【CIMS304JapaneseCinema】DiscussionPostWeek.13

ThisismysecondtimewatchingKawase’sTheMourningForest.IhavealsowatchedKawase’snewestfilmTrueMothersthroughthevirtualfilmfestival.Pursuingsimplicityandnature,thelightinginherfilmalwaystakesaverysignificantplace.WhenIwatchedthisfilmforthefirsttime,Ipaidmoreattentiononthedimensionofthecharacters’behaviorsandtheirrelationshiptotheceremonialactivitiessuchasfunerals.Iviewthenatureasashiftedspacefortherituals.However,itisalsointerestingtoconsidernatureasthecharacteritself.Mypostwillbrieflyanalyzefourpartsofthisfilmthatexpressnatureasacharacter,inotherwords,orasubject(incontrasttoanobject).Theessentialplaytotransformnatureasacharacterismanipulatingthevisibilityandtheinvisibility.Onecentralfeatureforthecharacters,orhumanbeings,istheactivedynamism.Itistheinitiativeinsteadofthepassive.However,whentheinitiatorisinvisible,thepassivelymovingobjectcouldbeviewedastheinitiativeitself.Atthebeginningofthisfilm,underthewind,thegrassandthetreesarewavingheavily.However,theforceofwindisinvisible.Itcreatestheillusionisticperspectivethattheplantsarewavingactivelybythemselves.Meanwhile,thesoundofthewindisanalogicaltothecommonwhitenoiseinthebackground.Itsmundanityfailstospecifyitselfasapower.Therefore,thenatureactsbyitselfasacharacter.Furthermore,thepowerofanalogyfunctionsinanothersceneaswell.WhenMachikoandShigekiareplayingbetweentheribbingsofthefields.Theupsanddownsoftheribbingsformaclearpattern.Repeatingandemphasizingthispatterninmultipleshots,itbecomesapowerfulsymbol.Itsappearanceclearlyindicatesthewrinklesoftheelders,suchasShigeki’sface.Thiscreatesaninterwovenrelationshipbetweennature’stextureandthecharacter’stexture,blurringtheboundary.Thenatureisalsoembracedwithsuchcharacteristics.Inaddition,thecharacters’gesturesandpositionsforcetheaudiencestoviewthenatureasanotheractivesubject.Acommunicationneedstobecompletedbytwoparticipantsineachend.Duringanorganiccommunication,therelationshipbetweenthesubjectandtheobjectisconstantlychanging.Intheearlydawn,whenShigekiwakesup,healreadyfindsMachikostandingandgazingupwardstotheforest.Thefeeblenoisesinthebackgroundsactivatethisgazeintoacommunicationwithmessagesbeingtransmitted.Therefore,insteadofbeingapassiveobjectofthegazefromtheobserver(Machiko),thenaturebecomesanactivespeaker,interactingwithMachiko.Thenatureisthentransformedtobethethirdmaincharacterinthisfilm.Developingtheconceptofinvisibilityandvisibilityfurther,theinteractionbetweensoundandimageseemstomakethenatureto“roar.”Around55:00,afterShigekiandMachikoenterthemountain,theweatherturnsworse.Thethundersconstantlyexplodetheaudiences’mind,assurprisingthecharactersaswell.However,besidestwopeople,thereisnoothercreatureswhichcouldmakesuchimmersesound.Withoutvisiblelightningsinthedaytimebeingthesourceofthethunders,theoriginofthissoundcouldbeattributedtothenature.Itisthenature’slowroaring.Actingasacharacterwithownpersonalitiesandlanguage,thenatureisactivatedthroughthisdevice.本文版权归作者鲍勃粥所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。