Rojo no Ruka
2024
Japan
Luca on the Road
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Additional Images |
I sat through the three hour film version of this with a wrinkled forehead, like listening to an opera in shuffle mode. All the pieces are there but WTF? In some way, the film version is more "dramatic", but it's shallow drama: a Tik-Tok version, a session of bumper cars; as opposed to the symphony of this TV series, riding a canoe down a gentle river It's not clear to me, because I don't care enough to find out, if "Kyrie" was the first <i>product</i> of this endeavor and this series is a re-edited, extended version of that, or if there is some mythical ten hour Director's Cut out of which Iwai made the series and then cut and edited that into the movie I've seen this series labeled as "6 hours". It's not. It's nine episodes ranging from 23 to 33 minutes each, and an hour long tenth episode. Each of the episodes has a few minutes of credits at both beginning and end. I'd guess the series is a little over four hours of "footage", with the bulk of the 'extra stuff' mostly full length versions of songs. For example, Kyrie's audition is three full songs with more comments from the auditioners, and the ending festival shows a full length song from each of the three groups preceding Kyrie There are a few added or extended dramatic moments, some more worthy than others (some vital, imo), but not a lot Even if you're not troubled by the <i>throw it all in a blender</i> approach of the film version, or even if you prefer that kind of thing, there is no escaping the fact that what you don't get with the film version is <i>development</i>: Story development, sound and musical development, and most importantly <b>character development</b> The first two episodes are devoted almost entirely to Little Ruka. Notable is ten minutes of Little Ruka and street musician Tavito Nanao singing together. I replayed that part several times and bawled my head off. It feels important to our understanding of what she chooses and who she becomes years later Kyrie is introduced at the end of Ep02 and we get an episode or two of the developing romance between her and Nacchan, which needs to be a movie of its own. Heartbreaking and beautiful. Includes the earthquake (Ep04). So much nicer having extended time with just her instead of confusing her and her sister Maori is introduced in Ep05 and her relationship with Ruka is established, as well as where people move to and why. Ikko comes in at Ep06 and it makes a lot more sense why Suzu Hirose has blue hair And on and on. Suffice to say the depth of empathy and understanding we get of the characters from this series blows the film version to shreds Incredibly important to me is how much better the soundtrack works here. Everything musical about this project is much better in the series. Kyrie's relationship with Fukin is paced and extended to where he becomes a really likable guy and his relationship with, and importance to, Kyrie towers In a nutshell, what I didn't get from the film is the depth and power of the relationships. They need to be <b>developed</b>, not thrown at you in random order Final disclaimer: I have no idea what my impressions would be if I had watched this first ... as opposed to feeling a little bewildered by the film and watching this for enlightenment. I started watching this about two hours after finishing the film and was glued to every minute of it. That impresses me :) 10 episodes 1: Iwan 2: Ruka and Kyrie 3: Kyrie 4: That day 5: Maori and Ruka 6: Ikko and Kyrie 7: Missing 8: Voice 9: Natsuhiko 10: Goodbye Initial reaction to the film <a href="https://letterboxd.com/sitenoise/film/kyrie-2023/">here</a> PSA about the film after watching a few episodes of this, <a href="https://letterboxd.com/sitenoise/film/kyrie-2023/1/">here</a> I can't believe it. I rewatched this a day after watching it the first time, which was a couple hours after watching the three hour film version, and I can't wait to watch it again. So ya'll get a very rare long winded blurb about my worshiping at its alter This is Iwai's <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/love-exposure/"><i>Love Exposure</i></a>. It's the most satisfying film experience I've had since <a href="https://letterboxd.com/sitenoise/film/cafe-noir/reviews/"><i>Cafe Noir</i></a> I read somewhere that Netflix is going to air the two hour version of this. If true, that's tragic af I'm not going to argue --too much-- about why this is the proper way to experience the project. One thing I've left out of all my blabbing about this, film and series, is how beautiful and grounding Haru Kuroki is as the school teacher who brings Little Ruka into our lives. Wonderful actress. Always solid. Kudos to her One difference between film and series I must pontificate endlessly upon, both because it's beautiful and gut wrenching in and of itself in the series while absent from the film, but it also feels critical to our understanding of who Ruka/Kyrie becomes: Little Ruka's introduction and relationship to the street singer Keep in mind this comes right after Little Ruka's experience at the crayfish hole. In the film version: abrupt cut from that to the street singer starting to sing the first few lines of the song, "Midnight Zoo", with a brief shot of Little Ruka watching him. Done! In the series we watch the singer play and sing a few minutes of the song before we see Little Ruka walk into the shot in the background, at some distance. She stops, turns to come closer, and ends up sitting about thirty feet across from him. (It's a beautiful song and I'm grateful the whole piece is included here). While he's singing we get extended shots of Little Ruka watching him, trying to process what she is experiencing This is where Iwai's musicality is off the charts beautiful. The words to the song, the musical dynamics of it and the way everything impacts Little Ruka are ... I think only a musician, like Iwai, could pull off the beauty of it all (but can't forgive him for cutting it from the film) The guy pauses singing and lowers the dynamic of a little instrumental interlude. Cut to Little Ruka and you can see her not sure what to make of it (outstanding shots!). the guy starts singing: <blockquote><i>Stay calm, baby You can make it through Dodging the bullets</i></blockquote> This seems to levitate Little Ruka from her seat. She starts walking, though it's not clear if she is walking away or walking towards the singer. Big round of applause to Iwai for that The singer continues: <blockquote><i>Run baby run Stay calm baby You should be able to see it The dawn blazing up Just keep running, baby, run</i></blockquote> This stops Little Ruka in her tracks. The singer ramps up the dynamics, strums his guitar almost furiously and loudly sings: <blockquote><i>Run baby run Run baby run</i></blockquote> Then he brings it all back down to some quiet instrumental noodling. The reaction shots of Little Ruka trying to process it are golden The singer stops and looks at Little Ruka. She nods her head at him once as if she doesn't know what else to do. The singer invites her to come sit next to him. She does, and looks stunned but comfortable. The singer starts another song about: <blockquote><i>A prayer, like a crumpled piece of paper Misses the trash can Slips out the window and ascends to the sky</i> "I'm still here"</blockquote> Cut to Little Ruka visiting the church I questioned Shunji Iwai's musical <i>bonafides</i> after watching the film version. Oops I touched briefly upon the second meeting between Little Ruka and the street singer in one of my previous reviews. Here, again, we witness Little Ruka entering the shot and sitting some distance from the singer. The singer sees her and says: "<i>You came again. Want to sing together? Come here, come here</i>" She sits next to him and they sing the whole crumpled up piece of paper song "I'm Still here" followed by a little free form improvising where you can tell the singer is trying to get Little Ruka to understand the difference between just singing notes and putting some soul into it I almost had a heart attack after that scene. Flip it on its head, in a more mature context, and you get Kyrie and Fukin (extended and developed much better in the series) ----- How can we get a full understanding of Kyrie's "For now, I just want things to stay as they are. I'm having a great time today" without Little Ruka's experience? Another thing mind-bogglingly cut from the film is when Kyrie explains to Nacchan how she survived without a home for so long. It makes the post credit roll scenes unclear at best, random at worst There are a few lines inserted in the almost raped scene (which I fucking hated) that make it even worse Another small and not too important scene cut from the film is one between Natsuhiko and one of his tutors where the tutor explains his theory of flash cards use and memorization. Then when Natsuhiko shares it with Maori we know where it came from Summary: A young girl named Ruka, who had been living a wandering life in Osaka, is taken in by Fumi, an elementary school teacher. Later, Ruka spends time in Obihiro, Hokkaido, with Natsuhiko, who was her sister's lover, and forms a friendship with a high school girl named Maori. However, the fate that awaits her is always harsh. After arriving in Tokyo, Ruka becomes a musician and begins singing on the streets under the name Kyrie. There, she reunites with Maori, who now goes by the name Ikko and survives in Tokyo through her ever-changing cosplay and relationships with men. From Ishinomaki, Osaka, and Obihiro to Tokyo—Ruka, while being tossed about by fate, weaves a grand lyrical poem through her determined life 10 episodes 1: Iwan 2: Ruka and Kyrie 3: Kyrie 4: That day 5: Maori and Ruka 6: Ikko and Kyrie 7: Missing 8: Voice 9: Natsuhiko 10: Goodbye |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||