Poll

What's your favorite film by Mikio Naruse?

Kimi to wakarete (After Our Separation)
0 (0%)
Yogoto no yume (Each Night I Dream)
0 (0%)
Three Sisters with Maiden Hearts
0 (0%)
Tsuma yo bara no yo ni (Kimiko)
0 (0%)
Hideko, the Bus Conductress
0 (0%)
Uta-andon (The Song Lantern)
0 (0%)
Ginza keshô (Ginza Cosmetics)
0 (0%)
Meshi (Repast)
1 (5.3%)
Okaasan (Mother)
1 (5.3%)
Inazuma (Lightning)
0 (0%)
Fûfu (Husband and Wife)
0 (0%)
Ani imôto (Older Brother, Younger Sister)
0 (0%)
Yama no oto (The Thunder of the Mountain)
1 (5.3%)
Bangiku (Late Chrysanthemums)
0 (0%)
Ukigumo (Floating Clouds)
0 (0%)
Shû u (Sudden Rain)
0 (0%)
Nagareru (Flowing)
1 (5.3%)
Iwashigumo (Summer Clouds)
0 (0%)
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
3 (15.8%)
Daughters, Wives and a Mother
0 (0%)
Hourou-ki (A Wanderer's Notebook)
0 (0%)
Midareru (Yearning)
0 (0%)
The Stranger Within a Woman
0 (0%)
Midaregumo (Scattered Clouds)
0 (0%)
other (specify)
0 (0%)
haven't seen any
11 (57.9%)
don't like any
1 (5.3%)

Total Members Voted: 19

Author Topic: Naruse, Mikio  (Read 10805 times)

worm@work

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #60 on: January 22, 2013, 07:44:55 PM »
Sound of the Mountain | Naruse | 1954

I thought the family dynamics in Older Brother, Younger Sister were messed up but this just takes it to a whole other level. Initially, watching it right after Repast, this kept feeling like an inferior version of that movie. I think it had a lot to do with Naruse shifting the PoV on this to the Shingo character here. Plus, all the drama here felt more overwrought to me and I didn't really care what happened to the sister or the mistress and why are they on screen instead of Hara etc etc... I get that it's to portray a spectrum of women's position in Japanese society and such.. but whatevs. But then, the focus shifts back to Hara and then there's that utterly incredible ending scene in the park that's just this gorgeously choreographed push and pull between these two characters. I still like Repast better perhaps but this is the best ending I've seen from him.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2020, 12:58:09 PM by 1SO »

sdedalus

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #61 on: January 22, 2013, 07:47:48 PM »
Nice. I too, whenever Setsuko Hara is not on-screen, am saying "where's Hara? What's she up to? Why aren't we watching her?"
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worm@work

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #62 on: January 22, 2013, 07:55:55 PM »
And Ken Uehara is good. I mean, I hate his character but he's a good actor.

sdedalus

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #63 on: January 22, 2013, 08:29:57 PM »
I don't know how many movies (if any) I've seen him in before, but I really like him in these Naruses.
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sdedalus

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #64 on: January 26, 2013, 02:29:05 AM »
These are really hard to rank:

1. Repast
2. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
3. Yearning
4. Wife! Be Like a Rose!
5. The Sound of the Mountain
6. Flowing
7. Apart from You
8. Scattered Clouds
9. No Blood Relation
10. Every Night Dreams
11. Floating Clouds
12. Mother
13. Street Without End
14. Ginza Cosmetics
15. Wife
16. Late Chrysanthemums
17. Flunky, Work Hard
The End of Cinema

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"He was some kind of a man. What does it matter what you say about people?"

worm@work

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #65 on: February 23, 2013, 03:15:29 PM »
sdedalus and two other good cinephile friends speak eloquently about naruse while i giggle a lot..
http://theyshotpictures.com/they-shot-pictures-ep-11-mikio-naruse/
« Last Edit: February 23, 2013, 03:19:46 PM by worm@work »

Sandy

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #66 on: February 23, 2013, 05:45:04 PM »
sdedalus and two other good cinephile friends speak eloquently about naruse while i giggle a lot..
http://theyshotpictures.com/they-shot-pictures-ep-11-mikio-naruse/

Just finished your podcast. :) After your great recommendation for When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, I wanted to hear more. I wasn't following the voices very well, but I think it was Slayton who sold me on Yearning, with Sean backing him up regarding the ending. (I might have them turned around.) I'll see if I can find a copy. Thanks for putting together that discussion.

worm@work

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #67 on: February 23, 2013, 05:53:40 PM »
Thank you so so much for listening, Sandy :) Yearning is totally worth your time and I think Naruse is a filmmaker likely to appeal to a lot of filmspotters.

worm@work

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #68 on: February 23, 2013, 05:54:35 PM »
and y, I get all the sexy voices mixed up as well :P

Sandy

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Re: Naruse Mikio - Director's Best
« Reply #69 on: February 23, 2013, 06:33:00 PM »
 :D

 

love