[Film] Tiong Bahru Social Club

 23 January 2021

“Tiong Bahru Social Club”

---A shop assistant: “Do you have a “Passion” card?”

   A Bee: “No, (I don’t have) passion.”

Release Year: 2020

Country: Singapore

Director: Bee Thiam Tan

Cast: Thomas Pang, Guat Kian Goh, Jalyn Han

Location I watched: The Projector

 

Ah Bee, a 30 year-old Singaporean man is living with his mother at Pearl Bank, an old apartment that is about to be demolished. He is quiet and mild. Even when faced with a pile of claim forms at work, he accepts all claims with a smile. Now Ah Bee gets a new job as a Happiness Agent at Tiong Bahru Social Club. The Club is like a kind of community centre, but it is a pilot project by (I assume) the government aiming for a happy local community. Ah Bee says good-bye to his beloved mother (by the way, the distance between Tiong Bahru and Outram Park where Pearl Bank is located is just one stop away by train) and he starts living in a room provided by the Club. The room is controlled by an AI which is always checking his “happiness level” using an algorithm. Making the residents (especially the elderlies) happy is the Happiness Agents’ job. The Agents themselves must be happy. Calm and obedient Ah Bee gets used to this happy smiling world and becomes the top agent. He also gets a girlfriend who is one of his colleagues under the Club’s control. Everything looks good. However, is it right?

 

Generally, it is said that Singapore is a rich country looking at GDP per capita, but Singaporeans feel less happy. Or Singaporeans like complaining. Or the Singapore Government is good at management. “Tiong Bahru Social Club” took such Singapore’s “features” and turned it into a funny comedy with satire.

 

The Tiong Bahru Social Club itself looks like a parody of a cult community. It is suspicious, and at the same time, funny. The activities organized by the Happiness Agents are also sometimes quite hilarious.

 

The Club’s neighbourhood is shot with a soft colour tone and it looks retro and cozy. The design of the Club’s main building is based on pastel pink. It also looks cozy and cheerful. On the other hand, the control room and Ah Bee’s room is combined pink and blue. So the impression is slightly psychedelic and it can be called “future retro”. This “future retro” club and old Singapore neighbourhood are matching and they successfully create a cozy and weird atmosphere.

 

“Tiong Bahru Social Club” is an interesting film. However, after I finished watching, something uncomfortable was left in my mind. Although it is unclear and difficult to explain, there is a feeling that something important is not enough in this film.

 

In the Tiong Bahru Social Club, the management is always monitoring the “happiness level’ of their Happiness Agents. The “happiness level” is decided by an algorithm based on the data of their expressions, physical condition or situation and so on. There is no privacy for the Happiness Agents. Before joining the Club, they have to sign an agreement to give up their privacy. It is quite creepy.  Especially since the Club seems to be the government’s pilot project, it is creepier. Even though the management team is not ill-intentioned. In the film, the Club itself is not criticized hard, but it is understandable because the film is a light satirical comedy and the protagonist, Ah Bee, is a very passive man. Even if Ah Bee has doubts about the Club policy, he will keep his silence and not make any trouble.

 

However, Ah Bee actually feels that something is wrong. He does not feel happy very much in the Club. So to trick the monitoring AI, he exercises in the dead spots in his room, hiding away from the AI cameras. His quick heartbeat is misunderstood by the AI as his “happy” condition (his excitement for a happy feeling). In the meantime, after taking care of an elderly resident, Ms. Wee, he is assigned to be in charge of listening to the residents’ complaints. This job is just to listen to the residents’ complaints, and he does not solve any problems. It is said that Singaporeans like complaining. This job is a kind of satire. Anyway, with this job, Ah Bee becomes the top Agent.

 

Ah Bee can accept anybody’s complaints or wishes because he does not have anything in his mind. He does not have any egoistic desire, but at the same time, does not have any passion. He is empty. Just accepting does not make others and himself really happy. Ah Bee eventually realizes that and he leaves the Club. He goes back to his mother who makes him happy and whom he wants to make happy. ------It was actually difficult to understand Ah Bee’s inner journey, so this part is all my interpretation.

 

Ah Bee hardly speaks in the film, but Thomas Pang acted Ah Bee quite well. For that, we can understand his feelings in each scene. Nevertheless, his adventure (“odyssey” in the cinema’s introduction) was somehow unsatisfying to me.

 

I think one of the reasons is because the Tiong Bahru Social Club working system is unclear. My understanding is that each Happiness Agent takes care of a partner elderly and they are also in charge of some public activity like a swimming class. The management evaluates the Agents’ work by always checking the residents’ “happiness level”. They rank the Happiness Agents and regularly fire the Agent at the bottom of the rank. The scene where they fire an Agent is quite funny. He was fired because his “Tour with a Cat in the Neighbourhood” was unpopular.

 

Ah Bee is also assigned a partner elderly, Ms. Wee, who is living alone with a cat, but he is not in charge of any activities. He is a new hire and does not get used to his job, so this situation is understandable. Then, however, after she passed away, Ah Bee is assigned to be in charge of a special room where the residents can complain of anything to him. Although the other Happiness Agents seem to have their activities as their own projects (that is why the “Tour with a Cat” Agent was fired due to his activity), for some reason, Ah Bee was not required to come up with his own activity. Besides he was not assigned any other elderlies to take care of anymore. The management seems to give only him a special job. Since Tiong Bahru Social Club is a pilot project, there may not be fixed rules to manage the Happiness Agents. However, I cannot understand why the management’s expectation of Ah Bee is so high and they give better consideration to his task.

 

Anyway, Ah Bee’s “listening to complaint” room becomes extremely popular. This is the victory of the management’ idea and assignment. Of course, Ah Bee is working hard, I guess. But the scenes in his “listening to complaint” room do not focus on his “super power” --- how much he is patient and obedient (just continue listening) or how much he does not do anything at all (again, just continue listening). The long long queue to the room alone was not enough for me to be convinced that Ah Bee was great as a Happiness Agent.

 

Besides, the attitude of the Club’s management does not make sense. About the death of Ms. Wee, it is very vague whether she died in an accident or killed herself. In any case, Ah Bee feels very sad and sorry. The Club’s manager comforts him and says that this is not Ah Bee’s fault and that she died happily. It is very nice to hear, but somehow it does not seem to make sense because the manager’s words are too ordinary. The Tiong Bahru Social Club is not normal, obviously. The management is always observing the Agents. When Ah Bee was matchmade and started living together with his girlfriend, they were in his bedroom to check whether he succeeded in making love or not. The management is abnormal like that, but the words to comfort him are too normal. If they rely on the algorithm for happiness, they should say that she died happily according to the algorithm or show the data to cheer him up. The manager in that scene is rather rational. Ironically, it seems to be irrational to me.

 

After all, how bizarre the Club is and how remarkable the existence of passive Ah Bee is - both are not enough to be expressed in the film. For that, his adventure in the Club is unsatisfying and his inner journey is difficult to understand. That is probably why I felt something that is uncomfortable. Although the film has the title of “Tiong Bahru Social Club”, its “Club level” is not enough for me.

 

Lastly, one of the main locations in “Tiong Bahru Social Club” is the Pearl Bank Apartments before the building was demolished. Generally, the design of recent condominium buildings is not so interesting for me. But the Pearl Bank Apartments, built in 1976, is unique and formidable. In the film, we can enjoy the overwhelming appearance. One of my former colleagues used to rent a room in Pearl Bank. It was in about 2006. She called Pearl Bank a “haunted house”. When her tenancy agreement finished, she started looking for a new room. The room she found is again in Pearl Bank. Maybe she actually liked that old building. Such memories came back to me with this film. (20 May 2021)

『映画』Last and First Men（最後にして最初の人類）

2020年12月6日

「Last and First Men（最後にして最初の人類）」・・・間違っていても気づかない

公開年：　2020年

製作国：　アイスランド

監督：　Johann Johannsson（ヨハン・ヨハンソン）

原作：　Olaf Stapledon（オラフ・ステープルドン）

ナレーション：　Tilda Swinton（ティルダ・スウィントン）

見た場所：　The Projector

　

　「Last and First Men（最後にして最初の人類）」は、オラフ・ステープルドンによる1930年の同名のSF小説を原作とした作品で、音楽家ヨハン・ヨハンソン初の監督作にして遺作となった。元は、ティルダ・スウィントンのナレーションが入った16ミリフィルムのモノクロ映像———主に旧ユーゴスラビアが建てた第二次世界大戦等にまつわる記念碑群———とともに、ヨハンソン作曲のスコアをオーケストラがライブ演奏するという作品で、ヨハンソンの死後、映画版として完成されたものである。原作小説から起こしたナレーションは、ヨハンソン自身とJose Enrique Macianによって作成された。

 

 

　COVID-19のパンデミックで、2020年は開催されなかったSingapore International Festival of Arts（SIFA、シンガポール国際芸術祭）だが、シンガポールのCircuit Breaker（セミ・ロックダウン）が段階的に緩められるのにともない、（当初の規模に比べれば）ごく一部ではあるが開催され、「Singular Screens」という映画上映プログラムも、観客数を限って行われたのだった。「最後にして最初の人類」はそのプログラムの一本で、私は10月3日に、会場のAsian Film ArchiveにあるOldham Theatreに見に行ったのだった。

 

　それはそれで済んでいたのだが、それから一ヶ月半ほどした後、チケット販売会社からメールが来た。いわく、今回の上映に使われたプリントには誤りがあった、と。特に顕著な誤りとして、同じナレーションを繰り返してしまっている。この問題はテスト上映の時にすでに認識されていたものの、そのまま上映してしまった。しかし、確認したところ、この映画のデジタル・プリントを作成した現像所が失敗コピーを渡したということがわかった。SIFAと配給会社（シンガポールのAnticipate Pictures）は、この見過ごしに対して深くお詫び申し上げる。そして、（いわゆるミニシアターである）The Projectorでの上映に無料でご招待するので、申し込んでほしい。もしこちらで指定した上映日に都合がつかないようであれば、配給会社がプライベート・スクリーニングのリンクをお送りする。また、今回のチケット代金を全額返金するので、チケット販売会社が後ほどその詳細をご連絡する。今後はこのようなことが起こらないよう、ベストを尽くしていく所存である、とのことだった。

 

　えっ......そうだったん？実は、Oldhamでこの作品を見た時、睡魔と戦うのが非常に大変だった。奇妙な建造物が映っているモノクロ映像に、（英語なので尚のこと）よくわからん奇天烈な未来の人類の世界が語られ、そこに「ワァ〜ワァ〜、ワァ〜ワァ〜」という壮麗な音楽。見ていてストーリーに引き込まれるとかスリルを感じてわくわくするとか、そういう映画では全くない。しかも、ティルダ・スウィントンのナレーションは、最後の人類がどのような形状か等について述べる辺りまで来ると、そこでまた最初に戻ってしまう。結局、都合三回、同じ話を聞いた。そして、そういうものだと思っていた。ティルダ・スウィントンのナレーションは未来の人類が現在の我々に語りかけているという体なので、針が飛んだレコードのように同じことを繰り返しているのを、「未来からの交信が上手くいかない」ということを意味しているのかと思ったのだ。それで実際に同じ話を繰り返すという、実験映画的な試みなのだと。そうじゃなくて、単なる間違いだったのね......

 

　というわけで、最初に見た時眠かったけど、せっかくなのでもう一回見に行ったのだった。前回は丸腰で見に行ったので、SF小説の映像化という作品紹介からは予想外の退屈さ（！）に参ってしまったのだが、今度はもうどんなものかが事前にわかっているので、大丈夫。眠くなるであろうことに心構えができていたので、かえってそれほど眠くはならなかった。前回のように同じ話を繰り返すわけではなく、ティルダ・スウィントンの語りは進んでいき、結末もちゃんとあった。

 

 

　さて、映像の中核をなす記念碑群は、コンクリート作りと思われ、様々な角度と様々な遠近で撮影されている。山々のような自然を背景に、奇妙でありながら無機質で静謐な雰囲気を醸し出しており、その映像は美しい。このモニュメントの映像はモノクロだが、暗黒空間に緑色のライトが点滅する映像も時おり挿入される。そうした映像と、神秘的なヨハンソンの音楽が、ティルダ・スウィントンが語る独特な未来世界に対するイメージを喚起している。ティルダは第18期の人類（最後の人類）として、現在の我々（第1期の人類）に語りかける。18期人類は我々の助けを求めており、海王星に住む彼らの形状（もはや我々とは似ても似つかぬ種になっている）、生態、社会等を説明する。この18期の人類の世界は、今から20億年後くらい......「法華経」の百千万億那由他みたいで、あまりにスケールが大きすぎて、なんかクラクラしてくる。

 

 

　原作を知っていればそうは思わないだろうが、そうでないと、「いったいこれは......」という驚きを抱かせられる。ナレーションだけで成り立っている作品という形式に対してではなく、その語っている内容に、想像力の飛翔に。しかしその一方で、様子や状況が淡々と語られているだけの作品でもある。映像は美しく、音楽は多様ではあるものの、筋運びに起伏があるわけではない。かしこまって見ていても（原作やヨハンソンの音楽に特別な興味があれば別だが）、眠くなってしまうのは仕方がないような気がする（自己を正当化するが）。いわゆる「映像詩」と呼べなくもないが、元々がオーケストラのライブ演奏とともに成り立っていた作品であることを考えると、この「Last and First Men」は、イベント的な映画であると思う。つまり、ビール片手に友達と一緒に、大音量で大スクリーンで見て、その音楽と映像に酔いしれる。そんなようなことが楽しい映画なのではないかと。そう考えると、映画館で見たものの、一人でひっそりと見た私の鑑賞方法は、ヨハンソンに対していささか地味であったかと。（2021年3月19日）

『映画』Tom of Finland（トム・オブ・フィンランド）

2018年10月14日

「Tom of Finland（トム・オブ・フィンランド）」・・・火を点けろ！

公開年：　2017年

製作国：　フィンランド

監督：　Dome Karukoski（ドメ・カルコスキ）

出演：　Pekka Strang, Lauri Tilkanen, Jessica Grabowsky, Taisto Oksanen, Seumas Sargent, Jakob Oftebro

見た場所：　The Projector

　10月11日から21日まで、フィンランド大使館の後援を得て、Finnish Film Festival（フィンランド映画祭）が開催された。新作８本の他、アキ・カウリスマキ監督のレトロスペクティブとして、「敗者三部作」を含む６本が上映された。映画祭のオープニングを飾ったのが、この「Tom of Finland（トム・オブ・フィンランド）」。レザーを着た筋肉美の男達をエロティックに描き、20世紀後半のゲイ・カルチャーに影響を与えた画家、「トム・オブ・フィンランド」ことトウコ・ラークソネン（Touko Valio Laaksonen）の伝記映画である。メディア検閲が日本よりもずっと厳しいシンガポールだが、ノーカット、R21（21歳以上のみが視聴可）でレイティングされ、無事上映の運びとなった。

トム・オブ・フィンランドの作品が表紙となっている映画祭のプログラム。
帰宅後よく見てみたら、ちゃんとコンドームを持っている。

　私はそのオープニング上映ではなく、二度目の上映の時（日曜の夜8時から）に見に行った。映画館に着いた時、ちょうど開場したところだったので、入口で人々が列をなしてどんどん入って行っていた。列を作っているのは男性ばかりだった・・・。アジア人だろうが白人だろうが何人だろうが、カップルだろうがグループだろうが一人だろうが、とにかく男、男、男だらけだった。女一人で来てしまった私は、あまりのアウェー感にいつになく気もそぞろになり、そそくさと中に入ったのだった。そうして客席に座って眺め回して見ると、もちろん女性の観客もいた。しかし、男性観客の方がずっと多く、それこそトムの絵に出て来るようなマッチョな人もたくさんいて、こういう地味な映画祭（シンガポールにとってフィンランドは特になじみある国というわけではない）の客層としては異色。映画館側によると、この日の上映チケットは売り切れとなったらしい。

　この映画祭で、今まで見逃していたアキ・カウリスマキの作品を何本か見た。カウリスマキの映画ばかり見ていると、ヘルシンキには貧しい人とダサい人しかいないように思えてくるが、それはもちろん誤解なのだった。この映画で見るヘルシンキは素敵な北欧の街で、主人公のトウコ・ラークソネンは立派なジェントルマンだった。逆に紳士なだけあって、映画後半で見せる革ジャン姿が似合っているかと言われると、ぶっちゃけそんなに似合っていない（劇中でも妹に笑われている）。自分が描く男達のようにワイルドに着こなしていないのだが、それは別に問題ではないのだろう。自分がなりたい自分であるということが、この映画のトウコ・ラークソネンが歩む人生であって、似合うとか似合わないとかはどうでもいいのだと思う。

　物語は第二次世界大戦中、トウコがフィンランド軍の将校として戦っていた所まで遡る。戦争が終わり、トウコはヘルシンキで広告デザインの仕事に就く。仕事は順調だったが、彼の心には常にわだかまるものがあった。現在LGBTの権利について最も進歩的な国の一つであるフィンランドだが、当時、同性間の性的行為は全くもって反社会的な違法行為と見なされていた。同性愛者であったトウコは、世間にそれをひた隠し、警察の取り締まりにおびえつつ、夜の公園で出会いを求める悶々とした日々を送っていた。その中で彼は、戦争中に自分が殺したロシアの落下傘兵、公園でゲイを打ち据える警官、革ジャンを身にまとったバイカー達——自身の心を掴んで離さない様々なイメージから、ゆっくりとあの絵のスタイルを作り上げていく。どちらかと言うと、負のイメージに彼が取り憑かれていることが興味深かった。心を悩ますそうしたイメージを、トウコは絵を描くことで自身のファンタジーと結びつけ、見事に昇華させていったのだった。しかし、描き続けるものの、発表する場がない。失敗や苦難の末、ついにアメリカのBeefcake magazine（ビーフケーキ・マガジン、アメリカで検閲の厳しかった時代にフィットネス雑誌を装って発行されていた、ゲイ男性向けの雑誌）の一誌に自作が掲載される。トウコ・ラークソネン＝トム・オブ・フィンランドのデビューである。アメリカのゲイ・カルチャーの開放とともに、トム（トウコ）の人気も高まるが、恋人の死やエイズ禍と言った試練にまたもや襲われる。しかし、それでも描き続けることを決意し、友人達の協力を得て、画集「Tom of Finland: Retrospective」を出版する——映画は、1940年代から晩年まで、およそ50年間のトウコの半生が描かれている。

　良い作品だけど、エロティックな絵を描くゲイの画家の伝記映画と聞いて、過剰な何かを期待する人が見るとがっかりすると思う。狂った芸術家の生涯というのは映画で好まれる題材だが、この映画のトウコは狂っているどころか、良き友人、楽しい同僚、優しい恋人として、ごく全うな人である。トウコが良い人な上に、端正で抑制の効いた演出のために、（事件はいろいろ起こるけれども）若干起伏に欠ける作品ではある。

　また、時間経過が分かりづらいというのが難点。冒頭のシーンでは、公会堂のロビーらしき所で、晩年のトウコが友人のダグと出番を待っている。そこから（恐らく）時間が少し戻って、（後になってわかることだが）エイズ禍の中で自分が何をすべきかと思い悩むトウコの姿が描かれる。さらにそこからトウコの回想であるかのように、時代が1940年代に戻るのだが、私がフィンランドの歴史に詳しくないこともあり、今がいつで前のシーンから何年たったのか、今一つわかりにくかった。戦後のトウコが戦争中の出来事を思い起こしたり、トウコの美しい恋人ニパが不老（不死ではないが・・・）だったりして、それがますます私を混乱させる・・・。

　例えば、ある日トウコがハッテン場になっている公園に行ったら、「ヘルシンキ・オリンピック開催のために」警察が取り締まりを行っており、その場をなんとかごまして切り抜けるというシーンがあった。映画が終わった後でヘルシンキ・オリンピックを調べて、「あー1952年の出来事だったのね」などと今さらのように思ったのだった。しかし、そうかと言っていちいち「1952年」などとキャプションを出したらつまらなくなるので、これはこれでよしとするしかないのだけど。ちなみに、1970年代にトウコが初めてアメリカに渡って以降の話は、わりとよく知られたアメリカのゲイの歴史と重なっているため、より理解しやすい。

　この映画は、トウコがトム・オブ・フィンランドとして世に出る前と後で、大きく前半と後半に分けられる。前半では、世に出せない絵を描きながらゲイとして生きることを模索するトウコの姿が、対して後半では、彼がゲイ・カルチャーに革新をもたらしたアーティストとして成功していく様子が描かれている。私がより好きなのは、少々駆け足気味で滑らかに描かれる後半よりも、隠れゲイとしての日々を送る、わりと地味な前半の方だ。

　そして最も印象的なシーンは、この前半と後半をつなぐ転機となる場面で、その時、トウコは一切をあきらめて、自分が描いてきた絵を燃やそうとする。ライターで火を点けようとするのだが、なぜかライターの火が点かない。何度も試しているうちにふと部屋の向こうを見ると、幻の男——黒い口髭をたくわえた、逞しい、トウコの空想の中の美しい男——が座っていて、手にしたライターの火を点ける。トウコは、夢をあきらめてはいけないことを悟る。時おりこうした幻想が彼の日常の中に織り込まれているのだが、このシーンでのそれは効果的で、かつ感動的だった。そしてこの「ライターを点けようとして火が点かない」というのは、冒頭の思い悩むトウコのシーンにもある。前に書いたように時間軸が若干複雑なために、ちょっとわかりづらかったのだけれども、冒頭のシーンはこのシーンのエコーとなっている。

　「トム・オブ・フィンランド」は、感情なりテーマなりを、見ている者に有無を言わさず押し付けて来るような、強烈な映画ではない。しかし、不思議と見終わった後、「あぁ、がんばろう」（何を？）と思ったのだった。そういうわけで、日曜の夜という、明日仕事だからあまり外出したくないような時間に見に行ったにも関わらず、わりと心軽やかに家路についた。たぶん、誰に迷惑をかけるでもなく、困難であっても、内なる自由に従ってコツコツと描き続けていくトウコの、その静かな戦いぶりに、ちょっと元気づけられるのだと思う。

トウコ（左）と恋人のニパ

　ところで、トウコには妹がいるのだが、彼女はトウコの恋人となるニパに思いを寄せて振られてしまう。それでもずっと兄達の世話を焼いている感心な妹なのだが、あの後彼女自身はいい人に巡り会うことができたのか、それが映画の終わった後も気になって・・・。（2018年11月6日）

『映画』Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak／殺人者マルリナ)

2018年7月29日

「Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts（Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak／殺人者マルリナ）」・・・「最もみじめな女」になるはずだった人殺しの四幕

公開年：　2017年

製作国：　インドネシア

監督：　Mouly Surya（モーリー・スリヤ）

出演：　Marsha Timothy, Dea Panendra, Egy Fedly, Yoga Pratama

見た場所：　The Projector

　乾いた大地を一人行く、馬に乗った女。「Satay Western（サテー・ウエスタン）」と呼ばれ、イギリスのThe Guardian紙の映画評で「Leone meets Tarantino in Indonesia（レオーネとタランティーノのインドネシアでの出会い）」と書かれた作品である。インドネシアはスンバ島の僻地で、強盗団に襲われた寡婦の、復讐の顛末が描かれる。（ちなみにサテーはインドネシアやマレーシア等で食されている串焼き料理である。日本の焼き鳥に似ているが、鶏肉だけでなく、牛肉を使ったものもおいしい。）

　「Four Acts」とタイトルにあるように、映画は四部構成になっている（注意：以下四段落にあらすじが最後まで書いてあります）。

　第一幕「Robbery（強盗）」：　見渡す限り、隆起した乾いた大地が続く土地の一軒家。若い寡婦マルリナの住むその家へ、一人の男が突然やってくる。Markus（マルカス）と名乗る男はマルリナに、後から仲間がやって来て、皆でマルリナの蓄え（主に豚や鶏などの家畜）を奪って彼女を犯すと告げる。実際、都合七人の男達は家に居座ると、マルリナに食事を供させる。マルリナは毒を盛って彼らのうち四人を殺害。残った首領格のマルカスにはレイプされてしまうが、隙を見て彼の刀でその首を切り落とす。

　第二幕「Journey（旅路）」：　翌日。マルカスの首を持ったマルリナは、村の警察署に行くために乗合バス（と言っても軽トラのようなもので、バス停も特にない）に乗る。そこで、臨月の妊婦である友人のNovi（ノビ）と一緒になる。強盗団のうち、生き残った二人（奪った家畜を運搬していて、マルリナの反撃の際に不在だった）がマルリナを追跡、彼女達のバスを乗っ取る。マルリナは、乗客の夫婦が結婚式のお祝いに運んでいた馬と一緒に逃げ延びる。

　第三幕「Confession（告白）」：　馬で警察署に辿りついたマルリナは、警察官達のやる気のなさといい加減さを前に、強盗にあってレイプされたことは供述したが、彼女が一味を殺したことは告白しない。一方、警察署の傍にある食堂の幼い娘（マルリナの早くに亡くなった一人息子と偶然同じ名前を持つ）と仲良くなり、しばし心の安らぐひと時を過ごす。

　第四幕「Berth（誕生）」：　一方ノビは、お腹の子は不義の子だとあらぬ疑いをかける夫に殴られ、田舎道（どこもかしこも田舎道なのだが）に置き去りにされたところを、強盗団の生き残りの若者Franz（フランツ）に捕まる。マルリナが帰宅すると、ノビを人質にしたフランツが待ち構えており、マルリナの持っているマルカスの首を要求する。首を渡し、これでおしまいにしようとするマルリナだが、フランツは彼女をレイプする。そこで今度はノビが、刀でフランツの首を切り落とす。産気づいてしまったノビは、マルリナの助けで無事出産する。翌朝、二人の女と赤ん坊は、静かに家から立ち去って行った。

　「サテー・ウエスタン」と言われると楽しそうだが、実のところ辛い話である。バスで馬を運ぶ中年夫婦の夫のような例外はあれど、まー出て来る男出て来る男、皆不愉快。この不愉快な男達が幅を利かす世界と対峙することになってしまうのが、若き寡婦マルリナなわけだが、見終わった後、痛快、爽快な気分になるかと聞かれれば、それほど清々しい気持ちにはならない。数々の苦難が乗り越えられるのを見てほっと一安心するものの、どこか苦さが残るような気持ちにさせられる。人生は続いて行くが、生きて行くのって、大変よ。

　あらすじをそのまま映画にしたら、女性の権利が守られていない開発途上の地域における、寄辺のない未亡人の止むに止まれぬ凶行と逃避行、みたいな辛気くさい作品ができてしまったかもしれない。しかし、この「殺人者マルリナ」は、明るい爽快感とは一味違った味わいをラストに残しつつも、面白い映画なのだ。起承転結を明確にした四部構成の客観的な語り口、西部劇を想起させるイメジャリー、バス道中等でのユーモアや思い切ったバイオレンス。それらが孤立無援の地で強盗団に居座られた寡婦の復讐の話から、最終的には女同士の友情の話となる展開と相まって、「殺人者マルリナ」は、女性を主人公としたドラマ映画以上の独特な作品となった。

　個人的に非常に印象的だったのは、第一幕「強盗」で、一味に居座られ、料理を作らされているマルリナのシーン。強盗団は、彼女の持っている生活の糧を全て奪った挙げ句、マルリナの手料理で酒盛りした後、彼女を輪姦する予定でいる。このシーンでマルリナは無言だが、その表情に何かの力が集中していく感じ、そしてその集中力によって何かが起こるような感じがさせられる。この非常な緊張感の元、平凡な一女性は自分を守るために人殺しとなる。

　見に行ったのはSingapore Film Societyの上映会で、上映終了後に、来場したモーリー・スリヤ監督のトーク・セッションがあった。元々この「殺人者マルリナ」は、インドネシアの映画監督ガリン・ヌグロホの原案で、女性監督を望んでいたヌグロホからスリヤ監督に話が持ちかけられたという。インドネシアの都市生活をテーマとした映画を作って来たスリヤ監督としては、初めての地方を舞台とした作品だった。同じインドネシア国内とはいえ、スンバ島について何も知らず、まずグーグルで検索するところから始めたというのが笑える。そして、乾期になるとインドネシアのようには見えない島の風景を知り、そこからウエスタンという発想が生まれた。そういうわけで、監督自身に元々西部劇に対する特別な思い入れがあったわけではないのだ。島での撮影は、空港で飛行機の着陸に手旗信号を使っているくらいの僻地なのだが、それだけに新鮮だったと言っていた。ジャカルタで撮影していると、常に余計な人が映り込んでいないかをチェックしなくてはならないが、そんなことを気にしなくても、人は全然いない・・・。ちなみにこのスンバ島だが、劇中で見られる限り、独特の文化を持っている。イスラム教徒が80％以上を占めるインドネシアだが、所によって宗教や風習も変わるものだなーと思いながら映画を見ていた。

　ところで、フランツは死んだけど、強盗団の生き残りはもう一人いたと思う。その人がまだいると思うんだけど、大丈夫？と最後までそれが気になった。（2018年10月18日）

　以下は、イギリスのバンドThe XXが、YouTubeと共同して製作している「We See You」シリーズの一編、「We See You – Jakarta」。The XXのファンにフォーカスした短編映画で、ジャカルタ編は、モーリー・スリヤ監督による。主演の若者二人のちょっと野暮ったいところが、逆にかわいい。

[Film] My Happy Family (Chemi Bednieri Ojakhi)

15 July 2017

“My Happy Family (Chemi Bednieri Ojakhi)”---The O.P.E.N. (Singapore International Festival of Arts)

Release Year: 2017

Country: Georgia, Germany, France

Director: Nana & Simon (Nana Ekvtimishvili & Simon Gross)

Cast: Ia Shugliashvili, Merab Ninidze

Location I watched: The projector

Story from the festival website:

A literature teacher, Manna lives with her parents, husband and grown-up children in a crowded apartment in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. As family and friends gather to celebrate her 52^nd birthday, Manna calmly packs a suitcase and, to her guests’ surprise, announces she is leaving.

 

First of all, the above “Story” is partly incorrect. After her birthday when Manna, the protagonist had to celebrate with her family, relatives and friends, she packs a suitcase in front of her family and leaves. After many years working outside and inside for her family and piling up stress, Manna finally decided to live alone in a flat she has already found. I think “My Happy Family” is not a story about women’s independence. It is a film with a contemporary theme about current women who have to take many roles in society. Even after her children grew up, they still rely on their parents. Her daughter is already married, but the couple is living in the same house because they are not economically independent. This situation is not rare now. The next situation is also common. As Manna and her husband are working fulltime, her old mother has been keeping the family’s kitchen. It might be helpful, but in Manna’s case, she has to hear Mother’s complaints and scoldings instead. Manna’s husband however does not look troubled by this messy daily life. Only Manna is feeling the rising doubts about her own life and her family.

When she finally decided to live alone, a big fuss happens not only among her family, but also her relatives. In contemporary Japan, a unit of family is not big and the relationship among relatives is not strong so much. However, for some races, some societies or some cultures, family is quite important and the definition of family is wide. A family unit does not mean only parents and children. It also includes grandparents, siblings’ family or cousins’ family and so on. A “clan” might be a better description for this. For them, gathering together and maybe eating together is quite important.

In Japan, it is not so common that all relatives and friends visit somebody’s house to celebrate his/her 52-year-old birthday. But in Singapore, being invited to celebrate somebody’s birthday is not rare, even if the person is a full-grown adult. After Manna left the house, all the relatives are assembled and a family meeting is held with her attendance. That situation is also familiar. In Singapore, even if an old father or mother needs to see a specialist in a hospital, it turns to a big event and an important discussion topic among all grown-up sons and daughters. Generally, they tend to have their family (on wide definition) on their mind more than people in Japan, I think. In Georgia, the culture looks being similar. A social life included especially with family or relatives is important there.

Manna’s relatives think that family should be together. For them, Manna’s action is quite a shocking incident, especially for her husband after their long marriage. This incident caused a big fuss among her family and relatives, with a heavy discussion and argument. They try to convince Manna to go back home, but of course, they fail. Funnily, all their discussion or argument does not go anywhere. There is no development and no effect. Just the same things are said, again and again. This looping conversation makes me feel the reality of a family meeting. What a family!

The angriest person from Manna’s decision is her mother. She is so angry that she looks as if she is almost going to die. The noise she makes in anger is quite funny. However, when Manna visits her family in a while after she left, her mother calmly receives her at the door. Mother has already put Manna’s daily cup back to a shelf in the kitchen, but she welcomes Manna. It looks like she has already accepted this situation for some mysterious reasons. So where did all her anger go to? That point is funny. On the other hand, Manna’s elder brother tries to solve this “problem”, but of course, he cannot. Finally, all he could do is to ask some neighbors in Manna’s new apartment to watch her. Her brother is worried that Manna has a new man while she is living alone. That “arrangement” makes her furious, of course. From her brother’s point of view, he must do something for his sister in “trouble”. He feels that it is his responsibility. That is why he has done a totally unnecessary and silly thing. What a family!

This film has many crowded scenes. For example, Manna and her family’s daily life in their apartment, her birthday party, the family meeting with relatives and her school reunion etc. There are always many people squeezed in a small space. Even when Manna bumped into her old friend in a wet market, the narrow passageway causes people to constantly pass by between them. People in such crowded scenes look cramp. But, at the same time, their ensemble is terrific. The camera smoothly moves around them taking in each different movement. The crowded scenes are too beautiful to stop being drawn.

After leaving her noisy and crowded family life, Manna finally gets her own space and time. She starts enjoying her single life. It gives her an opportunity to see her family from the outside. Even after she left, new different issues appear. She is still involved in them as a wife, a mother and a daughter, but now she can keep a detached attitude. But on the other hand, she discovers a gossip between her and her husband. Her husband had an affair that she did not know about... After getting married, they have been raising children, taking care of parents and working hard to support all their family. Probably Manna did not have time to think about this. But now, she starts thinking, “What is a husband and wife from the start?”. She becomes more unsure about her husband than before she left. It could happen to any couples. Once you start to slow down your life, you might ask this question to a man in front of you like Manna, “Who are you?” (19 August 2017)

  

[Film] Harmonium (淵に立つ)

13 July 2017

“Harmonium (淵に立つ)”---The O.P.E.N. (Singapore International Festival of Arts)

Release Year: 2016

Country: Japan, France

Director: Fukada Koji（深田晃司）

Cast: Furutachi Kanji（古舘寛治）, Tsutsui Mariko（筒井真理子）, Asano Tadanobu（浅野忠信）

Location I watched: The projector

Story from the festival program:

Toshio hires his old acquaintance Yasaka to work in his garage shop at his home that he shares with his wife and their 10-year-old daughter. Yasaka, who has just been released from prison, begins to meddle in Toshio’s life.

 

Although it is just a prejudice, I think Singapore film fans like Asano Tadanobu for some reasons. I do not like him very much, but I am not negative against him. Anyway, in Harmonium, Asano plays Yasaka, a mysterious man who came from the dark past that Toshio does not want to remember.

The story is divided to two parts. In the first part, Yasaka appears in front of Toshio and starts living together at his house. The second part shows Toshio and his family 8 years after Yasaka disappeared. Even though Yasaka is absent in the second part, he is in the center of the film.

As the direction is clear, the audience can easily understand each situation without verbal explanations. Before Yasaka comes, Toshio’s family is ordinary and living peacefully. Although, the relationship between Toshio and Akie, his wife is not so strong. In there, suddenly the mysterious Yasaka appears. A secret about Yasaka is revealed and, at the same time, a melodramatic cliché between Yasaka and Akie is developing. It is quite thrilling. The audience in Singapore seemed to enjoy that, saying “Oh, my God!”.

However, in the second part, we had to watch this film with more serious feeling. After a tragic “accident” at the end of the first part, Toshio’s family is falling apart. Toshio revealed to Akie his shared secret past with Yasaka. He said to her, “When that “accident” happened, I was actually relieved because I could feel being punished for what I had done on Yasaka.” He also said, “We became a true husband and wife through undergoing that “accident””. What Toshio said is very ugly and a cliché excuse. It made Akie furious and desperate.

“Harmonium” is an entertaining thriller about a family whose happiness is going to be destroyed by an unexpected event. However, despite the clear direction, only Yasaka is a vague character. What was his purpose? Was what he confessed to Akie his real feelings? What did he do during that “accident”? Everything is uncertain. On one hand, by Yasaka’s vague existence, it might be said that this film becomes a drama for the audience to think about “family”. On the other hand, it might be said that the film makes the audience uncomfortable after an entertaining first part.

By the way, the Japanese original title of “Harmonium” is “Fuchi ni Tatsu (淵に立つ)”. The literal meaning is “Standing in deep water”. Actually there is a scene where the characters literally stand in deep water. But anyway, this title sounds a little bit strange. Following the director-writer’s intention, the figurative meaning is “Standing at the edge of deep water”. In Japanese, the words for edge and deep water, “fuchi” shares the same pronunciation (but with different Kanji characters). I guess here, both meanings are used in mix.

Lastly, Asano Tadanobu looked very big in this film. Scary… (12 August 2017)
 

[Film] The Giant (Jatten)

09 July 2017

“The Giant (Jatten)”---The O.P.E.N. (Singapore International Festival of Arts)

Release Year: 2016

Country: Sweden, Denmark

Director: Johannes Nyholm

Cast: Christian Andren, Johan Kylen, Anna Bjelkerud

Location I watched: The projector

Story from the festival program:

Rikard is an autistic and severely deformed man, who was separated from his mother at birth. Thirty years later, he is convinced that he will get her back if only he wins the Scandinavian Championship of boules (a version of lawn bowls). He tries to do the impossible with an unlikely ally, a 200-foot giant.

Petanque (“boules” in the above Story) is a game to compete how close you can toss or roll a steel ball to a small ball. This unspectacular sport is the center of “The Giant”. The protagonist, Rikard is suffering from many disabilities, but he aims to win the Scandinavian Championship of petanque. If he achieved the victory, he could report it to his mother, living separately due to her mental illness. She would be glad and might finally see him. That is Rikard’s goal and he has devoted himself to petanque for that. Petanque is everything in his life.

Now, under the unique situation, a typical sports drama unfolds. Conflicts with other team members, hard practice, reconciliation and the decisive competition --- petanque should have been an unspectacular sport, but its drama is quite hot. Not only Rikard, but other players are also eager to play petanque. But actually petanque does not seem to be a major sport in Scandinavia. Funnily, even the Scandinavian Championship of petanque has to share the venue with a beach volleyball competition. I think it is because both sports need sand grounds. The audience for the beach volleyball is much bigger than for petanque. The audience for petanque there is equal to the players. A little bit lame people who are devoting to such a plain sport fighting so enthusiastically are next to beach volleyball players in bikini. This championship situation is unique, and funny.

The film poster of “The Giant” shows a 200-foot giant. This giant is probably a kind of illusion or dream Rikard has. However, except for its illusionary images of the giant, this film pursues realistic scenes like Rikard’s daily life with other disabled folks in a nursing home, his mother’s disordered room (she is living in an apartment with nursing-care), the dull indoor ground of Rikard’s petanque club, and so on. Particularly, the meeting scene when the petanque club tried to remove Rikard from the team and Rikard’s birthday party scene at the nursing home look like a documentary film. As a contrast, the scenes when Rikard is daydreaming or during his epilepsy attack are fantastic. In there, the petanque balls become stars to compose a galaxy. A giant is walking grandly, striding over forests or hills. That giant could be Rikard’s unknown father or himself. The visual effects used do not look so expensive. But, they are quite effective and beautiful. Balancing between reality and fantasy, this sports drama about an unspectacular sport became a unique film with strange atmosphere like an old fairytale. A nostalgic tune of a harmonica played by Rikard remains in our ears. (10 August 2017)

[Film] Autumn, Autumn (Chuncheon, Chuncheon)

08 July 2017

“Autumn, Autumn (Chuncheon, Chuncheon)”---The O.P.E.N. (Singapore International Festival of Arts)

Release Year: 2016

Country: South Korea

Director: Jang Woo-jin

Cast: Yang Heung-ju, Lee Se-rang, Woo Ji-hyeon

Location I watched: The Projector

Story from the festival program:

Ji-hyeon longs to escape his stiffing hometown of Chuncheon. A job opportunity comes and the young man goes to Seoul for an interview. On the train back, he meets a middle-aged couple, Heung-ju and Se-rang, who presumably are revisiting the places they once saw when they were young.

A young man and a middle-aged couple on the train.

I went into the screening about 5 minutes late and I am sorry for that. Anyway, Chuncheon is located about 80 minutes by train north of Seoul. It is famous for its beautiful lakeside landscape. Although I missed the first part of the film, I assumed that the film began with the last train to Chuncheon taken by a young man, Ji-hyeon and a middle-aged couple, Heung-ju and Se-rang. Ji-hyeon’s job interview from the above Story is just a setting. While the 3 of them meet in the train as mentioned in Story, they do not get to know each other. Ji-hyeon sat down next to Heung-ju. When he left his seat, he asked Heung-ju to watch over his bag. That is all. They meet as total strangers and get off the train as total strangers. After that, their lives never cross each other.

When the train reached Chuncheon, at first, Ji-hyeon’s story---how he spent 2 nights and 2 days there---begins. After his story finished, the time goes back to Chuncheon station the last train reached and the story of the couple, Heung-ju and Se-rang begins in the same way. Actually the couple is not a husband and wife. They have their own family, but they are not having an affair with one another. They are accompanying each other on a sentimental journey to Chuncheon. Like Ji-hyeon, they also have a problem in their own lives. In Chuncheon, Ji-hyeon and the couples never encounter, but they visit the same places. For example, the couple visits the same temple on the mountain Ji-hyeon visited. They have lunch at the same restaurant where Ji-hyeon was helping. Ji-hyeon looked at a mantis on the ground. The couple also saw a mantis in the restaurant and talked about a mantis. The day after the three of them arrived is the day of Chuncheon Marathon. There are scenes where both of them encounter the race crowd.

“Autumn, Autumn” is a film about the life of ordinary people who never shares intersecting moments in spite of being close each other. At the same places people go and come, they just pass by one another. But each one will have a different story like me or you. In one way, it sounds beautiful. However, in another way, this is a feature film made by combining two boring stories from ordinary people. Life is amazing for everyone. At the same time, any life---even for a billionaire or a king---is also not so interesting. That is why I think that at least film is a way to make life glamorous. What I mean with “glamorous” is not related to sexual allure or production design. For example, filmmaker Sono Shion’s early work, “Bicycle Sighs” was a story about 2 lackluster young men and shot on 16mm film. However, that film was glamorous for me.

A scene that was not good for me is when the couple is having lunch in the restaurant. While they are chitchatting, they are lighted or shaded by sunlight, depending on the drift of clouds. The scene was taken by one take. It may be expected that the lighting gives some special atmosphere or suggests something significant. However, I felt annoyed that I had to listen to their long chitchat (which is not so meaningful) under the poor lighting. Some scenes of the film are good and memorable, like a scene Ji-hyeon passing by his old friend on the escalator of Chuncheon station. Also the actors playing the couple were good. As a couple they do not know each other well, their awkward atmosphere is interesting and a little bit suspenseful. The second half of the film is more dramatic than the first half, but the couple’s awkward tension is not enough to draw me. This film lacked a strong appeal for me who likes something gorgeous. (04 August 4, 2017)

[Film] The Death of Louis XIV (La Mort de Louis XIV)

01 July 2017

“The Death of Louis XIV (La Mort de Louis XIV)”---The O.P.E.N. (Singapore International Festival of Arts)

Release Year: 2016

Country: France, Spain

Director: Albert Serra

Cast: Jean-Pierre Leaud

Location I watched: The Projector

In August of 1715, “Le Roi Soleil (the Sun King)”, Louis XIV feels a pain in his left leg after going for a morning walk. From that point, “The Death of Louis XIV” scrupulously shows the king’s condition until his death by gangrene of his leg on the 1^st of September.

 The camera does not leave the palace building, just like the King who has to be stuck on his bed. As the windows are not opened, even in daytime, his bedroom is left in the twilight. At night, the room vanished into the darkness. The small light from the outside or a candle is focusing on the King. Around him, his doctor or valets are working like shadows in the vague dark.

Even if he is suffering from a serious disease, the King has to be king. He still has to wear a wig and receive his courtiers in audience. On the other hand, the King is taken care of by many people. Not only people who are working in the palace, but also scholars from the Sorbonne come for him. The King lies down on the luxurious bed and drinks water from a crystal glass. Expensive and nutritious food is always served for him. What a high life with duties! However, the death of the King does not have a significant difference from death in our own day. While the disease is covering his body, he is getting weaker and weaker. At first, he cannot stand up, and then he cannot sit up in bed, and cannot swallow food. Finally he cannot drink even water. The slow death would possibly happen to us in a present day hospital room with much more advanced medical technology than the King’s era.

The most impressive point is that the King does not easily pass away, while he is enduring such severe pain that he wished to cut off his leg. Priests were invited to his bedroom many times, but the time does not come. Once priests are invited and starting the Communion service for people around the King’s bed, the King is still eating a piece of biscuit and sipping drink. His body is dying, but his eyes facing the camera are still burning with the will to live. Humans’ strength to stay alive is amazing. However, humans are not immortal. The King even tried “medicine” brought by an impostor (it is like we try a suspicious folk remedy in desperate condition), but nobody can save him. Finally the fire of the King’s life is snuffed out, in a natural and quiet way. It would also possibly happen on us.

“The Death of Louis XIV“ was screened at 8 pm on Sunday. It is a good film, but after watching such an uncheerful theme film on a Sunday night, I did not feel like going to work tomorrow morning. (July 15, 2017)

[Film] The Other Side of Hope (Toivon Tuolla Puolen)

01 July 2017

“The Other Side of Hope (Toivon Tuolla Puolen)”---The O.P.E.N. (Singapore International Festival of Arts)

Release Year: 2017

Country: Finland, Germany

Director: Aki Kaurismaki

Cast: Sherwan Haji, Sakari Kuosmanen

Location I watched: The Projector

The O.P.E.N. is the pre-festival of the annual Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). O.P.E.N. stands for Open Participate Engage Negotiate. It encourages audience ownership of ideas, issues and themes. Every year the program includes not only exhibition, theatre performance or concert, but also lecture or various events that audience can join. This year (2017)’s special event is “The O.P.E.N. Kitchens” inspired by the philosophy of Lebanese culinary activist, Kamal Mouzawak. Mr Mouzawak also has a lecture as part of the O.P.E.N. The concept of “The O.P.E.N. Kitchens” is visiting somebody’s house, cooking together, eating together and sharing moments with the host, here, in Singapore, a multi-racial country. This is the last year of Ong Keng Sen as Founding Festival Director of SIFA, so such edgy projects beyond just “art” may not be held from next year. Anyway, every year, the O.P.E.N. has a film program. Last year (2016), the opening film was Miguel Gomes’s “The Arabian Nights” trilogy. This year (2017) started with Aki Kaurismaki’s “The Other Side of Hope”.

Aki Kaurismaki’s latest film is set in a port town, Helsinki, about the friendship between Khaled, a young Syrian refugee and Wikstrom, an old restaurant owner. For some reason, Kaurismaki’s films are popular among cinephiles in Japan. Most of his past films have been released in Japan. It may be the result of a Japanese distributor’s effort, but perhaps it may be that the Japanese audience traditionally likes watching a film about a humble life of ordinary citizens. “Humble” is a nice word, but frankly speaking, it is “poor”. That may be my prejudice against Japanese cinephiles, though.

In “The Other Side of Hope”, the characters are also “humble” or lame people who often appear in other Kaurismaki’s films. However, what is described there is not just a reality of small citizens. Although ordinary things are filmed, the scenes become something unordinary. It is something called “hyper real” by Mark Kermode, a BBC film critic. This “hyper real” vision which makes audience feel strange or dreamy is also another feature of his films.

The characters’ face is always stiff. When the stiff-faced people decisively take some actions in the “hyper real” space, even if the action itself is reasonable, the scene evokes a laugh. The laugh is not wet, rather it can be called objective humour. The characters do not show his/her emotion. They do not talk so much. We cannot clearly know what they are thinking. The direction does not help to explain that, either. The film does not force emotion on us. It is just observing the slight strange people on screen. The dryness is connecting to objective humour.

However, the film is not just a collection of chopped incidents. It is not emphasized, but the journey of the characters’ mind is flowing under the dry surface of the film. For example, Wikstrom was kicked out by his wife in the first part of the film, but he goes to meet her in the later part. Although there is no explanation at all about his action, we can assume that a little something happened in his mind while he is unexpectedly helping Khaled, who is desperately looking for his separated sister.

It is not shown off, either, but fluctuations in the characters’ mood are also captured in scenes. Especially when space is filled with live music, the scene is more effective. For example, one day, after his interview with Finnish officers, Khaled is just listening to live band music in a bar. For some reason, that scene is quite impressive.

In “The Other Side of Hope”, the characters are off from the main stream. They are poor or lame, and sometimes do something unreasonable. However, they do not pity themselves. They do not rely on others. People standing by themselves alone, such isolated people naturally help others, while still keeping their stiff faces. Then, the film with dry humour turns to something quite touching. For such unglamorous, but magical moments, this film will be beloved by us, the audience. (10 July 2017)
 

The lobby of the Projector, the venue

Exterior view of The Projector (5th floor of Golden Mile Tower)