Shallow Grave

Before he won the Academy Award for directing Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and became the artistic director for the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, Danny Boyle distinguished himself in the mid-‘90s as a director of edgy, highly stylized films, including A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Trainspotting (1996), and Shallow Grave (1994), his feature film directing debut.

Set in Edinburgh, Scotland, the plot of Shallow Grave centers around three cynical and self-absorbed friends who share a spacious and well-appointed flat: David (Christopher Eccleston), an accountant; Juliet (Kerry Fox), a doctor; and Alex (Ewan McGregor), a tabloid journalist. They’re in need of a new roommate, and the film opens with a series of disastrous interviews in which prospective roommates are cruelly appraised, then rejected. Finally, Juliet personally interviews one intriguing candidate, a mysterious man named Hugo (Keith Allen) who says he’s returning to the city to write a novel. Juliet and Hugo make a connection, and she convinces David and Alex to take Hugo on as a roommate. The arrangement seems ideal until the morning after Hugo moves in. After he fails to join them for breakfast, the concerned roommates go to his room and discover him dead on his bed. Searching for answers, Alex discovers a suitcase full of money under the bed. Juliet wants to report Hugo’s death to the police, but Alex objects, arguing that if they call the police they’ll have to report the money as well. He proposes hiding the body and keeping the money. I do not want to give away too many details in this review (although readers of this blog can connect the dots based on the title and my brief summary); however, I do not think it is revealing too much to say that a seemingly foolproof plan becomes complicated when fractures in the friendship, not to mention Hugo’s past, begin to catch up with the roommates.

Shallow Grave is not a traditional murder mystery. The suspense is not focused on ‘whodunit’; instead, the suspense is generated from the ways in which the roommates, especially David, internalize their actions and the cumulative effect these actions have on the friendship. A subplot involving Hugo’s associates is not quite as well-developed, but it does help to tie events together at the end.

I first saw Shallow Grave back in 1996, and I think the film has held up surprisingly well. Ewan McGregor brings a lot of charisma to the role of Alex and arguably has the film’s most memorable lines, but Shallow Grave’s real chills come from Christopher Eccleston’s carefully crafted performance as the seemingly milquetoast, but ultimately unstable David. At 93 minutes, Shallow Grave is taut and fast-paced, and it is a good showcase for the talents of director Danny Boyle who, in the 18 years since the film’s release, has produced a diverse and impressive body of work.

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Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, by The Sundays

Today’s post is written by Mandy from Circulation Services.

Recently, I’ve been feeling rather nostalgic for music from the ‘90s, no doubt influenced by the number of ‘90s-era singers and bands who are either reuniting or releasing new material.  Earlier this year, The Cranberries released Roses, their first album in 11 years, and this month Garbage will release Not Your Kind of People.  Luscious Jackson reunited last year, and Fiona Apple will release a new album next month.  Come to think of it, No Doubt is scheduled to release an album this year, too.  For my contribution to BFGB this week, I thought it was only fitting to write about a lesser-known band from the ‘90s, The Sundays, and their 1990 debut Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.

From 1990 to 1997, the English band The Sundays released three albums to modest success in the United States and abroad.  The band is often associated with a style of music known as shoegazing, and their sound carries many of the hallmarks of the style: layered vocals against a backdrop of guitars.  The term “shoegazing” comes from the performance style of many of the acts associated with the style; during live performances, the musicians would stand still as if they were looking at their shoes.  Other notable shoegazing bands include Lush and Ride.

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic opens with “Skin & Bones,” a nice introduction to guitarist David Gavurin’s low key style and Harriet Wheeler’s lovely, almost fragile-sounding, vocals.  The next two songs are only singles released from the album, “Here’s Where the Story Ends” and “Can’t Be Sure.”  In “Here’s Where the Story Ends,” Harriet Wheeler looks back on a failed relationship, and sings:

 “It’s that little souvenir of a terrible year

which makes my eyes feel sore,

Oh I never should have said the books that you read

were all I loved you for.”

The remaining tracks continue on in the same stylistic vein, particularly my two favorite songs, “You’re Not the Only One I Know” and “Joy.”  At 10 songs and 40 minutes, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic is light and airy and perfect for spring.  The Sundays quietly faded from public view following the release of their 1997 album “Static & Silence” (which, incidentally, was their highest charting U.S. release), but fans of early ’90s alternative music might enjoy The Sundays, especially their debut.

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The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

Mandy of Circulation Services provides today’s review.

I enjoy the work of children’s book author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg, particularly his 1984 book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.  This is not your average children’s picture book; instead, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is a series of 14 exquisitely detailed, black and white illustrations, each accompanied by an enigmatic title and caption. Alternately whimsical and haunting, the illustrations in this book inspired me (and countless other readers) to invent stories to explain what was going on in the pictures.  Recently, I had the opportunity to revisit a cherished part of my childhood by reading The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, an illustrated short story collection in which 14 authors, including Stephen King and his wife Tabitha King, Sherman Alexie, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, and Cory Doctorow, have contributed stories inspired by the illustrations in The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

All of the stories are original to the collection with the exception of Stephen King’s “The House on Maple Street,” which originally appeared in his 1993 book Nightmares & Dreamscapes.  The stories themselves are not linked by any recurring characters or situations, so readers shouldn’t feel that the stories need to be read in any specific order.  Like Van Allsburg’s illustrations, each story has its own unique tone and style; some are dark, like Jules Feiffer’s “Uninvited Guests,” while others, such as Louis Sachar’s “Captain Tory,” are sweet and poignant.

One of my favorite stories in the collection was M.T. Anderson’s “Just Desert,” the tale of a boy named Alex who, on the eve of his 10th birthday, discovers that nothing in his world is as it appears. I felt the authors did a fine job of capturing the surreal atmosphere found in Van Allsburg’s illustrations.  Lemony Snicket’s introduction is also a real hoot.  Readers who are unfamiliar with The Mysteries of Harris Burdick will find Van Allsburg’s introduction to the 1984 book as well as the illustrations and captions in this collection.

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick is a good, quick read that should appeal to young adult (and, for that matter, adult) readers who grew up intrigued by The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

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This is Spinal Tap

Mandy Malone from Circulation Services provides this review:

The year is 1982. The members of the British heavy metal band Spinal Tap–Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls–have reunited and recorded a comeback album titled ‘Smell the Glove’. Marty DiBergi, a television commercial director and longtime Spinal Tap fan, is on hand to film the events surrounding the album’s release and accompanying tour for the documentary, or ‘rockumentary’ as DiBergi calls it, This is Spinal Tap.

At this point in my review, I should issue a message of caution: music fans who have never heard of Spinal Tap shouldn’t rush out and scour the WRL catalog for the album. It doesn’t exist. Originally released in 1984, This is Spinal Tap is in reality a brilliant and hilarious parody of the heavy metal genre starring Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel, Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins and Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls. Marty DiBergi is played by Rob Reiner, who also directed the film.

In true documentary style, DiBergi follows Spinal Tap from England to America as he offers a no-holds-barred look at the history of the band and their promotional work for the new album. In candid interviews, the band members discuss Tufnel and St. Hubbins’ childhood friendship, early incarnations of the band called the Originals and the Thamesmen, and the untimely deaths of all their drummers. Along the way, Spinal Tap’s comeback is met with several potential setbacks: their record company hates the album’s cover art; at one venue, the band members get lost backstage; and a Stonehenge-themed performance goes awry when the key prop fails to measure up to expectations. Throughout the film, the band’s indefatigable optimism remains intact, even when it looks like the comeback is in danger of falling apart.

This is Spinal Tap does a great job of spoofing the pretensions and excesses of the heavy metal genre without being mean-spirited. Much of the credit for this goes to the stars of the film. They are also responsible for developing the concept of the film and writing the screenplay, and I think they created a group of memorable, well-developed characters. The members of Spinal Tap are so likable and sincere, if a little misguided at times, that you can’t help but root for them to succeed in their quixotic quest to reclaim their former glory.

In the years since the release of This is Spinal Tap, Christopher Guest has gone on to write and direct several other successful documentary-style parodies including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.

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Le Samourai

 Jef Costello (Alain Delon), an observant, somewhat taciturn, man, conducts his business with cool, brisk efficiency. His mission is clearly defined, all contingencies are considered, and nothing is left to chance. As a contract killer, this method of working is central to his success—and his survival. However, as Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 masterpiece Le Samouraï reveals, a meticulously crafted plan doesn’t always prevent unexpected complications.

As the film opens, Jef is in the final stages of preparing for his latest contract killing. The target is a nightclub owner named Martey, and Jef relies on his girlfriend Jane (Nathalie Delon) for his alibi. While Martey’s murder goes according to plan, Jef’s exit is witnessed by several people, including Valerie (Cathy Rosier), the pianist at the club. The local police conduct a sweeping dragnet in their search for Martey’s killer, and Jef is brought in for questioning. He doesn’t remain in police custody for long; the uncertainty of the eyewitnesses coupled with Jef’s seemingly airtight alibi prompt police to release him. However, the police superintendent (François Périer) believes he is a viable suspect and begins extensive surveillance of Jef’s movements. Meanwhile, Jef faces an additional complication when the man who ordered the hit on Martey learns of the investigation and has him followed as well. Then there is the question of Valerie; she had a clear view of Jef, yet she failed to identify him in the police lineup. Could she have a secret agenda?

Le Samouraï is a well-crafted film whose chief strengths are its tone and pacing. It is a somber and contemplative film, and the setting and color palette of the opening sequence establish this tone. At the beginning of the film, Jef, clad in his trademark dark suit, is in his apartment: an austere space with thick grey walls. He is silently watching a lone bird fly around in a similarly spartan cage. The pacing is slow in comparison to today’s films, but I think that heightens the tension as Jef slowly begins to realize he has become like a caged bird. The performances are strong, with Delon’s stylish and coolly calculating Jef Costello meeting his foil in François Périer’s exuberant and obsessive police superintendent. Le Samouraï is in French, but the subtitles are formatted so they are easy to follow.

Since its release in 1967, Le Samouraï has inspired a number of filmmakers, including John Woo and Jim Jarmusch. Fans of Woo and Jarmusch, as well as those who like crime dramas, may want to check out this sleek and stylish classic.

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The Makioka Sisters

A few years ago, I saw Japanese director Kon Ichikawa’s 1963 film Revenge of a Kabuki Actor, and really enjoyed it, but I never got around to seeing any of his other films. Recently, however, the library added to its collection his 1983 adaptation of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s novel The Makioka Sisters and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to explore some of Ichikawa’s later work. The film did not disappoint; The Makioka Sisters is a poetic look at four sisters who are on the brink of life-altering changes in a society that is rapidly changing. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles.

Set in Osaka in the late ‘30s, the central characters are the four Makioka sisters, whose family once ran a thriving kimono manufacturing business. Tsuruko (Keiko Kishi) is the oldest and the most concerned with the prestige of the family name, even though the business has been sold; Sachiko (Yoshiko Sakuma) is even-tempered and takes care of her youngest sisters; Yukiko (Sayuri Yoshinaga) is kind and gentle, but her extreme shyness makes it difficult for her family to find a husband for her; and Taeko (Yuko Kotegawa) is young, rebellious and occasionally resentful of the attention paid to Yukiko and her marital prospects.

The story primarily centers on the attempts made by the eldest sisters to find a suitable husband for Yukiko. Most of the matches are complete disasters, culminating in one awkward meeting where the family’s habit of investigating potential suitors comes back to haunt them in a major way.  Tsuruko in particular is clinging to traditions that have lost their relevance. As a result, during the course of the film the sisters face many conflicts arising from changing societal norms. Most of the conflicts revolve around the character of Taeko, who, at the beginning of the film, hopes to support herself by opening a doll factory, much to the chagrin of her oldest sister. The sisters’ resolutions to these conflicts forms the basis of the film’s poignant denouement.

The Makioka Sisters is beautifully filmed (the scenes involving the opulent kimonos are stunning), and I also really liked how Ichikawa developed the relationships between the sisters and how this sisterly bond helps them adapt to a changing society. This film turned out to be a good starting point to learning more about the work of this highly regarded director.

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Nocturnes, by Kazuo Ishiguro

The power of music to shape and influence people’s lives is the central theme of the five stories in Nocturnes, the first short story collection from Kazuo Ishiguro, the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day.

I enjoy Ishiguro’s work, particularly his 2001 novel When We Were Orphans, and I was interested in seeing how his short stories would compare to his novels. While some stories in the collection are stronger than others, the quality of the writing kept me reading, even when Ishiguro threw in some less than convincing plot twists.

My favorite selection in the collection is “Come Rain or Come Shine,” which tells the story of a man who learns, through a series of increasingly disconcerting events, that his highly refined taste in music is the only quality his two closest friends like about him. In the story, Ray, an English teacher, returns to England to visit Emily and Charlie, a married couple who have known Ray since their days at university. It soon becomes clear that Charlie and Emily are having marital problems, and Ray’s attempts to help his longtime friends reveal some uncomfortable truths about Emily and Charlie’s feelings toward Ray. It’s a testament to Ishiguro’s skill as a writer that the portrait he creates of the central characters is so convincing that upon finishing the story, I felt like I had known them for years.

The one false note (pardon the pun) Ishiguro strikes comes with the story “Nocturne.” This story is a disappointment because he takes an intriguing premise—a talented jazz musician undergoes radical plastic surgery in the hopes that an “improved” appearance will transform his career— and undermines it with an over-the-top climax whose slapstick humor borders on the absurd.

Overall, I enjoyed Nocturnes and would recommend it to readers who enjoy short stories as well as fans of Ishiguro’s novels.

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Catching Life by the Throat: How to Read a Poem and Why: Poems from Eight Great Poets, by Josephine Hart

 Josephine Hart, who died this past June, may be best known for novels like Damage and The Truth About Love, but she was also a strong supporter of poets and poetry, founding the Gallery Poets and, in 2004, establishing the Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at the British Library where actors would read the works of well-known poets. Readers who are interested in learning more about her involvement with poetry may want to check out her 2008 anthology Catching Life by the Throat: How to Read Poetry and Why: Poems from Eight Great Poets.

In Catching Life by the Throat, Hart includes selected poems from W.H. Auden, Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, Rudyard Kipling, Philip Larkin, Marianne Moore, Sylvia Plath, and W.B. Yeats. Hart wanted to set the poetry “in the context of the life of the poet,” and she introduces the work of each poet with two essays: a biographical sketch of the poet and a discussion of their poetry’s influences and themes. The book also includes a CD of a live recording of the British Library readings, featuring the actors Ralph Fiennes, Roger Moore and Elizabeth McGovern.

I thought Hart’s anthology was an accessible introduction to an interesting group of poets. Of the eight poets featured, I was least familiar with the work of Philip Larkin and Marianne Moore, and I enjoyed learning about their lives and poetry. While short, the essays provide a good background and context for understanding the poets and their work. The CD is a nice touch; the readings are strong and enhance the overall quality of the project.

Catching Life by the Throat is the type of anthology that could appeal to readers who are just learning about poetry as well as readers looking to rediscover favorite poets.

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Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier

When I was growing up, one of my favorite books was Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer. Farmer’s novel chronicles the adventures of a boarding school student from the early ‘60s named Charlotte who switches places with a girl from 1918 named Clare. My interest in time travel books continued with Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, and was recently piqued once again by German author Kerstin Gier’s Ruby Red.

Set in present day London, the protagonist of Ruby Red is Gwyneth Shepherd, an ordinary teenage girl from an eccentric and extraordinary family. Many female members of Gwyneth’s family have inherited a gene that enables them to travel back in time, but that gene skipped over Gwyneth and was inherited instead by her cousin, Charlotte Montrose. Or so it seems. As Ruby Red opens, Charlotte is being groomed for life as a time traveler by her mother and grandmother, while Gwyneth enjoys life as an everyday teenager, hanging out with her best friend Lesley and going to the movies. However, Gwyneth’s everyday life includes speaking with ghosts, particularly James Augustus Peregrine Pympoole-Bothame, the resident ghost at her high school. And Gwyneth begins slipping back into the past at the most inconvenient times while Charlotte and her mother wait for her first time traveling experience.

It soon becomes clear that Gwyneth, not Charlotte, inherited the time traveling gene, a discovery which initially poses some problems for the family. Because everyone believed Charlotte inherited the gene, she received extensive instruction in the history and customs of the past while Gwyneth has none of Charlotte’s knowledge. Then there is the issue of Gwyneth’s mother, Grace; it seems that Grace did not want her daughter to be a time traveler so she bribed the midwife to put a false date of birth on Gwyneth’s birth certificate. Once the family accepts Gwyneth’s destiny as a time traveler, she begins to learn more about her unique lineage and the Guardians, a mysterious group that holds the family’s time traveling secrets. She also meets Gideon de Villiers, a handsome fellow time traveler and potential love interest.

Ruby Red is an enjoyable, fast paced read with just the right amounts of humor and romance added for good measure. Gwyneth Shepherd is an appealing heroine whose sense of curiosity and wonder at her newly discovered time traveling ability is quite believable. If given the opportunity, who wouldn’t want to bring a cell phone camera to the past? Among the supporting characters, the strongest is Gwyneth’s best friend Lesley, an amateur detective who relishes the opportunity to investigate the people and places Gwyneth encounters in her travels back in time.

Ruby Red is the first book in a trilogy; the next book, Sapphire Blue, will be released in the U.S. next spring.

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The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman

Mandy Malone of Circulation Services provides this review:

The final days of an unnamed English-language newspaper based in Rome, Italy, is the backdrop for The Imperfectionists, Tom Rachman’s poignant and compelling debut novel. Unfolding in a series of eleven carefully crafted vignettes, Rachman’s novel follows the lives of people who are impacted by the paper, either as employees or readers. Short passages at the end of each vignette trace the paper’s history, from its establishment in the mid-‘50s to its closing in 2007.

The Imperfectionists is a character-driven novel, and some of the more memorable characters Rachman introduces include editor-in-chief Kathleen Solson; corrections editor Herman Cohen; copy editor Ruby Zaga; chief financial officer Abbey Pinnola; and longtime reader Ornella de Monterecchi. Through their quirks and foibles, they reveal a deep and abiding love for the newspaper and the industry, even as economic pressures and changing reading habits force the owners to make difficult decisions about the future of the paper. My favorite character is Herman Cohen, a man who’s doggedly determined to correct other people’s mistakes, but who doesn’t realize he may need to “correct” a misconception or two of his own regarding a longtime friend. I also enjoyed how Rachman developed connections between his primary characters and secondary characters like Dario de Monterecchi, son of Ornella, former lover of Kathleen Solson, and unrequited crush of Ruby Zaga. This is a novel that requires close and careful reading because a character who receives a single mention in one vignette could become the central figure of another.

The Imperfectionists is an accomplished debut with well-developed characters and a strong sense of setting. These strengths are rooted in Rachman’s background; prior to writing the novel, he worked in Rome as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press. Rachman’s rendering of the paper is so vivid, you feel as if it could have existed. This sense of realism is enhanced by the fictional paper’s coverage of real news events and the provocative history of the paper Rachman develops throughout the novel.

Readers with a background in journalism will appreciate Rachman’s loving portrait of the industry, but I think The Imperfectionists will also appeal to readers looking for a dynamic story and complex, all-too-human characters.

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Nine Queens

Mandy from Circulation Services shares a review.

For Juan and Marcos, it seemed like a simple, but potentially lucrative, con: sell a sheet of counterfeit stamps to a wealthy stamp collector, then split the profit. However, nothing–and no one–are what they appear to be in Nine Queens, an excellent suspense thriller from Argentina, written and directed by Fabián Bielinsky.

The film opens in a gas station where veteran grifter Marcos (Ricardo Darín) observes Juan (Gastón Pauls) attempting to pull the same con on two unsuspecting cashiers.  When Juan’s scheme is exposed, Marcos steps in and rescues Juan from an angry store manager.  Marcos is impressed with the quick thinking, but seemingly naïve, Juan, and offers to show him how a skilled con artist operates.  As soon as Juan accepts the offer, they are presented with the ideal opportunity to make a quick score.  One of Marcos’s former partners needs to sell a sheet of counterfeit stamps called the Nine Queens, and a potential buyer just happens to be staying at the luxury hotel where Marcos’s sister Valeria (Leticia Brédice) is employed. Juan and Marcos have less than 24 hours to make the sale; the buyer is eager to purchase the stamps, but he will be deported the following day. A complex transaction leads all the central characters down unpredictable paths as they try to sell the Nine Queens.

Nine Queens is a well-written and entertaining film that would appeal to fans of David Mamet and the 1995 film The Usual Suspects. One of my favorite elements of Nine Queens is its pacing. It is fast-paced, but that works well with the plot since Juan and Marcos have a limited window of time to successfully complete the con. I watched Nine Queens for a third time as I was preparing to write this review, and since I knew how the film would end I could focus instead on how Bielinsky constructed the film. I was impressed with the interaction between the characters, and I think a lot of credit should go to the actors, particularly Ricardo Darín and Gastón Pauls.  I also felt that Bielinsky did a skillful job of obscuring the true nature of the con until the very end of the film. It is definitely a film that holds up on repeated viewings. The film is in Spanish, but the subtitles are formatted so they are easy to read.

Fabián Bielinsky died suddenly in 2006, but Nine Queens proved so influential it was remade in several countries, including the United States. In 2004, director Steven Soderbergh and actor George Clooney produced the U.S. remake Criminal, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.

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after the quake, by Haruki Murakami

The aftermath of the devastating 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan, is the thread that connects the six short stories in Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s 2002 collection after the quake*. While none of the stories are set in Kobe, all of the characters are affected by the catastrophe, either directly or indirectly.

The stories in after the quake are “ufo in kushiro” ; “landscape with flatiron” ; “all god’s children can dance” ; “thailand” ; “super-frog saves tokyo” ; and “honey pie.” With the exception of “super-frog saves tokyo,” the stories contain few of the surreal elements that characterize most of Murakami’s novels and short stories. All of the stories are written in a thoughtful and engaging manner, but my favorite stories are “thailand” and “honey pie.”

In “thailand,” Satsuki, a pathologist whose research involves the thyroidal immune system, finds more than rest and relaxation on a vacation to Thailand. During the course of her trip, a series of events, including an encounter with a woman who predicts people’s dreams, prompts her to make peace with her past and accept her mortality as an inevitable part of the cycle of life. The past Satsuki confronts involves a doomed relationship with a man who lives in Kobe and may be a casualty of the earthquake.

In “honey pie,” a child’s frightened reaction to news coverage of the earthquake provides the framework for exploring the long and complicated history of college friends Junpei, Takatsuki and Sayoko. Close throughout college, their friendship is tested when Takatsuki and Sayoko fall in love and later marry. The three remain close as they pursue their careers– Junpei becomes a short-story writer, Takatsuki joins a newspaper as a reporter,  Sayoko enters academia– and in time Junpei becomes a surrogate uncle to Takatsuki and Sayoko’s daughter Sala (whom Junpei named). What appeared to be a perfect marriage to Junpei eventually ends in divorce, but he remains close to both Takatsuki and Sayoko. When Sala experiences nightmares triggered by coverage of the earthquake, Junpei is asked to comfort her. Through the process of calming her fears, he begins to contemplate his own response to the earthquake, and realizes it is time for him to acknowledge his feelings for Sayoko.

What I found the most compelling about the stories in after the quake was the way  in which Murakami was able to convey the far-reaching effects of the earthquake without being heavy-handed or exploiting the tragedy. after the quake is a haunting and beautifully crafted collection that should appeal to readers of short stories and established Murakami fans.

(*The title of Murakami’s collection, as well as the titles of the stories, are written in lower case. I decided to keep the titles stylized as published.)

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Rashomon (1950)

A samurai and his wife find their travel violently interrupted when they encounter a bandit in an isolated grove. The bandit assaults the wife, murders the samurai, then flees the scene with the samurai’s horse and possessions. Later, the bandit is thrown from the horse and arrested by a passing policeman who discovers him with the stolen property.

The bandit’s guilt seems obvious, right? Think again. Truth isn’t easily discernible in Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 masterpiece Rashomon. Kurosawa uses this basic premise as a springboard to explore the fluid nature of truth and justice, creating in the process a movie that combines philosophical inquiry with expert acting and filmmaking.

Based on the short story “In the Grove” by Japanese author Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Kurosawa’s film is framed by a discussion between a woodcutter, a Buddhist priest, and a wandering commoner who are seeking shelter from a thunderstorm. While the storm rages around them, the woodcutter and priest begin discussing a recent court case in which the priest was a key witness. The priest encountered the samurai (Masayuki Mori) and his wife (Machiko Kyō) shortly before a bandit (Toshirō Mifune) saw the couple and decided he must have the wife for himself. As the film progresses, multiple stories of the couple’s fateful encounter with the bandit emerge, told from the perspective of the bandit, the wife, the samurai (related through a medium), and, finally, the woodcutter who has his own involvement in the events of that day. None of the stories match, leaving it up to the viewer to decide who is telling the truth.

Rashomon is a film that can be enjoyed on many levels. The narrative is engaging and thought-provoking, and skillfully incorporates flashbacks to tell the differing versions of what happened in the grove. The actors are convincing, particularly Toshirō Mifune, who appeared in a number of Kurosawa’s films. Finally, the film itself is expertly crafted and features stunning cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa. Nearly 60 years after its release, Rashomon stands out as excellent example of the work of Akira Kurosawa and is well worth discovering or rediscovering.

On a side note, I’d like to comment on the DVD presentation. Rashomon is in Japanese with English subtitles; however, there is an optional English dub track for those who would prefer to skip the subtitles. The subtitles themselves are white lettering against a black and white picture, and I’d recommend the dub track if you find the subtitles are difficult to read.

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The Whole Story, by Kate Bush

Neil’s posts on underused music in the WRL collection inspired me to write about one of my favorite underused CDs,  British singer-songwriter Kate Bush’s 1986 compilation The Whole Story. She may not be a household name, but her music has influenced artists such as Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, and Muse, and her songs have been covered by Maxwell and Pat Benatar*, among others. In addition, novelist David Mitchell recently expressed his admiration for Bush and her songwriting in a column in The Guardian.

With the exception of “Experiment IV,” which was recorded exclusively for this collection, the songs are culled from Bush’s first five albums: The Kick Inside, Lionheart, Never for Ever, The Dreaming, and Hounds of Love. Her music is difficult to neatly categorize: her oeuvre ranges from simple piano-based songs to pieces with more elaborate arrangements and exotic instrumentation. The best comparison I can make is that she’s like a female Peter Gabriel. In fact, she contributed backing vocals to his songs “Games Without Frontiers” and “Don’t Give Up.”

The Whole Story opens with Bush’s debut single, 1978’s “Wuthering Heights,” an homage to Emily Bronte’s classic novel. The lushly romantic song is told from the perspective of Catherine Earnshaw as she is begging Heathcliff to let her in through his window. A track from Hounds of Love follows, the poignant “Cloudbusting,” a sublime showcase for her soaring vocals and intricate instrumental arrangements. Standout tracks include the hypnotic “Breathing,” the passionate “Running Up That Hill,” and the whimsical “Babooshka.” The subject matter she covers in her songs ranges from the endless quest for knowledge to the plight of the Aborigines. Her music is challenging, but very rewarding.

I’ve listened to The Whole Story countless times over the years, and I’ve always thought a great deal of consideration went into the sequence of songs on the album. As a collection, the songs flow seamlessly as they chart her musical growth over the course of five albums. Even “Experiment IV,” the obligatory ‘new’ single typically added to greatest hits collections to generate sales, would have been right at home on The Dreaming or Hounds of Love. While The Whole Story is hardly the whole story of Kate Bush’s long career (her 2005 release Aerial is worth seeking out), this greatest hits compilation is a good starting point for music fans who are interested in checking out her work.

*Maxwell’s cover of “This Woman’s Work” can be found on his 2001 album Now, and Pat Benatar’s version of “Wuthering Heights” appears on her 1980 album Crimes of Passion.

Check the WRL catalog for The Whole Story

 

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Mystery Science Theater 3000

Besides director David Lynch’s 1990-91 series Twin Peaks, my favorite television show is Mystery Science Theater 3000. Although the series was canceled in 1999, fans and newcomers  can still enjoy the show thanks to periodic DVD releases, and WRL has several sets as well as individual episodes in its collection.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (often abbreviated as MST3K) ran from 1988-1999, first on the Minnesota-based station KTMA, then on Comedy Central and the Sci Fi Channel. Two mad scientists, Dr. Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieu) and Dr. Laurence Erhardt (Josh Weinstein), aspire to take over the world by means of bad movies. They launch an unassuming man named Joel Robinson (Joel Hodgson) into space and force him to watch B-movies so they can determine which B-movie to use in their scheme for world domination. Joel builds four robots (Gypsy, Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, and Cambot) to help him on the ship and to assist him in watching the movies. Each episode begins with an intro that sets the theme of the episode, then Joel and two of the robots watch and comment on the episode’s featured B-movie. Each episode is roughly two hours, and one movie is featured per episode, although occasionally short films are included as well.

When I first heard about MST3K and its premise, I didn’t think I’d like it, but once I gave it a chance, I was hooked. The writing is clever and inventive. Everything about the movies featured on the show– the opening/closing credits, the music, the acting– is fair game for jokes. The comments are incisive and extremely funny. There are breaks throughout each episode in which the host and the mad scientists comment further on the movie or perform skits related to the film

There were several cast changes throughout the course of the show, most notably new villains, including TV’s Frank (Frank Conniff) and Pearl Forrester (Mary Jo Pehl), and a new host when Joel Hodgson left halfway through the series’s run and was replaced with Michael J. Nelson (playing a character named Mike Nelson).

Because the opening credits of MST3K establish both the premise of the show and the central characters in each episode, newcomers to the show don’t need to start watching from any specific episode. While I’d recommend any of the DVDs in the WRL collection, I am partial to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 4, which features the following movies: Space Mutiny, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, Girl in Gold Boots, and Hamlet (a badly dubbed version made for German television in the early ‘60s). I happen to like this collection because it offers a good overview of the different types of movies featured over the course of the show’s run.

I think anyone who enjoys B-movies or making fun of B-movies would enjoy the humor of this long-running show.

Check the WRL catalog for Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection 4

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The Shaking Woman, or, a History of My Nerves, by Siri Hustvedt

In 2006, novelist Siri Hustvedt traveled to her hometown in Minnesota to speak at a memorial event honoring her late father Lloyd Hustvedt, chairman of the Norwegian department at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She was accustomed to speaking in public and had plenty of time to prepare her speech; however, she was completely unprepared for what happened when she began to deliver her talk. As soon as she started to speak, her body began to shake uncontrollably from the neck down. Throughout the violent seizure, she continued her speech as if nothing unusual was happening. Hustvedt discusses her attempts to find the cause for the seizure in her memoir The Shaking Woman, or, A History of My Nerves.

Hustvedt’s search leads her to explore a number of possibilities. She begins by considering neurological conditions such as epilepsy; she has a history of migraines, and she had suffered a similar seizure many years earlier. While it seems like a good possibility, epilepsy doesn’t fit her situation because many of her symptoms aren’t consistent with the standard definition of epilepsy. Hustvedt then begins to wonder if there were a psychological basis for her shaking, and her exploration of this possibility leads her to consider whether she is suffering from hysteria or conversion disorder. Eventually she begins to consider herself “the shaking woman.” It is an exhausting, often obsessive quest, but she feels it is essential for understanding what happened to her that day in Minnesota.

As in her novels, Hustvedt explores themes of identity. She may call herself “the shaking woman,” but she comes to view the shaking woman as an other self: “I have come to think of the shaking woman as an untamed other self, a Mr. Hyde to my Dr. Jekyll, a kind of double.”

The Shaking Woman is not a long book, but, in addition to Hustvedt’s personal experiences, it is steeped in theories and case studies from the fields of psychiatry and neuroscience. Hustvedt is an articulate writer who presents these theories in a clear and easy to understand manner. Readers who are familiar with the work of Oliver Sacks may be interested in Hustvedt’s memoir.

Check the WRL catalog for The Shaking Woman, or, A History of My Nerves

 

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