1970s List Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 3)

[FilmSnob]

Sandakan no. 8 (Kei Kumai, 1974): Having never heard of Kei Kumai before watching this gem, I had no idea what to expect heading in. What I found was an emotionally rich and wonderfully rewarding story of the bond formed between two generations of Japanese women as the elder recounted he experience as a sex slave in Borneo and the rejection that she faced upon returning to Japan (a theme very similar to the experiences of Masuo's mother in The Ceremony). The melodrama is layered very thickly here, but all three of the film's main actresses do a superb job bringing humanity to their roles and preventing the film's message from ever devolving into utter sap. The end result is better than any individual components of it, and strikes me as a terrifically moving experience. For a diametrically opposed take, see Janet Maslin's scathing review.

There were aspects of Castle of Sand (really _bowls_ not castle, btw) I liked -- but I found this the least satisfying of the Nomura films I've seen. The book (called Inspector Imanishi Investigates in English, for some reason) was much more satisfying. My favorite Nomura so far is Harikomi (The Stakeout) -- but that came in the 60s. Yamada's Flag in the Mist / Kiri no hata (English novel is called Pro Bono) is as at least good as Harikomi -- but also came out in the 60s.

The parts of Kumai's Sandakan no. 8 that featured Kinuyo Tanaka were fabulous, but I found all the other parts of the film comparatively crude and dull. It was as if she energized and inspired the whole team when she on hand. Worth seeing in order to see Tanaka in one of her last roles.

Sandakan No. 8 is on Criterion Channel, and I watched this after finishing (almost all of) Kinuyo Tanaka's films as a director. Think I agree with bamwc2 more on the performances, all three women were great in their roles, particularly Tanaka, but I just couldn't take my eyes off Kumiko Kurihara. Now I want to watch Melodies of a White Night (1977) which I've heard is a 1970s Russian/Japanese version of In the Mood for Love and maybe should be on this list too.

But I also agree with Michael that the flashbacks in Sandakan No. 8 (i.e. not including Tanaka) lacked the same impact and felt a bit like a cruder Memoirs of a Geisha, but they were serviceable and distinct in stylization enough that it made the modern scenes with the faux mother-in-law / daughter-in-law relationship stand out even more.

[Michael Kerpan]

I guess my view is somewhat closer to Maslin's overall, though I thought Kurihara was pretty good (at least when she was interacting with Tanaka). Like a lot of Kinoshita's films, this was a movie whose heart was in the right place but whose handling often just did not resonate with me. (Not that I mind other people liking it more than I did).

[FilmSnob]

this was a movie whose heart was in the right place but whose handling often just did not resonate with me.

I can see that point of view. There was a scene in the flashback narrative with the young karayuki-san that I particularly disliked. She was raped quite graphically by her first customer in an earlier scene, and then she's with so many men after that, but she falls in love with the one young suitor. There's a tender moment where the camera cuts to a lamp being turned out when they are going to make love, and ending the scene on that cut would have been such a superior choice, allowing this woman her privacy for once, but instead Kumai returns to her having sex on the bed. Really ruined the scene for me.

Sandakan 8 was not quite good enough for me to call it a great movie, but it was still good enough for me to like it, and unlike so many other films I've seen, it's unique and earnest enough that I won't forget it. That's good enough for me.

[Michael Kerpan]

It is invaluable to me because of Tanaka's incredible performance. She was such a treasure.

[domino harvey]

Caught up with Le silencieux (Claude Pinoteau 1973) and found the Lino Ventura-starrer a better than average French 70s conspiracy thriller mixed with cold war spy intrigue of John le Carré. While I also enjoyed Leo Genn's comic performance early on in the film (and what good fortune he had to be one of the few veterans of studio era Hollywood to latch onto a good movie in this period), the best thing about this once it gets going is it sets up a really amusing and clever set piece near the end that I hadn't quite seen before:

SpoilerShow

Ventura waits until the two Russian spies doubling as a conductor and lead violinist begin recording an hour long live radio concert, makes an appearance in the glass recording booth to spook them, and then goes to their hotel room to ransack it, confident that they can't leave without arousing suspicion!

This is not a particularly remarkable film apart from these two elements (the New Yorker pull-quote on the poster announcing that "Hitchcock himself is finally rivaled" is, uh, a take), but I appreciated their presence!