- Was hilft die Sorgen
Was helfen uns die schweren Sorgen,
was hilft uns unser Weh und Ach?
Was hilft es, dass wir alle Morgen
beseufzen unser Ungemach?
Wir machen unser Kreuz und Leid
nur größer durch die Traurigkeit. - Firworks (1997)
I appreciate how neat this movie is. It doesn’t try to do too much; it has a clear throughline and follows it all the way to the bitter end. It’s very tight, and that is particularly effective because of the uniqueness of the premise. It has one interesting setting and commits to exploring it fully without feeling the need to add much else. What’s especially interesting is how little the protagonist and his wife speak, no more than ten sentences throughout the entire movie. In that sense, it relies much more on atmosphere than dialogue. With this tightness also comes a certain straightforwardness. Aside from one point, the flowers in the paintings and the paintings in the bar scene, the symbolism and thematic exploration are fairly light. The film isn’t especially interested in abstract interpretation; it has a journey in mind and sees it through without unnecessary detours.
There also aren’t many action scenes, but when they do happen, they’re really good. They feel much rawer than the modern Hollywood fighting style, which often borrows from kung fu films and ends up looking more like choreography than actual violence. Here, the violence feels sudden, brutal, which fits the film much better.
The original title, Hana-bi, translates to “Fireworks,” though it can also be understood through its components: hana (“flower”) and bi (“fire” or “flame”). That contrast between beauty and violence lies at the heart of the film. The ever-present violence is juxtaposed with the flower paintings, reinforcing this central tension throughout.
The music is occasionally a bit goofy, but overall it’s excellent. It reminds me of the scores from Studio Ghibli films, which makes sense given they have the same composer. 7.5/10
- Shaolin Soccer (2001)
Of the genre of dumb comedy, i.e. lowbrow comedy with very blunt humor (other examples include the Leslie Nielsen movies), this is one of the better ones. 7/10
- First Time Running 5km
Ran my first 5 km. This is here as a reference if I continue running, as my baseline.
- Die 13 1/2 Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär
I read, or more like listened to, this as an audiobook in German, and the audiobook version adds so much. I think this is maybe the first time where I would say not only is the audiobook version probably superior (I did not read the physical book), but I would actually recommend it over the book itself. The narrator gives every character a different voice, the music is well done, and the overall audio design in general is great.
But about the book itself: it’s a silly fantasy book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It works a lot with language, so I would recommend reading it in German, I don’t know how well it would translate. The author loves using long lists of made-up things, which are very fun to listen to/read through. It just has a lot of creativity and silliness to it. Fun read.
I2P