The episodes that were cut by scissors

Zelma 2022-10-18 14:49:20

When adapting a novel into a movie, the most important thing is the choice of plot. The movie is only about two hours long, which is hardly the capacity of a novel. At this time, what a director and screenwriter have to do is to pick out the really important plots that can reflect the essence of the work and promote the development of the story. It is not difficult to say this, after all, we have seen many successful movies adapted from world famous books. From the choice of plot, we can also see the director's understanding of the work.

The Vietnamese, who is also the director and screenwriter of the film, obviously did not understand Murakami's original work. I read the original 10 years ago, and this time I took it out and read it again. According to my understanding, the following plots are extremely important, but were discarded by the director.

1. At the beginning of the novel, Naoko and Watanabe talked about the bottomless pit.
2. Nagasawa became friends with Watanabe because he watched "The Great Gatsby".
3. Naoko talked to Watanabe for 4 hours before his 20th birthday.
4. Watanabe didn't answer every time he was called, so Midori noticed Watanabe.
5. Midoriko and Watanabe watch the fire together. (This paragraph can also be saved!!! I feel bad when I see the rain! I'm going to go crazy when I suddenly kiss!!!)
6. Everything about Reiko. (Reiko in the original work is the most important character except for the three protagonists, 1 male and 2 females. Murakami's characters are very plump, including wrinkles, past experiences, piano and guitar, but there is not one left in the movie)
7. Watanabe and Midori's father is in a section of the ward. (This section and the fire are actually an important plot of the deepening of the relationship between Watanabe and Midoriko. After being removed by the director, I don't know how Midoriko likes Watanabe.)
8. Reiko and Watanabe held a guitar memorial service for Naoko.

The overall impression, because the above plot is removed, the Watanabe in the film is like a stallion, just keep sleeping with three women again. (Although the one with Midori was not filmed)

In addition, there are some inexplicable changes I don't know what the director meant. Watanabe and Naoko met on the bus, why change to a gazebo? The Expendables were supposed to be funny, why make him a pervert?

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Extended Reading
  • Sid 2022-04-20 09:02:58

    The picture and tone are all my thing, but in a few places with strange music, it was suddenly cut off weirdly. I haven't read the original, so I don't know how much the changes have been made, but this story is really too embarrassing, at least I didn't fully understand who the people in it were in love with after reading it. The Japanese young people of that era were also so dissolute in their sexuality that they lost the chance to experience true love. Kikuchi Rinko is not that ugly, but she is a little older than the set

  • Alexzander 2022-04-18 09:01:20

    After reading it, I don't recommend it. Naoko was too ugly and too neurotic, mad for madness, and lost himself. Midori is good, although her breasts are too small, her acting skills make up for it. Many of the plots I liked were gone, the death squad basically ignored it, the kiss of fire turned into a kiss after the rain, and at the end, it was very abrupt with Reiko, mainly because Reiko didn't unfold and lost its unique charm. Hatsumi and Nagasawa are very good, not disappointed. Overall rating of 65.

Norwegian Wood quotes

  • Storm Trooper: Mind if I give you a piece of advice?

    Toru Watanabe: Sure.

    Storm Trooper: Don't feel sorry for yourself. Only degenerates feel sorry for themselves.

  • Toru Watanabe: Nothing can heal the loss of a beloved. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can heal that sorrow. All we can do is live through the sorrow and learn something from it. But whatever we learn will be of no help in facing the next sorrow that comes along.