Samsung gives in art and music. No points for political drama.
Wes Anderson's use of Japanese visual elements is very appropriate. The way of telling legends in ukiyo-e is similar to the usual Japanese urine. Aiming at the Kanagawa surf appeared many times. The mayor's mansion, cherry blossoms, haiku, torii, etc. are all well received. The taiko drum in the background music is also used just right. Visual elements and music can be said to fully absorb the essence of Japanese art and combine well with Wes Anderson's style. Every frame is pleasing to the eye.
In addition, the language choice of the film is also very interesting - using English to tell a story that takes place in Japan and the protagonists (except the dog) are all Japanese, so that the dog language becomes English and Japanese becomes "dog language". It can be seen from this that the main audience for this film is still the audience of English-speaking countries. Japanese people will be a little confused watching this film. Much of the dialogue in Japanese is drowned out by the voice of the translator in the film. The few words the protagonist said were quite simple, after all, he was a twelve-year-old boy. I can understand the general meaning, and I am very curious about the viewing experience of people who are good in both Japanese and English. I can't help but think of the history of the demise of romance with English subtitles in Shanghai dialect mixed with Mandarin dialogue on a non-Asian airline flight.
All in all, it's a bit of a disappointment. The core spirit and philosophy of this film have nothing to do with Japanese or East Asian culture at all. Designing the rebellious student leaders to be international students from Ohio is also pretty drunk. It's probably "You Asians still need American Dad to save you", or "American high school girls have a higher degree of liberal democratic consciousness than almost all Japanese people." Powerless to rant. The portrayal of local citizens can almost be said to be pale and shallow. In general, it can be summed up that a Westerner who loves Japanese culture made a movie that is best viewed from a Westerner's perspective. Its core is also the protection of animals, freedom and equality, student movement, etc., which are common in the West. The relationship between the dog, the dog's wife, and the human is revealed. Sure enough, the director just became a father. However, the theme of the film must not be supported by warmth alone. Moreover, this film depicts a completely idealized, unrealistic image of a dog. I might as well read a fairy tale just by looking at this.
So why put this story on the stage in Japan? How good is it to release Ohio colleges. I guarantee that you will be killed by various social activists on the first day that Mayor Kobayashi is stamped. The benefit to this story of being set in Japan is that it uses the language barrier to show the dog's perspective, and to some extent criticizes the dictatorship of some East Asian countries (yes, I'm talking about Japan). The question is, doesn't this setup also imply that "we in the English-speaking world listen to the Japanese as if we were listening to the barking of a dog"? ? ? ? emmmm interesting
So ah... Western countries should not easily toss East Asian themes. As the old saying goes, every line is like a mountain. This cultural difference is probably not separated by the Pacific Ocean. It's okay to think of this film as a Japanese art promotional film.
View more about Isle of Dogs reviews
