正在同步电影信息
“TheKingdom”isthethirdfilminKanaiKatsu’savant-gardeSmilingMilkyWayTrilogywhichbeganwithtwopoliticallyloadedfilms,1968’s“TheDesertedArchipelago”,adreamjourneythroughthethepost-ANPOTreaty60’s,and1971’s“Good-Bye”,anexploratrionoftheplightofthezainichi,orJapaneseofKoreanheritage.“TheKingdom”doesn’ttakeonanyloadedcurrenteventormomentarysocietalillthough.InsteaditgoestotherootofJapanese(andglobal)society’sengine-time-andinthatway“TheKingdom”isprobablythemostradicalfilminKanai’strilogyoffilms.<br/> KatsuKanai:Myfirstfilm,TheDesertedArchipelago,emergedoutoftheintersectionsbetweenmyownexperiencesandfantasiesandJapan’spostwarhistory,and,assuch,Imightcallitthe“HumanChapter”ofmytrilogy.Incontrast,Good-byepursuesthemysteryofmydistantDNA.Sinceitmovesfrombloodtoland,Imightcallitthe“EarthChapter.”FollowingthesetwonarrativescameTheKingdom.Evenifweweretodenyallgods,thereisonegodcontrollingus,onegodwhomwecannotrefuse:thegodoftime.TheKingdomwasmychallengetothatgodoftimeaswellasthefinale,“TheHeavenlyChapter,”tomySmilingMilkyWayTrilogy.<br/> Thestoryisaboutapopularpoet,GokuKatsumaru,whogrowsdepressedwhenhiseditorjokinglyimpliesthatheisa“sell-outtohistimes.”AroundGokuappearfirsta“TeamofPickpocketsWithPlanstoStealTime”andlatertheBirdDoctorwhodevelopshisresearchonmigratingbirdsand,inparticular,theirinternalclocks,“toliberatehimselffromthebondsoftime.”Goku,whonowdreamsofbecomingapoetforalltime,employstheknowledgehehasacquiredfromthesementotravelfromafieldintheHachiojisuburbsofTokyoallthewaytotheGalapagosIslands,whereheattemptsatotaltranscendence.Thefilmisbothanincredibleadventurestoryaswellasthekitschformulationofanew“myth.”IhadbeenchallengedbythewordsoftheyoungÔshimaNagisa,whodeclared“Iwon’tacceptsomethingascinemaunlessitisfoundedinanabsolutelynewstoryandanabsolutelynewmethodology.Wecannotbeallowedtoimitateourselves.”Whiletherearesomepointsincommonacrosseachofthethreefilmsinthistrilogy,Itrulydidmyutmosttodistinguishthematboththelevelofstoryandmethod—tomaintaintheirdistinctanduniquequalities.InthelastsceneofTheKingdom,justasGoku’sfacecanbeseenshiningbeneaththetwinklingnightsky,youseethefaceofKanaiKatsumaru,theprotagonistfromGood-bye,andthenthatofHidekuni,theleadinTheDesertedArchipelago,andfinally,acrossthewholescreenappearsixfaceswithouteveneyesornoses.Thelatterwerenodstowardsmyfilmsyettocome.<br/> TheKingdomwasselectedforsecondplaceintheAsahiNewspaper’s“BestFivefrom1973.”TheJapanesefilmjournal,EigaHyôron(FilmReview),listedthefilmin9thplaceamongitsBestTenoftheYear.AndMaxTessierwildlypraisedTheKingdomintheFrenchfilmmagazine,Ecran.IheardthatTessiereventookthefilmtoCanneshimselfandscreeneditthere,givinghisownrunningtranslationofthedialogue.I’mstillindebtedtoTessier’senthusiasm!
