Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil,

Yes it was ground breaking at the time. It was Clavell's intention to try to present, and explain, the Japanese 'mind set' or psyche. You have to remember he was a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp for about three years (and was not treated well). It's still difficult to grasp and understand, let alone to forgive, but the same could be said concerning the behaviour of the Crusaders.

That's easy Barry..... in my opinion and others.

In the Macro The church was trying to manipulate Prophecy by taking the land and Jerusalem into the control of the new 'chosen people' (replacement theology as the Jews are still the Chosen people not the Christian Church) and thus get Jesus to return....crazy. In the Micro those who went on Crusade were promised much re salvation and told the more they killed the better it would go for them in the afterlife. That sounds familiar ? How crazy, so being a good Christian in the time of the numerous Crusades was rendered down to killing and killing as many as you could.... Sad the Bible was not available for the common man to read, if he could; if it had been those being manipulated would have seen easily that this was totally screwed up and wrong and this mindset was no more Christian than the man in the moon.

Other films, such as 'Goodbye Mr Lawrence', based on the experience of J.G. Ballard, tried to do the same, but were not, in my opinion, as successful as the TV series based on Clavell's book (which I thoroughly recommend reading).

Good films but not great films and I agree they don't get into the mind of the historical Japanese. The period of Shogun and the mindset presented in it very much echos and gives light to the mindset during the war. The renewed interest in Bushido (reason WW2 allied prisoners of war were treated so badly by the Japanese. To surrender rendered one worthless and not worthy of any respect. The only way in Bushido was to die fighting, with honour, to surrender killed ones honour.) and worship of the Emperor.

It was by watching the series (and later reading the book) that I learnt a little Japanese, which I was able to put into practice recently.

Me too but I have forgotten most of it.

I love the work of Akiro Kurasawa. I'm still eagerly awaiting the DVD release of 'Dodes'ka-den'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodes'ka-den

He is sadly missed.

[Barry]

Hi Neil,

You have put into words what I already know and think (both concerning the Crusades and Bushido (The Way of the Warrior)). Nonetheless, both are so different to what most of us today now think and feel, they still come as a shock and require carful consideration - if only to get inside the medieval mind, European or Japanese.

What is your opinion of the film 'Kingdom of Heaven'? I think it gets a little closer to the situation of the time, but is not, in my opinion, a great film.

Without wishing to harp too much upon the Crusades, the more I read about them, the more respect I have for Saladin. No 'saint', but he did recognise the rights of those that surrendered and would allow them safe passage and access to the injured.

Regards

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil,

You have put into words what I already know and think (both concerning the Crusades and Bushido (The Way of the Warrior)). Nonetheless, both are so different to what most of us today now think and feel, they still come as a shock and require carful consideration - if only to get inside the medieval mind, European or Japanese.

What is your opinion of the film 'Kingdom of Heaven'? I think it gets a little closer to the situation of the time, but is not, in my opinion, a great film.

Without wishing to harp too much upon the Crusades, the more I read about them, the more respect I have for Saladin. No 'saint', but he did recognise the rights of those that surrendered and would allow them safe passage and access to the injured.

Regards

Despite its many Historical flaws and there are many, I do actually like Kingdom of Heaven. It gives a reasonable insight into the time period and if anything I hope would inspire those who watched it to find out more about the subject matter. The directors cut is better Barry and this does help the movie but adds a fair wack to the running time.

I would agree in the main, as Saladin was portrayed in the film, there was more honour in him than that displayed by many so called Christians of the time.

[Reid Malenfant]

The Martian Chronicles

Only nearly five hours of this though

Last part of Ray Bradburys Martian Chronicles...

I appear to have gotten though over 3.5 hours yesterday evening

[Reid Malenfant]

Frank Herberts - Children Of Dune on DVD

Glad I didn't buy the blu ray

[Tim]

Hannibal

[Spectral Morn]

War of Arrows

Excellent Historical Korean action film.

[MartinT]

Frank Herberts - Children Of Dune on DVD

I rather liked that.

[Rare Bird]

Colossus: The Forbidden Project

[Reid Malenfant]

I rather liked that.

Hopefully I'll get to watch PTs 2 & 3 this evening. Stunned by the picture quality through the iScan. As I say, I'm glad I didn't buy the blu ray, it's only a single disc so I can't see how it'd be such an improvement

Colossus: The Forbidden Project

Don't you mean the Forbin Project?

Good film, one of my mad computer favourites

I didn't realise there was a widscreen edition though as mine is 4/3 or 1.33:1 Guess I'll hunt it down...