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08 March 2024

Film "Elvis" American culture is Black culture!

I watched the film on my flight to Paris from Tokyo last week. The film helped me to kill time during the very long flight hours. 

It was a biography of the king of rock, Elvis Presley. He was born in southern state where seggregation was very common. But he grew up in a Black community so he had no prejudice against Black people but rather appreciate his experience with Black people who inspired him to sing in a new style. That is why he sang the requiam song for Dr. Martin Luther King "If I Can Dream" in 1968.

That may be a reason why he played a protagonist in the musical film "Blue Hawaii (1961)" in which he marries a native Hawaiian woman." 

His life was not always glorious nor very happy one because of his parents' treatment of him. He was mama's boy and his father was weak so he and his family were manipulated by a conman who managed his showbiz activities. The conman did not have a US citizenship so that is why he could not hold the world tour. I felt very sorry because if the conman did not stop him to go to the world tour, he could visit Japan and sing at Japanese audience. He said he wanted to do that. That was more profitable for him and his family but very bad for the conman. His life was shortened due to the hardwork imposed by the conman. 

His singing style such as waving his waist was affected by Black singers he was acquianted with. In fact, his singing is Black singers' style. That is why conservatives tried to stop him from singing in public. Black culture had been considered vulgar culture but created a very unique American culture. None the less, Black people have been oppressed in America. America took them to his land forcibly depriving of their human rights and treated them as slaves and second class citizens while gaining cultural advantage from them. 

Elvis Presley was a byproduct of America's cruelty. I felt very saddened to know such history. 

Entertaiment industry is grotesque everywhere in the world. In Japan, recently it was found boys being sexually abused by a big boss of the most influential entertainment agency. 

As I get older and learn more about such stories, I am losing interests and admiration to showbiz industry. I don't enjoy such shows any longer. I rather read books than films. 

I am hoping we will no longer need human singers or actors but Artificial Intelligence creates such super stars. 

31 July 2023

French film: "SIMONE, Woman of the Century, We're living in a better world!

I just saw the film at a small theatre in Tokyo. 

history, feminism, Women

It was a biopic about the French politician who lived through holocaust and after the war became a lawyer and the minister of French government and became the first female president of European Union assembly. 

She helped promote women's rights by legalisation of abortion in France, 1970's. She contributed to improvement of prisoners' condition. Why was she so enthusiastic about human rights issues? 

The film started with her childhood in Nice with her family living in a happy condition before the second world war. Her family were Jews and believed France would never betray them. 

But later her family were arrested by German Gestapo. She, 16-year-old, her sister and mother were deported to Auschwitz. Her brother and father were thought to be executed. The three survived in Auschwitz but they were deported again, and then her mother died in other concentration camp.  

After the war, Simone married a man and gave birth to three children studying at a law school in Paris. But she had been traumatized by her experience in the holocaust and couldn't sleep on a bed. Even after the war, she could not tell others about her horrible experience during the war. 

But such experiences motivated her to help others in the world. In her old age, she came back to Auschwitz on 60th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz. She spoke and wrote all about her experience. She insisted that Europe should get united so no more war happens. Surprisingly she had lived in Germany after the war. 

The film taught us it is the responsibility of living people to make the world better place and right the wrongs. Indeed, we are living in a better world, at least much better than what she experienced. 

I, myself have visited Auschwitz in Poland, and learnt what happened there. 

history, feminism, Women, holocaust

Such history should never be repeated. I felt it is MY responsibility not to let such horrible events happen again.  

Sadly, it is happening and very hard to stop that. 

24 January 2023

German film "Die Wannseekonferenz" "The Conference"

The movie described how the decision of murdering 6 million Jews in Europe was made in less than 2-hour conference at Wannsee in Germany 1942. 

One of the participants was Eichmann, a Nazis high ranking officer who later was captured by the Israeli police and convicted to capital punishment in Israel. 

What they cared was not ethics, they cared nothing but the efficiency, honour of the nation, compliance with the laws, diplomatic strategy and veterans' affairs. 

There was a phrase "Pearl Harbour" in the conference since Japan was allied with Germany at that time though Hitler claimed Japanese were the second-class people. 

They were ruthless and their thoughts were systematic. 

Unbelievable to know in Weimar Republic era (1918-1933), before Nazis took over the governance of Germany, there was some Jewish cabinet member. 

The world can suddenly turn into the hell. We are now witnessing such thing in Ukraine. 

Where are we heading? Where do we stand now? 

18:04 Posted in Deutschland, Film | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: history, nazis, holocaust

28 February 2022

Film "Platoon" America is no longer the police of the world

Academy winning film (1986) directed by Oliver Stone. 

A young American boy joined the military force combatting in South Vietnam, and witnessed the hell including division within the comrades. 

Although it gained a good reputation, it wasn't as good as I expected. 

I liked "Born on the 4th of July" better among Oliver Stone's Vietnam films. 

The cause for the Vietnam War was to defend Vietnamese from communism. 

But they failed. Then they failed in Iraq and Afghanistan later. 

Now the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out. US seemed to side Ukraine but announced they would not send any troops to help Ukraine fight against Russians. It was a kind of betrayal act since US said they would not block Ukraine from joining NATO and in the past signed the memorandum that ensures security of Ukraine in exchange for abandoning nuclear weapons of former Soviet Union. 

America proved themselves to be no police of the world. 

So please remove unnecessary forces from our country and stop building a new base on a beautiful island and the sea along the island as I mentioned in this post

war,vietnam, Okinawa

Learning more about history of America's vietnam war and the island where a new base is being built currently, I came up with a novel and started to write on my Japanese blog. The story took place on the island. A Japanese female singer in 21st century time-slipped to the Vietnam war era in a bar on the island and met with American soldiers. 

War, Vietnam

After I finish writing up the story, I am planning to post English translation on this blog. 

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