Achilles and the Tortoise (Takeshi Kitano, 2008): Japan

Reviewed by David Smith.  Viewed at the AFI Filmfest, Arclight Hollywood, CA.

I would suggest seeing Achilles and the Tortoise if you enjoy a story of heartbreak tragedy.  I am surprised this film is in a genre category of comedy.

The director / screenwriter, Takeshi Kitano, has a warped sense of humor.  For an example a character that may be a role model for an abandoned child is hit by a bus out of nowhere.  Another example is when a group of students try a ridiculous method creating art and one of them ends up in the hospital and later dies.  Mr. Kitano has celebrated enormous success in Japan as a stand up comedian though.

This film has an interesting mixed genre of tragedy, passion, and comedy.  In the first 30 minutes four people die and a child is forced to stay with a relative that doesn’t want him.  The child, Machisu, has a true passion to paint and this is carried throughout the film.  Some of Machisu’s methods of creating modern art are pretty funny.  For an example He has his wife (Kanako Higuchi) ride a bike over a long strip of paper splashing paint as she goes.

The mise-en-scene starts in a well to do setting with Machisu wearing a schoolboy suit with short pants.  The setting then turns to a lower class atmosphere to project the struggles of poverty.  Machisu is given a buret by one of his Fathers friends which serves as a motif which gave this little boy the go ahead to follow his dreams and paint.

The cinematography looks very professional.  The cinematographer, Juliano Lopes Fortes,  uses a wide angle lens for many of the long shots to include multiple characters.  There are also quite a few medium shots used to describe the unity between Machisu and his wife.  The lighting is mostly natural with soft lighting in the interior.

I would encourage seeing this film to get an idea of the humor and filmmaking techniques of foreign films.