people left on Earth), are R. Dorothy Wayneright (an android who works lives with Roger Smith and acts like a maid), Norman Burg (Roger Smith's butler), Dan Dastun (a major in Paradigm City's military police force), and Angel (a mysterious woman with her own agenda). While, The Big O appears, at first glance to be another show about giant robots destroying each other; in reality, it's a complicated psychological mystery mixed with humor and action. In some ways, the highlight of the series is the dynamic relationship between Roger and Dorothy (see picture of them below).

Roger and Dorothy have different personalities, which sometimes causes tension between the two (i.e. Roger likes to sleep him and Dorothy will play the piano in a way that annoys Roger so much, he took her to an android who plays the piano to teach her how to play correctly). Often, Dorothy will call Roger a "louse" because has done something to annoy her. An example of this happens when Roger uses her as a distraction, while he calls on Big O to stop some rocket launching thieves, needless to say Dorothy ends up getting messed up and she blames Roger for it. Hence, the origin of why Dorothy calls Roger a "louse" when she is irritated. Despite their personality differences, Roger and Dorothy do care for each other and by the end of the series, there is evidence that suggests that Roger has fallen in love with Dorothy; Dorothy may also have  fallen in love with Roger, but that is a little harder to prove because she is an android and she hides her feelings and emotions well.

The episode (referred to as RD) I have selected is not an episode I would normally show a person who wants to see lots of Roger and Dorothy interaction; Roger and Dorothy do not talk to each other until the end of the episode. However, the reason I picked this episode is because the director, Kazuyoshi Katayama, crafted a really good murder mystery where we are led to believe that Dorothy is the killer of a group of young men and women who claim to have memories of what happened forty years ago. Roger is drawn into this mystery when one of his clients is killed by a mysterious figure in red; we later learn that her name is RD or Red Destiny (see picture below) and she interestingly enough, is a similar android model to Dorothy and has been programmed to kill people on a certain list with bar codes that Roger found. Later on, in the series, we find out that Alex Rosewater, the de facto ruler of Paradigm City, ordered RD to kill the people on the list with the bar codes. RD is destroyed by Big O and we the audience discover that Dorothy is inside the megadeus.

Overall, the strange and dangerous nature of memories that are represented in The Big O are what fuel this unique, yet sometimes confusing show. The interaction and personality clashes between Roger Smith and R. Dorothy Wayneright is what makes this show click with the audience in my opinion because it is funny to see Roger get angry with Dorothy for playing the piano wrong or when Dorothy calls Roger a "louse" for annoying her because they remind you of a married couple, even though Roger is human and Dorothy is an android. Who knew living with an android would be so hard! Episode 13, entitled RD, is not the best episode for people who like to see Roger and Dorothy annoying each other, but is nevertheless, a good episode filled with mystery and suspense. In the end, The Big O is a great anime with lots of mystery, action, giant robot fun, and humor.        

Black and white cartoons are just as fun

When I was younger, one of my favorite shows from Cartoon Network was Late Night Black and White, a programing block dedicated to showing classic black and white cartoons. Black and white cartoons have always been a joy for me to watch because I think they are better than some of the earliest multicolored cartoons that both Disney and Warner Brothers made in the early 1930′s. For some reason, I never really like these early multicolored cartoons that much, though I do like the multicolored cartoons of the 1940′s that Disney and Warner Brothers made. In my opinion, classic black and white cartoons are just as fun watching as multicolored cartoons of today.

One of my favorite black and white carton shorts was Daffy Duckaroo!, which was interestingly enough made in 1942, and stars everybody’s favorite screwy duck, Daffy Duck (voiced by Mel Blanc who also did Bugs Bunny as well), as he heads west and gets into trouble with an Indian girl’s boyfriend for trying to woo her. Daffy (see picture below) is the quintessential trouble maker or money loving egomaniac we all love to laugh at.

Overall, classic black and white cartoons are just as fun to watch as the multicolored cartoons of today are. Daffy Duckaroo! is a fun cartoon, starring Daffy Duck, though the racial stereotyping of Native Americans or Indians in these early cartoon shorts, drag it down a bit. In the end, no matter what color medium (black/white vs. multiple colors) Daffy is portrayed in, he will always be funny.

A lone wolf of Mibu

One of the most annoying things about having a viral cold is the fact that I was stuck inside doing nothing, but watching television and sleeping. Added to this insult, I was forced to watch my cousin’s kiddie cartoons all day because she spent a week with my family. It was a nightmare! Thankfully, while I was sick, I came across one of my favorite animated (anime) and manga series,Rurouni Kenshin. Rurouni Kenshin, which was created by Nobuhiro Watsuki, is about Kenshin Himura(an ex-hitokiri or manslayer) and his quest to attone for his sins and his vow to never kill again. One of my favorite characters in the series is Hajime Saito, who was a real historical person and a member of the Shinsengumi (a group of samurai who patrolled Kyoto and fought for the Tokugawa Shogunateduring the Meji Revolution). Saito (see picture below of the real Hajime Saito), in the series, is an undercover cop for the Meji government and Kenshin’s oldest nemesis from the Meji Revolution.

Hajime Saito can be considered the anti-hero of the series because unlike Kenshin, who hates using violence or underhanded tactics to subdue his enemies, Saito has no problems using them to get the results he wants. Saito, in fact, design wise looks like a villain; his eyes are very narrow and resembles wolf eyes because they are amber in color. However, Saito is not a villain, nor is he a saint either. Instead, Saito is a complicated character who sticks to his principle of “Aku Soku Zan” (Slay Evil Immediately) rigorously and does not care what people think of him or his methods of dispensing justice. Because of Saito’s convictions and his use of dirty tactics, Saito is one of my favorite animated anti-heroes of all time. 

When we first meet Hajime Saito in both the manga and anime, we assume he is a villain because he attacks one of Kenshin’s friends, Sanosuke Sagara, with his signature attack, the Gatotsu (a fictional version of the real Hajime Saito’s style of swordsmanship) and he engages Kenshin in a one on one match, which causes Kenshin to revert back to his hitokiri form (Battousai the Man Slayer); the battle ends in a draw. Later, we find out that Saito was sent by the Meji government to test Kenshin’s strength and determine whether or not, he is capable of riding another ex-hitokiri, Makoto Shishio for them.

Throughout, the anime and manga, Saito aides Kenshin in his battle with Makoto Shishio and later withYukishiro Enishi, as well. However, Kenshin disagrees with Saito about killing enemies off and often stops Saito from finishing them off, which irks Saito to no end, but for the most part, he listens to Kenshin. Saito also has a habit of being blunt and insulting to just about everyone (friends and foes) in the series; he calls Sanosuke an idiot, Misao Makimachi a weasel, and Yahiko Myojin a kid. Saito also equates Kaoru Kamiya with a racoon and Megumi Takani with a fox. Saito can be very brutal towards his enemies and often mocks them as either a fool or a freak. 

Saito, basically, has no concept of compassion and frienship towards anyone in the anime or manga; an exception may be his wife, Tokio and a boy named Eiji who lost his parents to Shishio’s men. Saito hardly respects many people in the anime and manga, as well; Kenshin and Aoshi Shinomori are the only ones he seems to respect, though he respects Aoshi slightly more because Aoshi is willing to kill his enemies, while Kenshin does not. Because Saito does not really care about emotional attachments, Saito allows everyone to think he is dead, so he can wait in the shadows for another opportunity to fight Kenshin. Sadly, in the anime they never resolved Kenshin’s and Saito’s rematch, though in the manga, there was a chance, but Saito declined Kenshin’s invitation because Saito felt that Kenshin was no longer Battousai the Man Slayer and duel with Kenshin, no longer interested him anymore.

Hajime Saito, in the end, is one my favorite anti-heroes in animation because of his sarcastic and cold hearted personality. Saito’s resemblance to a wolf fits his callous and blunt personality really well. Saito’s blunt and insulting comments to friends and foes alike, irks everyone, but when push comes to shove, Saito fights back and usually wins. While, Saito does not always get along with Kenshin and his friends, he nevertheless, helps them out anyway. In the end, Hajime Saito’s personality and philosophy rule him out as a traditional hero, but when it comes to dangerou situations, Saito is probably someone you need to protect innocent people from evil.    

Thanks for the memories, Toonami!

 

Afternoons used to be fun for me, when I was a teenager because of an animated action oriented programming block called, Toonami (Toonami came into being in 1997) .Toonami, in my opinion, was a programming block geared towards boys because the majority of the animation that aquired for this block was about superheroes or giant killer mechas that threatened the universe. Toonami did introduce American audiences to one of Japan’s most popular super heroines, Sailor Moon.

Toonami showed mostly anime, like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto, but they also showed animated series about super heroes and teenage heroes like Batman: The Animated Series and The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest, as well. Thanks to Toonami, I was introduced to anime for the first time and believe you and me, my parents blame this block for my worship of anime, as the best form of 2D animation out there. Toonami, in my opinion, was one of Cartoon Network’s best programming blocks because it was creative, had excellent CGI animation, had good interaction with the audience, and a bit of philosophy for everyone to think about.

Sadly, though, Toonami was canceled by Cartoon Network in 2008, about a year after celebrating its tenth aniversary. 

Update: Toonami Lives! On, April 1, 2012, Adult Swim brought back Toonami as an "April Fool's Day" special. Adult Swim later asked if fans wanted it back. After, overwhelming support from fans and a Twitter campaign called "#BringBackToonami", Adult Swim announced that Toonami would return on May 26! :D

Three talking gargoyles and a hunchback

 

I must admit when watching a Disney animated feature film, I sometimes cringe because there are good ones like Aladdin and Mulan and then, there are bad ones like Pocahontas and The Return of Jafar. Every time I think about Pocahontas or The Return of Jafar, I get the willies because these films are bad. Thankfully, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (based off of Victor Hugo’s novel), is not one of those horrible Disney films. It’s not the best Disney film I ever saw, but at least, it has wonderful supporting characters in Hugo, Victor, and Laverne (see picture of the three stone gargoyles below) and one of the best villains that Disney has ever created, in Judge Claude Frollo (voice of Tony Jay). In fact, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is an example of what makes Disney so successful; likeable characters that are either objects or animals and a memorable villain who the audience despises.

Disney’s, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is about a deformed bell ringer named Quasimodo and his love for the beautiful Gypsy, Esmeralda who he must save from the clutches of the sinister, Judge Claude Frollo (see picture below). Joining Quasimodo, in protecting Esmeralda, are Hugo, Victor, Laverne, Phoebus (who also falls in love with Esmeralda), and Djali (Esmerald’s clever goat). While I think the love triangle between Qusimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus is interesting and charming, I believe that Quasimodo’s interaction with the three stone gargoyles (Hugo, Victor, and Laverne) and the cruelty of Judge Claude Frollo make the film work, so successfully.

Every time, I watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame, I always chuckle at the antics of the three gargoyles, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne. I think they provided the necessary comic relief needed, in what would otherwise, be a dark story for a Disney film without. Believe me, the original was not so happy. In fact, it was really dark and morose. I especially like the parts where the gargoyles convince Quasimodo to leave the bell tower, instead of staying in the tower and when they convince Quasimodo that he has a chance with Esmeralda, which the gargoyles do through singing ( “A Guy Like You” ), which is typical of Disney films. Without, the gargoyles providing Quasimodo companionship and support through songs and jokes, the film would fall flat like The Black Cauldron did.

The cruelty and ruthlessness of Judge Claude Frollo also adds to the appeal of the film because a good memorable villain’s job is to make the audience despise him and feel sympathetic towards the hero. This is especially true, when Frollo refuses to help Quasimodo out at the “Feast of Fools” after the crowd starts hurling things at him or when he lusts after Esmeralda. When Frollo sings “Hellfire,” it is very chilling and disturbing because it shows how obsess he is, with Esmeralda. The pinnacle of his cruelty comes when he tries to kill Quasimodo for rescuing Esmeralda; Frollo also reveals, at this point, that Quasimodo’s mother did not abandon him, but that he killed her. In the end, we cheer when Frollo fails to kill Quasimodo and meets his maker. 

Overall, Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a good example of what makes a Disneyfilm, so successful. The fact that the film has wonderful supporting characters like the three stone gargoyles (Hugo, Victor, and Laverne) and a memorable evil villain like Judge Claude Frollo, helps make the film a success, instead of a failure like The Black Cauldron was. In the end, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a really well made Disney film.