Celluloid #43

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the Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003) Kitano - An old blind man is actually an amazing sword fighter. He successfully slays all of the bandits in a town with the help of two "sisters" on a mission to avenge their family's death. Ultra-violent Asian cult cinema at its most fun- incorporating percussion into work scenes, a giant dance scene, and a admiration/celebration of transgendered people. In many ways it's your typical samurai tale, but with modern stylization. 4.5/5

Bodysong (2003) Pummel - No dialogue (other than the section on communication) but a series of film clips from various decades and countries depicting different parts of the life cycle. The chapters are broken up into "Birth", "Growth", "Sex", "Violence", "Death", and "Dreams."The film has probably been seen as much as it has because Jonny Greenwood composed nearly all of the music. It is classified as a documentary, but I think one could just as easily label it an art film about humanity. 4/5

Last Life in the Universe (2003) Ratanaruang - I have learned that Thai films that receive distribution in this country tend to share similar qualities; namely they are slow, moody, and have a somewhat loose narrative, but incredibly lush and beautiful. This film is true to form, but may even have a more substantial plot than other Thai films I have seen. A suicidal librarian witnesses his mobster brother's death. Almost immediately after, he befriends a young woman whose sister has just died by getting hit by a car. The two are opposites in many ways - he's a neat freak and she's a sloppy stoner. On one level a love story, but mostly just two sad people finding solace in one another. 4/5