Bring a movie book to lunchtime
~Monosus' "Reading Club" #19~

Murakami

Shion Miura's "The Great Passage" is a story about people involved in creating dictionaries at a publishing company, and it was recently made into a movie starring Ryuhei Matsuda.

Actually, I just bought it yesterday and have only read about 20 pages so far, but I'm already completely drawn in just from reading the first part.

At the beginning of the film, a veteran editor nearing retirement age flips through a dictionary he was given as a child, looking tirelessly at the meanings of words. I remember thinking, "Oh, I used to do something similar." In my case, I liked English-Japanese dictionaries, and whenever I had the time, I would flip through them and look up the meanings of words.

For example, I realized that there are people who think about things like how to explain the meaning of the word "right" when they're working. I'm looking forward to reading the book again, as it has given me a new perspective on words that I don't usually think about.

Haga

I saw the movie version. It's not a flashy subject, but it was interesting to see that there are jobs like this! It was like getting a glimpse into a world I didn't know existed.

Dry

I was really impressed by Ryuhei Matsuda's poster.

Murakami

It's nice to have a job that focuses on one thing. By the way, this work has been made into an anime. I first found out about it when I saw it on the paperback.

Dry

This is a pamphlet for the movie "Arrival," which was released this spring. It has a hole on the cover, which is really cool, but the story begins with giant spaceships in the shape of this hole appearing all over the world.

The protagonist, a linguist named Louise, is sent as part of a national research team with other scientists. She uses a linguistic approach to come into contact with the unknown lifeforms, which she calls "heptapods" (seven-legged creatures) and their octopus-like appearance, and begins to unravel their language and thoughts.

Their language has no concept of time, and gradually Louise loses her concept of time as well...Various scenes appear without a clear sense of past, present, or future, and we, the viewers, also find ourselves wondering, "When does this take place?"

After watching the movie, there was a talk show by Tomohiro Machiyama where he explained the mysteries of the story, which made me feel much better (laughs).

According to Machiyama's commentary, "The language a person speaks becomes the way they think." For example, English is suitable for discussion because the conclusion comes first, while Asian languages have many ambiguous expressions because the conclusion comes last. This movie made me think about words, concepts, and "messages" in many ways.

Haga

Rather than being simple science fiction, it is a work that has many different aspects, including linguistics.

Dry

At first, they are very wary of viruses and contamination, but as Louise approaches them, they gradually begin to communicate with them... but then conspiracies and conflicts between nations start to emerge, and they try to solve them with the power of words...

Wada

I saw a commercial on TV and I wanted to watch it.

Dry

Definitely! Oh, but please watch it without reading the pamphlet, because it will spoil the story (laughs). By the way, the original is Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life". I'd like to read it someday.

Wada

I brought with me a new book, "Godard and Women," which introduces the relationship between Jean-Luc Godard, a leading director of the French New Wave, and five actresses.

The Nouvelle Vague, meaning "new wave," is the name given to avant-garde, experimental films that began in the 1950s. They are characterized by complex stories, improvisational direction, and innovative compositions, but the presence of actresses, who could be considered muses to the directors, also played a major role.

Many directors end up marrying the leading actress in a film they directed, as did Godard (laughs). He married, divorced, and then married the next person... This book introduces the encounters, films, and private lives of five such actresses.

I especially like Anna Karina, and have watched Godard's films in which she starred, but it was interesting to learn that the two had actually broken up when they shot "Pierrot le Fou," and other behind-the-scenes stories. I think this book is a great read if you read it alongside Godard's films.

Murakami

On the cover it says, "The genius talent to make women run away"... (laughs).

Wada

Godard demands new things more and more, so women say they can't keep up and run away. Directors and actresses of this era really do date and then break up... It's like they get the most beautiful shot and then say goodbye.

Inoue

Are there a lot of love stories between men and women?

Wada

There's not much emphasis on love (laughs). They meet, go on the run, get shot and die, and that's it. The deaths aren't heavy, and there's nothing moving about them. But the visuals are really cool. I like the atmosphere and the worldview.

Inoue

Since the theme is film, I brought along an essay by Hairi Katagiri, who starred in my favorite show, "Kamome Diner," called "My Matka." The film is set in Northern Europe, but it also describes her days in Finland, where she stayed for a while after filming.

Hairi-san is famous as a unique actress, but her personality also explodes in her essays (laughs). Her unique "Hairi-bushi" is so funny that when I read her essays on the train, I can't help but grin, which is dangerous.

It's the kind of unplanned fun that is so typical of her, who travels without prior information. In particular, her description of the astonishing taste of Finland's national sweet "salmiakki" and her story of overcoming that and eventually becoming able to drink salmiakki liquor are really interesting.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who hasn't laughed recently.
It also contains behind-the-scenes stories about "Kamome Diner," so it's a must-read for fans of Kamome.

Haga

What does that candy taste like?

Inoue

It's like a candy drop... It looks dark and like a throat lozenge... The taste is far beyond imagination, and people say it tastes like "tire rubber with salt and sugar in it." But Finnish people love it (laughs).

Murakami

I'd like to go to Finland sometime.

Inoue

I think I saw the movie more than 10 years ago, but it doesn't seem old at all even now. I definitely want to go to Finland before I die.

Haga

This is a collection of works by the painter Gustav Klimt. I watched a movie called "Woman in Gold" that was released in 2015, and the masterpieces that appeared in the movie were works by Klimt, so I brought this in honor of that.

The film is based on a true story, in which an 80-year-old woman files a lawsuit against the Austrian government demanding the return of the painting "Adele in Gold." Her family is Jewish, and during World War II, the Nazis confiscated the property of her aunt who owned Adele. After the war, the painting remained in the collection of an Austrian museum.

Will the painting that was Adele's aunt's model and her only keepsake ever be returned to its rightful owner? This is a drama about a painting looted by the Nazis, and it was very interesting.

I first saw Klimt's painting in person five years ago at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art in New York).
I like works that use a lot of gold leaf, such as Adele in Gold, because they are said to be influenced by the Japanese Rinpa school and have a unique worldview. This book is part of the "New Basic Art" series by Taschen Publishing, and since it is reasonably priced, I enjoy collecting various works by artists that interest me.

Murakami

The movie is a true story.

After the reading group

The first lunch reading group was held with five participants and was a lively event. Each person's choice of "movies and books" was highlighted. It's nice to talk about your favorite books in the bright sunshine during a break from work. It might be fun to hold it over "3 o'clock tea" next time.

I wonder what the next theme will be. See you next time!