Last movie watched...

[Hawkmumbler]

Now I'm going to have to watch this again.
I don't remember Takeshi committing any real atrocities. He struck me as just a lifer sergeant getting on with his job – which just happened to involve callous brutality.
What I do remember is [spoiler]his transformation from prison boss to prisoner. It's a wonderful piece of acting in that last scene. When he spoke Japanese he was in charge, but speaking imperfect English as he is at the end, all his human frailty is on show, and he's all the more likeable for it.[/spoiler]
Anyway, I'll have to watch it again just for him.

In the context of the time it's important to consider Japan was riding a high of nationalist revisionism in the press and media during the early 80's, with a lot of studios out right refusing to produce works that painted the imperialist zeal of the nation during the battle of the Pacific as anything other than righteous, ethical and puritanical.
So Kitano transitioning, seemingly over night, from what most average Joe film goers would consider a wholesome and apolitical comic figure to a visceral and shameful prisoner of war camp warden would come as a shock to a new-wave of war crime denialists.
Hara, even if not actively partaking in the cruelty inflicted upon on Lawrence and Celiers, is directly complicit in it's enforcement and impotently ineffectual in its de-escalation. Kitanos character is brilliant, for as you point out, he represents the shame of a society turned tyrant by it's own collective insanity after centuries of eschewing individualist ideologies.
A brilliant, brilliant film. Especially 40 years on when we, as Brits, are now thoroughly entrenched in denialism over our own egomaniacal history.

[JohnW]

I was completely unaware of the cinematic/nationalist context of this film. I'll certainly keep it in mind if I do rewatch, thank you.

A brilliant, brilliant film. Especially 40 years on when we, as Brits, are now thoroughly entrenched in denialism over our own egomaniacal history.

Don't worry. We, as Irish, will always be happy to remind you.

[Hawkmumbler]

A brilliant, brilliant film. Especially 40 years on when we, as Brits, are now thoroughly entrenched in denialism over our own egomaniacal history.

Don't worry. We, as Irish, will always be happy to remind you.

Gods own work.

[JohnW]

I don't want to derail the thread, but there's no end to Ireland's denial of her own imperial past.
I've been studying the Irish regiments of the British Army, and what the Irish redcoats got up to in India is nothing to be proud of.
I believe there was some historically tone-deaf gesture a few years back regarding the massacres perpetrated in 1857-8, and for some arse-backwards reason India apologised to Ireland.

I teach history. God knows why, because nobody listens.

[edgeworthy]

I don't want to derail the thread, but there's no end to Ireland's denial of her own imperial past.
I've been studying the Irish regiments of the British Army, and what the Irish redcoats got up to in India is nothing to be proud of.
I believe there was some historically tone-deaf gesture a few years back regarding the massacres perpetrated in 1857-8, and for some arse-backwards reason India apologised to Ireland.

I teach history. God knows why, because nobody listens.

Saying that the popular perception of Irish History has holes in it you could march the New Model Army through, would be putting mildly.

[JohnW]

Saying that the popular perception of Irish History has holes in it you could march the New Model Army through, would be putting mildly.

For the past few summers I've had the job of introducing visiting American students to Irish history, and often to the study of history full stop.
Having only three weeks to work on them, I tend to let even-handedness and nuance take a back seat. Instead I start by teaching them the phrase, 'Eight hundred years, ye bastards!'
Then we go out for ice cream.

And could we now get back to something less controversial, like Japanese wartime atrocities and David Bowie's acting skills?

[Hawkmumbler]

And could we now get back to something less controversial, like Japanese wartime atrocities and David Bowie's acting skills?

Amusingly i've rewatched both THE HUNGER and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH recently and yeah, Bowie is clearly in his most elemental when playing something ancient, and alien, and yet utterly alluring.

Also, watch MOONAGE DAYDREAM anyone who hasn't yet. It's probably in my top 5 of the year, just front the back banger.

[Tiplodocus]

Watched Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery as well and I am in full agreement with Jim, well worth your time maybe a little bit taking its time in the beginning.

Yeah, it definitely livens up once Andy gets going. Not to say there isn't lots to enjoy before that. Some of the celebrity cameos/name dropping dragged me out of it ever so slightly. I love the fact that it is also a two hour [spoiler]shitpost about Elon Musk[/spoiler]

[Hawkmumbler]

CASABLANCA

First time watch, if you can believe it, on 35mm yesterday. Rarely do i say movies deserve their reputation but yeah, this one absolutely does.

Also no one told me its funnier than about 99% of other movies, massive W.

[JohnW]

CASABLANCA
First time watch, if you can believe it

I saw this properly for the first time when it was released in the cinema donkey's years ago and I had pretty much the same reaction as you.
I've probably seen Casablanca too often now, but last week I watched To Have And Have Not, which I hadn't seen in forever, and I loved it. It was made off the back of Casablanca's success and has many of the same elements: a hard-bitten Bogart in the midst of divided wartime loyalties and various beautiful women, and all in an exotic French colonial locale. The studio couldn't get Ingrid Bergman this time round, so they settled for the 19-year-old Lauren Bacall, who smoulders like nobody's business.
Legend has it that the whole thing was the result of a drunken bet between Ernest Hemingway and Howard Hawks (or maybe it was William Faulker). Anyway – not as good as Casablanca, but a treat nonetheless.

[The Legendary Shark]

I do love Casablanca.

"I came here for the waters."
"But we're in a desert."
"I was misinformed."

Great stuff.

[Hawkmumbler]

"I am shocked, SHOCKED to see there is GAMBLING going on here!"
"Your winnings sir..."
"Oh, thank you very much!"

[Tiplodocus]

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Was pretty enjoyable in IMAX 3D despite having plenty of stuff upfront that you can moan about and even more that you can nitpick.

If you liked Avatar (save the rainforest), you will almost certainly like this (save the whale). The fingerprints of Cameron's other films all over this.

Visually and technically it's a marvel... Genuinely looks like they just knocked a hole in the cinema wall through which I was watching Pandora. Was every special effects person in the world working on this? And Cameron can still do a superb action piece or two.

I actually liked that they ran with the kids/ young adult storylines... Though pretty trite, it stops it just being a retread of the first movie but with fish.

Slightly miffed that there is a lot of sequel seeding going on... Especially wrt the key villain who has proved pretty much no threat throughout.

But yeah, go see it on the biggest, brightest screen you can.

[Tiplodocus]

At the other end of the scale (but still with a surprisingly large list of special effects credits is The Banshees of Inisherin.

A surface simple tale of the escalation of bad blood when one of two life long friends on a small Irish island decides they don't want to be friends any more.

But you can pick whatever metaphor you want from civil war (actually that is in the text) to toxic masculinity to social media interactions.

It's fantastic stuff with (surely?) an Award winning turn from Colin Farrell. Actually, the whole cast is great (Barry Keoghan, Kerry Condon, that Clan Tech guy's dad) and the script is laugh out loud funny with an effortless change of tone.

It's on Disney+ at the moment but is a Film4 production so could be on normal telly soon.

[Hawkmumbler]

Been on a bit of a Peter Watkins binge recently.
Hate to say that THE WAR GAME might be more harrowing than THREADS but it is, it really really is.