Ryûsuke Hamaguchi on Drive My Car | NYFF59

[@albertobalamnavarro-medina9292]

The way he interwove all of the stories and revealed so much back story while never showing a flashback was amazing.

[@bioarv111]

Dropping the credits 40 mins in to reframe the first act as a prologue completely negates the need for a flashback. It's genius

[@TheStormyweber]

best movie of the year

[@michaelokorodudu2315]

What a brilliant translator, is she taking the notes down in shorthand? the ability to convey what he said so quickly is remarkable. What an astute interpreter.

[@theuncleanknight9204]

Yes, that is common practice with professional translators, they take notes in shorthand. And yes, watching a competent interpreter at their work is an amazing sight.

[@michaelokorodudu2315]

@@theuncleanknight9204 thank you. I took a year of Journalism and short hand was the only area that defeated me. I never valued its uses in the current climate of technology, but seeing this has opened my mind to finally see its merits. 40 words a minute was my max, she’s doing significantly more than that + another language. Incredible Incredible Incredible.

[@theuncleanknight9204]

@@michaelokorodudu2315 I am currently studying translation, but haven't yet attended courses focusing on interpretation. So all the specifics of shorthand are still in the future for me.

[@jjdinanno4147]

Deeply moved by this film

[@nikolaiquack8548]

That man created a masterpiece of cinema. I'm gonna rewatch it tomorrow, showing it to a friend for the first time. Can't wait to discuss it with her.

[@corean3polar]

Drive my car I watched this film months ago, but still think about it often.

[@mslabber1028]

The ending makes this perfect

[@DeezWebbos1978]

Such a beautiful movie.

[@marunouchi19579]

Props to the interpreter

[@BestScenes1]

The best movie of the year

[@kenwong6536]

Drive My Car - Well-deserved the Oscar and multiple of awards Won 1 Oscar with 73 wins & 95 nominations total

[@ІраПавле]

I really enjoyed watching the film!

[@djagtkmapgm4703]

I think this movie has a critical aspect to Haruki Murakami's novel. In the original novel, there is a scene where Kafuku confirms the size of Misaki's breast, but in the movie it disappears. There was a misogynistic depiction that the reason why Oto SEXed with a man other than her husband was "a fairly common thing for women", but in the movie she was triggered by the loss of a child. In the final scene, the woman is completely free from social shackles. The two works have the same mood, but the place where they end up is different. The movie is more feminist and open. We must not forget that Japan is a male-centered society. ..

[@kawaiipotatoes7888]

Hamaguchi is one of the most progressive director out there, you should see wheel of fortune and fantasy which I think is equal or even better than drive my car. I hope that movie will get attention after the success of this film.

[@djagtkmapgm4703]

@@kawaiipotatoes7888 Thank you for your comment. I have already watched The Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy.Of course,that is my favorite work. Asako 1&2 is has another appeal.It is very resistant to Japanese Society.It's Wonderful.

[@bioarv111]

My thoughts exactly, I think this is what makes for an actual succesful adaptation. He took Murakami's themes and made them his own, at the same time the scene where Takatsuki tells Kafuku the ending of Oto's story felt like genuine pure Murakami. It's so well balanced, amazing film.

[@djagtkmapgm4703]

@@bioarv111 I fully agree. The two works have the same mood. That's great.

[@s0ngf0rx]

thank you very much for this comment, especially for someone who didnt read the short story.

[@ltkwok]

Why is the last scene in Korea?

[@djagtkmapgm4703]

My interpretation is that Misaki, who saw Kafuku's multilingual drama, thought that "something is different from me," but while watching the Korean acting, he might have wanted to go to that country. I think Kafuku gave Misaki a car as a gift for new life.

[@Biring1]

@@djagtkmapgm4703 I also felt that he was "done" with the car since he finally expressed himself outside of it. A symbol of moving on I guess.

[@djagtkmapgm4703]

@@Biring1 I agree. Supplementally, I think that the reason why Misaki decided to go to Korea was that she was impressed by the acting of the Korean Sign Language of the woman who played the role of Sonya, her alter ego. It's a detailed and wonderful script. She felt Sonya wasn't me, but she must have been impressed by the Korean Sign Language acting itself.

[@colorfullyme]

New beginning. Either Misaki and Yusuke end up together and moved to Korea, or he gifted her the car and she moved to Korea. Either way, they both let go of the past and moved on. I hope they ended up together because I am a hopeless romantic. We know he probably wanted more kids, and with a younger partner he would be able to. And there were clear parallels drawn between Oto and Misaki, for example after at least 21 years of marriage Oto still could not shift the car gears correctly, but Misaki could immediately. I think this is a metaphor that Yusuke and Oto were trying to force the intimacy that he and Misaki had effortlessly. I do not mind the age gap because the intimacy they share clearly transcends age. Also the Korean couple seem to be a symbol of a happy marriage and true love that transcends time and language. At dinner with them, Misaki plays with their dog, and she has a dog in the final scene too. Maybe "Korea" is a sort of heaven where two can be together in love. I do think it was much more moving not to show any overt romance though and to leave the ending ambiguous. Some other points that apply whether or not they ended up together: In the beginning Yusuke is overprotective of the car (himself), but in the end he lets Misaki drive it without him even there. This shows he learned trust and let go of his controlling attitude to his life. And on the other side Misaki is driving for herself, not for someone else anymore. In Korea you drive on the right side of the road, so the Saab with the steering wheel on the left is now in the right place too.

[@djagtkmapgm4703]

@@colorfullyme I think your interpretation is wonderful, and I think it's a work that allows various interpretations. Isn't each outlook on life reflected in the interpretation? And what is wonderful is the universality of the work, which allows various interpretations beyond language. It's like alchemy.

[@df_5565]

😘

[@jeffreylo1477]

Her interpreting is always slightly off it’s so annoying. Such a shame that the audience are understanding the director wrong 😑

[@Cristobels-Green-Boots]

It’s so easy to criticise -. her job was to move the interview along; I was amazed at the speed of her translation...her ability to decipher both languages! The movie is one of those great films where the viewer is asked to form his/her own opinions ...I love the ending, but I’m constantly shifting from ‘this’ to ‘that’...& the Director makes it clear that his intention is to ‘stop the movie being perfect’ 😮 - this is ‘The Great Inexplicable’ of much of Japanese Culture....

[@pokachan3451]

that is quite unfair. The interpreting was very effective and Hamaguchi Sensei's expression is not always easy to catch. The interpreter's own spoken Japanese seems excellent too.