Movies: Ikuru, The Battle of Algiers, Leolo, and The Guru
In the past month I took the time to watch four movies worth commenting on: Ikuru, The Battle of Algiers, Leolo, and The Guru. I would recommend any of them except Leolo, to which I can say simply, “don’t waste your time.”
Ikuru is the story of Kanji Watanabe, a paper pushing government official who discovers what it means to live, only after discovering that he is going to die. It was written and directed by Akira Kurosawa and the leading role was well acted by Takashi Shimura. The movie explores the differences between living and dieing and is divided into two parts. In the first part the audience follows the protagonist as he discovers he is dying of stomach cancer. In the second part the audience sees the reaction of his family and co-workers after his death. The movie is effective and enjoyable and I highly recommend it (I recommend all Kurosawa films. It is available in DVD and VHS formats from the Edmonton Public Library.
The Battle of Algiers is a French film from 1965 that was recently re-released on DVD. It is a historical drama recreating the events surrounding the Battle of Algiers during the French occupation of Algeria. The story of two sides of this historical conflict are told. The National Liberation Front wanted to achieve liberation from the French occupying force. The French wanted to quash all insurrection and eliminate the FLN. The FLN used bombings, including against civilian targets, to achieve their goals and the French torture, including against the innocent, to get information on the insurgents.
The movie is compelling and interesting and presents both sides in a balanced fashion. Both sides come out looking as romantic heroes and as ruthless villians. The movie has particular impotance currently becuase the Pentagon arranged for a special screening of film when the United States invaded Iraq. The movie specifically addresses the use of torture and the handling of media questions about torture as a means to combat terrorism. Sadly, the movie makes it seem like torture is a good way to get reliable information. I would be suspicious that the pentagon was interested in the film for that reason, however it is just as likely that there is a film club amoung employees there and they decided this was an appropos choice for the week.