Movies to Travel to

Before I left Japan in April I downloaded maps and travel documentaries to help me along in The Trip overland to California. It was a busy time and with lot of other practical preparation to do, I had little mind to sit down and think out exactly what I should be searching for. It is only now, with the proper time allowed by being “unemployed”, that I have come up with the perfect film / TV list to travel around the world to.

Drumroll:

Japan – Yôjinbô (Akira Kurosawa, 1961)

As history has shown by the sheer number of remakes, as well as establishing the Dashiell Hammett man-with-no-name persona, this period drama of a wandering samurai amusing himself for the greater good has become the prototypical Japanese Western. One of Kurosawa’s greatest films, it has all the essential pieces of a classic: understated and brilliant acting by the exhausting Toshirō Mifune, leading a surprisingly decent cast of supporting actors, while being shot by the preeminent cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa, yet it’s the simplicity with which Kurosawa brings and keeps all of these powerful elements together, even when they one or another seems to want to strike out and imbalance the masterful story-telling at work here. Overall a great way to feel good about setting out on the unknown road and seeing where the wind leads you. Sayonara Japan.

China – Jing Wu Men aka Fist of Fury (Lo Wei, 1972)

Not exactly “Made In China”, but set there, specifically in the foreign settlements of Shanghai, where the Chinese martial artists the story centers around are generally a pitiful bunch, beaten and bullied by their supposed Karate-practicing Japanese betters. That is, until Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee) returns to find his teacher mysteriously dead. The acting and the martial arts are as bad as the choppy-cut, off-kilter cinematography. Even Lee, acting in his second film since Fists of Fury (not to be confused with this singular tense flick…apparently only one of his fists were working at this time), is melodramatic, regularly misses cues and is generally portrayed as a fighter who is skillful yet stupid, talented yet proud and basically alienates most everyone around him until they end up dead and he finally kicks it into high gear and kicks some serious Jap ass. A must see if only for the 60s-era California surfer-boy voice-overs. Great for replacing Japanese pride for Chinese grit.

Mongolia – Genghis Khan (Henry Levin, 1965)

There are so many (bad) films about Genghis Khan that it was a tough choice including one on this list, yet what other movie about Mongolia (that you would want to watch) would qualify? Genghis is the end all be all Mongol and it would be pure chicanery to suggest that in one month of traveling roughshod through the country I didn’t take solace and respite in at least one film. This one beats out the recent Genghis piece done by the Kazakh Sergei simply because it stars Omar Sharif as Temujin (later Genghis Khan), James Mason, Eli Wallach as a Shah, Telly Savalas (who despite his lack of lollipop prop is oddly engaging) and white man extraordinaire Robert Morley as the Emperor of China, of course. What else need be said? Watch this and know that Sharif also acted in Dr. Zhivago in the same year, then go to Mongolia, get on a horse and reenact it yourself.

Russia – Russkiy Kovcheg aka Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sokurov, 2002)

More than any other film on this list, Russian Ark, is both cinematographically astounding and stultifyingly dense, and is worth watching more than once, but only by those with more than a passing interest in Russian history, (which admittedly might be a rather low number), or those who love beautiful camera work. Despite Aleksandr Sokurov’s brilliant work pulling this brash work set in Saint Petersburg’s Heritage Museum off, it is the single 96-minute Steadicam sequence shot by Director of Photography/Steadicam Operator Tilman Büttner that, more than being a merely extraordinary piece of work, embodies the dreamlike feel that film should be all about, all the time. Simply stunning.

Estonia – The Singing Revolution (James Tusty & Maureen Castle Tusty, 2006)

It’s ok to answer the question, “What do you know about Estonia?” with, “Not much.” Which is why you should watch the captivating documentary by American husband and wife team James and Maureen Castle Tusty, who in 1999, and after extensive research, went to Tallinn, Estonia after less than a decade of independence from Soviet rule to interview and film an essential historical document about a country few know anything about, who successfully sang for their freedom from 1988 to 1991 when they declared themselves a sovereign nation, despite failed, though aggressive Soviet tank deployment. A great insight into the indomitable spirit of a beautiful land and its (women) people.

Poland – Trzy Kolory: Bialy aka Three Colors: White (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994-1996)

In France, the Trois Couleurs trilogy, based upon the ideals of the French Revolution (Liberte, Equalite, Fraternite) is deservedly famous, but has lacked popular attention in the U.S. for Polish-born director Krzysztof Kieslowski. A truly amazing black comedy- and the only one of the three actually set (mostly) in Poland- this film sees its browbeaten protagonist go from put-upon pauper to attempting to foil organized crime syndicates all in an effort to seek justice (equality) for his wife’s initial cruelty. Wow. People should watch more French films. And got to Poland: it is beautiful.

Denmark – Antichrist (Lars von Trier, 2009)

Until I did a bit of research, Lars von Trier’s intensely phlegmatic films always struck me, as did his name, as being of German extract. Europe being of local character, and Denmark being situated as it is just to north of their attention-hogging neighbors, it is not difficult to confuse the infamous director’s chaotic and harsh settings with Nazi-period experimental films. For good or ill von Trier is confrontational and controversial simply because of the subject matter he so deftly portrays. Antichrist is no different. The beauty and horror of its imagery will haunt you, and maybe even plant the seeds of discontent in seemingly successful relationships, such as mine and my ex’s. Though maybe not. Regardless, it is devastating and beautiful. Watch with trepidation.

France – Delicatessen (Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1991)

I have always wanted to live in Paris, perhaps because of watching too many French New Wave films during college. My trips to the City of Light, however, have never quite delivered as much as the films of one of my favorite director’s Jean-Pierre Jeunet have: I am still sans beautiful French nymphette, have never experienced a proper strike, nor have I ever eaten Brie along with a great bottle of vintage Vin de Bourgogne and then French kissed Audrey Tautou. Nor more realistically have I eaten my neighbors, led a team of subterranean vegetarian revolutionaries or fallen in love with the landlord’s daughter. Obviously I have yet to live. Watch Delicatessen, and its sequels!

USA – In America (Jim Sheridan, 2002)

In America is, simply speaking, one of those kind of beautiful cinematic renditions of why America is, in theory, so great. More than that underhanded yet somehow understated sentimentality, the film succeeds in pulling our amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties heart strings due to meticulous direction by famed Irish creator of My Left Foot Jim Sheridan. yet it is the even keeled acting of a surprisingly powerful ensemble cast which pulls the film into the characterization of “modern classic” that it well deserves.

Between France and the USA I took a Trans-Atlantic Cargo Ship for twelve days and apart from massive reading, lots of exercise and staring off into the endless sea, I managed to get a lot of apt movies and shows watched:

Lost – Lost (J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, 2004)
Man Vs. Wild – Man Vs. Wild (Discovery Channel, 2006)

I purposely haven’t watched the last 17 episodes of the sixth season of Lost. So I been avoiding the popular media outlets for months. I have no idea what’s going on in the real world, nor do I care until the end of Lost. Though I would like to make it to New York and see my friends and family waving to me like a long lost soldier finally coming home, so far I can not seem to control my imagination’s desire for the cargo ship to crash on some heretofore yet uncharted mid-Atlantic island. Weird, isn’t it? Images of me having to seduce wild warrior women, hunt for inexplicable tropical polar bear, eat bugs and raw boar testicles, squeeze drinking water out of animal crap, negotiate peace between Good & Evil and basically make my own way on an island paradise without any hope of rescue. Except for Time Travel. Of course. What better combination of television shows than Lost & Bear Grylls’ Man Vs. Wild to keep me company on the not so long twelve day Trans-Atlantic voyage?

Now if I can only find where that cargo ship is leaving from…

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 3rd, 2010 at 12:09. It is filed under The Trip and tagged with All Content © Manny Santiago, Will Walk For Sex. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.