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Rhapsody in August Actors: Sachiko Murase, Richard Gere Director: Akira Kurosawa Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Running Time: 98 minutes Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07 Buy from Amazon |
 "Points of view about Nagasaki"This movie shows you several points of view about Nagasaki, that is, the use of the atomic bomb. These points of view are as of 1990, at 45 years from that day. It starts with children's feelings and thoughts about that day. These children are grandsons of a teacher dead by the bomb, and live in Nagasaki. The parents' attitude follows. They try to live better and not to suffer, even more, not to remember or make people remember that day. Next is the story of the survivors of the bomb. The grandmother, who lost her husband, and the classmates of children killed by the bomb. Finally, the mind and heart of the Nikkei (descendant of Japanese). This is a double situation: He is not only a descendant of Japanese, but also of USA nationality. The story is directed well. The characters are defined clearly. Also because this is a movie, you'll enjoy some funny or artistic parts it offers to you. Besides, you would learn about some Japanese costumes and tales. A final note: If you try to study Japanese watching this work, beware: The grandmother talks with namari (local accent).  "A reconciliation story that never lives up to its ambition"RHAPSODY IN AUGUST is an Akira Kurosawa film approached from three different angles, all couched around the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The film's central character, Kane, is visited by her grandchildren in Nagasaki; Kane's husband was killed by the bomb. The generational gap between her and the children is achingly apparent. The bombing will forever be a part of her psyche, but the kids are initially unaffected by the history. They're thoroughly modern down to their clothes with American logos. In effect, the film's theme is about keeping the memory and indeed, the warning of Nagasaki alive. Later on, we hear of a rich Japanese-American son-in-law from Hawaii, played by Richard Gere (speaking in Japanese!), whose purpose inadvertently points out that American and Japanese perceptions of the atomic bombings may never be reconciled. By using Gere's character as somehow an apologist for the Nagasaki anniversary, I think Kurosawa makes a mistake by seeking simple answers for the bombing and the war, when there are none. The story threads have enormous potential, but never reach a real emotional impact. The film feels restless, and never achieves the kind of sensitivity and patience it really requires to let the theme resonate. One of the dichotomies of the film is that the theme is largely approached from the children's perspective, which makes a lot of sense, although it never allows us close enough to their grandmother's story to carry enough weight. I was also disappointed by the fact that Kane, who begins the story with a great deal of dignity, becomes increasingly delusional over the course of the film and comes to resemble a Kurosawa character from a decade earlier. The film ends with that unfortunate image of her, and it undermines the very message of the film itself. There are two signature Kurosawa moments which make the film worth seeing by themselves. One is a symbolic shot as Gere's attention diverts to watch a trail of ants climbing a lovely rose. The second shot is of the children as they look in a window at their grandmother and her friend as they sit completely silent, highlighting the distance between the generations. I will not attempt to justify this film as greater than it is just because of the master's cinematic history. This is far from a five-star film, and it easily ranks in the lower third of Kurosawa's portfolio. It is an interesting movie, with a few memorable scenes, but no one should mistake this for any of his classics. Two-and-a-half stars. "DVD Review"Rhapsody in August is not a Kurosawa masterpiece, but still provides several stunning scenes that hold up to the best of the director's career. In the 15 Kurosawa films I've seen he hasn't ever made a bad film. Rhapsody is weak Kurosawa, but even in this (his second to last film) he still managed to create images that only he could make. An image and a colony of ants crawling on the flower and the final shot of an old woman struggling against windswept rain stand among the best of Kurosawa. The film's single most powerful sequence comes in stunning scene when children of ww2 visit a school yard to pay respects to their dead classmates. Kurosawa has them enter in the distance as today's children play and slowly approach a melted jungle gym monument, accompanied only by the sounds of the children at play. The moment is pure Kurosawa and intensely moving. The film is uneven and oddly structured in scenes that shift the focus of the film in awkward ways. Really what hurts the film the most is the biazzare inclusion of Richard Gere. His prescence ruined the mood for the film. The film tends to shift tone too often from playful to satrical to emotional to commentating. The MGM dvd is very sparse. Picture is very good in color and contrast. Sharpness is a little weak and some cuts seemed like the picture was a bit shakey. Twice I saw small dirt specks. Presented in 1:85:1 the picture is very good in keeping detail in dark scenes. Sound was extraordinary. I was very surprised to find a vivid and strong soundtrack. Just listen to the locus sounds and the music cues, the Japanese soundtrack packs a good punch. Subtitles are avaible, but most annoyingly Gere's English dialogue is subtitled. There aren't any extras other then an unsubitled Japanese Trailer. No booklet or insert! "The day the bomb fell life was never the same again..."An elderly woman (Kane) played by Sachiko Murase lives in Nagasaki Japan. One memorable summer she takes care of her four grandchildren who inadvertently awaken in her the memory of the day that the atomic bomb fell in 1945, and how it deprived her of her husband. With the arrival of her American-Asian nephew from the US, played surprisingly well by Richard Gere who manages to speak Japanese without fluffing it too much, Kane is forced to re-evaluate how the dropping of the bomb has shaped her life and beliefs. Haunted by the fact that she could not save her husband, and reliving the memories of that terrible day Kane strives to protect her family, and this culminates in her fleeing her house in a storm, clutching an umbrella as if this will protect her against the wrath of nature. The scenery is breath taking, the acting brilliant and with a haunting sound track, this slow moving Japanese with English subtitles will make you look at the dropping of the atomic bomb with new and horrified eyes. An intelligent and thought provoking film for those people who like a movie with class and brains. "A Summer in Nagasaki..."Four grandchildren are to spend the summer with their grandmother in Nagasaki as their parents are spending the summer vacationing in Hawaii. In Hawaii the parents are to meet their grandma's older brother, but she does not remember this brother as she had 11 or more siblings while growing up. In a letter the grandmother is invited to Hawaii, which excites the kids as they want to go to Hawaii. However, the grandmother is hesitant to leave, since the remembrance of her dead husband is coming up on August 9th. The kids learn through their stay in Nagasaki how their grandfather died from the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. This knowledge brings the kids closer to their grandmother as she begin to share her stories about her brothers, which offers the children some excitement. Rhapsody in August is a melancholic cinematic experience as Kurosawa tells the tragedy of a family that is divided between those who remember the war and those who have only heard of it. In addition, Kurosawa demonstrates his message with subtle clarity that the agony of the war is being forgotten as family values change toward wealth and prestige where love and care for one another takes a backseat. In the end, Rhapsody in August is a tragic film that is well balanced as it displays hope through love and affection, which offers a terrific cinematic experience. |
