Here's what I watched and read last week...
MOVIES
Equinox Flower (1958), directed by Yasijuro Ozu. Ozu’s first color film is beautifully shot. Like many of Ozu’s films, the pacing is leisurely and emphasizes the theme of generational tension. The narrative focuses on the father, Wataru Hirayama, who does not approve of his daughter marrying Masahiko. This is another great film from Ozu’s late period.
Always (1989), directed by Steven Spielberg. I’ve seen this film a bunch of times. This was my first time watching it on Blu-ray. Always is one of Spielberg’s minor films, but it is worth checking out, especially for its cinematography and on-location shooting. There are some very nice moments in the film. The fire sequences are amazing, especially considering that they were done in the analog period. Even great filmmakers’ lesser-known films or failures are worth a visit.
Eno (2026), directed by Gary Hustwit, is a great documentary that is now streaming on the Criterion Channel. Eno is very personable, funny, and remarkably talented. I particularly enjoyed the scenes of him producing U2’s great album, The Unforgettable Fire. And I very much enjoyed listening to his perspectives on art and creativity. I highly recommend it.
TV
I finished the first season of The Wonder Years. This is a great series that creatively uses nostalgia. Daniel Marcus wrote a great chapter in How To Watch Television about the cultural and political component of nostalgia in the series - how it evokes warm memories, but also signals the political and social context of the late 1960s. It is a series, according to Marcus, built around collective memories that debuted during the conservative Reagan era.
BOOKS
David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas is epic storytelling involving six interconnected stories. What impressed me the most is the language of each story, particularly the first tale, which had a Melville-like style. I also loved all the names of characters, such as Mr. Horrox, Sixthsmith, and Bill Smoke. I had seen the film before reading the book and pretty much remembered most of the different plots. But when I heard Joe Hill on a podcast saying how much it influenced King Sorrow, a book that I loved, I decided to read Cloud Atlas. I’m so glad that I did.
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