Melange

I think we need more films like this, which cover interesting periods moments of history which are generally not so well known, I would say.
 
Set in the earlier decades of the Edo Period of Japan and in the years after the Shimbara Rebellion, the film begins with a letter from a Dutch trader making its ways into the hands of a Portugese Jesuit order about the alleged apostasy of a notable Jesuit Missionary (Liam Neeson) over in Japan in the 1630s, after a widespread crackdown in Japan. Unconvinced that their former teacher could be dissuaded from his faith, even under torture, two younger Padres set out to Japan themselves both to find Neeson and keep the flame of missionary work alive in Japan. Given the title, the clever use of sound is used in this film from the very beginning. It is long watch at 2.5 hours with a pace which is not what a friend of mine who accompanied me, expected at all. I'm not quite sure what he expected, bu there is no action to speak of really. It is a very internalised film, with the thoughts and doubts of one of the main characters accompanying it throughout, so don't expect a brimming edge of your seat pace as the trailer below may suggest. It stalled sometimes, but I found it interesting and thought provoking.
 
My friend later said he knew very little about Christianity or Buddhism, to have found a later part of the film as thought provoking as I did. I suppose you could call it a twist on the story of finding Mr Kurtz, and once you see the film you may see what I refer to. To viewers who may be staunch Christians, it may be a traumatic viewing, but without the context of earlier events which precede events in this film, the severity of the 'establishment's resistance to Christianity may seem to be cruelty for cruelty's sake. I only knew the basics of the aforementioned Rebellion, guessed that this movie probably had some link to it but hadn't checked this prior to viewing and only confirmed it afterwards. Anyway, to me it raised questions about the wish to preserve one's culture and ideology from the designs of foreign ideologies VS the fervour of people who believe that an ideology is suitable for every soil. The film explores this in its reference to soil on several occasions. However, secondary questions arise about who wishes to retain that status quo and why, especially if it is heirachies only wishing to retain their power over others. As a last note, the reason for the movie's title becomes particularly important at a particularly moving moment later in the film, whether you are religious viewer or not.
 
Apparently this is a project that Scorcese had wanted to bring to fruition for over 20 years.
 
 

I think we need more films like this, which cover interesting periods moments of history which are generally not so well known, I would say.
 
Set in the earlier decades of the Edo Period of Japan and in the years after the Shimbara Rebellion, the film begins with a letter from a Dutch trader making its ways into the hands of a Portugese Jesuit order about the alleged apostasy of a notable Jesuit Missionary (Liam Neeson) over in Japan in the 1630s, after a widespread crackdown in Japan. Unconvinced that their former teacher could be dissuaded from his faith, even under torture, two younger Padres set out to Japan themselves both to find Neeson and keep the flame of missionary work alive in Japan. Given the title, the clever use of sound is used in this film from the very beginning. It is long watch at 2.5 hours with a pace which is not what a friend of mine who accompanied me, expected at all. I'm not quite sure what he expected, bu there is no action to speak of really. It is a very internalised film, with the thoughts and doubts of one of the main characters accompanying it throughout, so don't expect a brimming edge of your seat pace as the trailer below may suggest. It stalled sometimes, but I found it interesting and thought provoking.
 
My friend later said he knew very little about Christianity or Buddhism, to have found a later part of the film as thought provoking as I did. I suppose you could call it a twist on the story of finding Mr Kurtz, and once you see the film you may see what I refer to. To viewers who may be staunch Christians, it may be a traumatic viewing, but without the context of earlier events which precede events in this film, the severity of the 'establishment's resistance to Christianity may seem to be cruelty for cruelty's sake. I only knew the basics of the aforementioned Rebellion, guessed that this movie probably had some link to it but hadn't checked this prior to viewing and only confirmed it afterwards. Anyway, to me it raised questions about the wish to preserve one's culture and ideology from the designs of foreign ideologies VS the fervour of people who believe that an ideology is suitable for every soil. The film explores this in its reference to soil on several occasions. However, secondary questions arise about who wishes to retain that status quo and why, especially if it is heirachies only wishing to retain their power over others. As a last note, the reason for the movie's title becomes particularly important at a particularly moving moment later in the film, whether you are religious viewer or not.
 
Apparently this is a project that Scorcese had wanted to bring to fruition for over 20 years.
 
 

"The Male Gaze"
 
 

If that track was any cooler, it would be a block of ice!

Its in the yaird, not too fair from the cair. How's that?

My entire film music collection will go up for sale so I can then purchase hundreds of valuable vintage jeans.

I have no idea why, but I keep being reminded of :
 
 

I have no idea why, but I keep being reminded of :
 
 

I believe that Harrison Ford went off course and briefly flew over Other Topics.

I believe that Harrison Ford went off course and briefly flew over Other Topics.

I believe that Harrison Ford went off course and briefly flew over Other Topics.

I believe that Harrison Ford went off course and briefly flew over Other Topics.

I believe that Harrison Ford went off course and briefly flew over Other Topics.

I believe that Harrison Ford went off course and briefly flew over Other Topics.

Btw, it all begins in The Philippines.
 

HBO's Rome also called upon a similar musical form to represent the various parts of the Empire featuring in it. Egypt in the show was the Ptolemaic era of course, so by that time the influences of the various earlier conquests may have featured in Egypt, even that of today's Iran.. HBO Rome went with something fairly familiar....
 
 
Even Vangelis called on similar for Alexander
 
 
I'm not complaining as I happen to love this sound, so often used to evoke the mists of distant eras and sensual eastern promise, whatever you wish.. The string instrumentation at 1:58 is heard often in places like Afghanistan and Iran, with instruments like the Rabab and Santur.. We probably have Ancient Iran and India to thank for this overall sound we take to be 'exotic'. I visited a Santur master once in Iran, to dabble with it.

We've come this far. We must go on. We have to go on.

I always used to enjoy Voyager when it was shown here. It was DS9 that I never really gelled with, but it did get better later on. 

Fantastic, Mel!

RIP.