Drive My Car Explained (Part 1)

[@lucasblue20]

Sorry for being away for so long, but weekly videos are back! I just had to sort out some things in life and figure out my plans for the channel this year. Hope you enjoy this!!

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

Good channel. I like your thoughts on films, with some I agree, with some, not so much, but that is the point of such channels. In any case, you have a new subscriber, and I sure think you deserve much more subscribers.

[@lucasblue20]

@Ozymandias Gidon Nullifidian Thank you so much! Yeah, that's the beauty of film and art. It's all subjective, and I'm so happy to hear you recognize that when you have differences. I'm really glad you enjoy the videos! Thank you so much for watching and subscribing!!

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

@@lucasblue20 Of course. We are all different people, and even if I don't agree with you, or anyone for that matter, I think that in our life, in dialogues, in argumentations we should honor Volter's rule of parliamentarian "Maybe I don't agree with you, but I defend your right to say your opinion with my life". That is separating free societies from those where there is censorship and control over the thought, speech and expression

[@swapnilmane5403]

With all due respect, i dont think this is the correct explaination of the movie. The movie follows intertexuality and not viewer's own perspective. In the movie it was clear that oto was more hurt by thier daughter's death than her husband and the narration of the short stories with him was the only way to communicate with him.

[@BrainSt0rm314]

Great analysis, that was really interesting to watch. A detail in the film supports the view that the thief in Oto's story is indeed representing Yusuke. When she kills the thief, the teenage girl starts by sticking a pen in his left eye... and Yusuke suffers from glaucoma to his left eye.

[@lucasblue20]

Yeah that was a great little detail, I’m so glad you brought that up! That was what confirmed to me that Yusuke was the thief. I always thought Yusuke was the boy until I heard about where the thief was stabbed with the pen. Thanks so much for mentioning this, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the video, it means a lot!!

[@TheVampB]

I think that was the beauty of her story. It didn't reflect reality "perfectly". Both the boy and the thief were sides of Yusuke. The other men (or perhaps just one man) didn't matter. Thanks for pointing out this detail.

[@MulvDulv]

You deserve so much more attention

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you so much! As long as you enjoy, I'm happy!!

[@ishaandas3006]

I also think that the teenage girl's story had two meanings. One of course was covered here, but the other was the fact that the boy never reacted to the teenage girl's stealing or even the body. Oto like the girl, wanted to be noticed by Kafuku, the boy. But she failed. No amount of cheating (stealing in the girl's case) or even a death, whether that be of the burglar or of the relationship between Oto and Kafuku, prompted any reaction from Kafuku. At the end Oto, just like the girl, wanted to confess to draw out some reaction. If Kafuku was angry, it would be because he felt betrayed by her. The betrayal would mean that Kafuku cared for her, something which Oto desperately wanted to know. Indifference is the opposite of love. That's what I inferred. The girl was Oto, the boy was Kafuku and the act of murder (in this case of their relationship) being more important than the burglar itself. Human selfishness is also a huge part. Both Oto and Kafuku coped in unhealthy ways without taking each other into consideration.

[@yadhamin]

Such a great analysis. When I was watching the movie, I saw Oto’s story differently: the boy is Yusuke, the obvious corpse of the thief ,that the boy pretends not to have seen, is the affairs that Yusuke pretends not to know. To my thoughts, the girl screams to the boy inside herself “ A corpse was just in your house! Why the heck are not bothered?”. Likewise, Oto screams inside herself “ I am having sex with other men! Why the heck are you not bothered?”. However, your analysis is more direct and to the point.

[@lucasblue20]

Yeah this is also a completely valid way of interpreting the story. It’s really thoughtful, and I hadn’t seen it from that angle. Thank you for this, and for your kind words!!

[@fufu5068]

The concept of 3 characters in Yusuke, Watari and Takatsuki is somewhat similar to Norwegian Wood.

[@thanachai3571]

Best review. Very good break down. I understand the movie so much more.Thank you.

[@lucasblue20]

I’m so glad I could help, it’s my pleasure! And I appreciate the kind words, thank you!!

[@marinecomponentvandefensie5351]

Isn’t the glaucoma bit also an example of yusuke turning a blind eye to the disease in his relationship? He’s worried about continuing to drive his car (=keeping his comfort zone intact) while he might slowly be heading for blindness (ie. The ruin of his relationship with Oto/his life)Oto wants to know if there’s a cure to the illness. Oto wanted to find the solution and was gathering courage to confess so the couple could reshape their life. The doctor says they don’t know what causes the disease so they don’t know how to cure it either, and this means oto and yusuke might never have found the reason for their unhappiness (or if not unhappiness, at least unfulfillment) Or it’s a foreshadowing of how Yusuke never did find out about Oto’s reasons for her infidelity. Ultimately the story is about accepting the cruel tragedy of his wife never being able to get out of this painful way of living by confessing so she could be happy/alive again (WITH Yusuke by her side!) (which would also have freed Yusuke from his comfortable lifestyle that was causing him to waste his life). (and accepting that we might very well be unable to completely open ourselves up to someone, but that we shouldn’t stop trying)

[@xyrildanmanuel783]

reading through this comment section and every comment offers a slightly different interpretation which is mind-blowing because all of them makes sense if you reflect on the movie. i think this is the most beautiful aspect of drive my car. its subtle intricacy offers multiple interpretations that are all undeniably logical at the same time

[@Christopher-xn6rb]

Best review on this film so far 👍

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you! This means so much!!

[@ThArchangel]

Thank y for the explanation, u open my eyes on many things i hope u post the second part. About the movie i find it too long and boring with unnecessary scenes but the first part before oto died was very touching and so emotional this why i give it a chance to find more about it.

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you!! Yeah this movie surely isn't for everyone, but I'm so glad you checked it out because it's really thoughtfully done. I'll upload Part II on Saturday morning. I just finished recording it, I think you'll really enjoy it too! Thank you so much for watching!!

[@ktom5262]

You are a boring and superficial person.

[@mohnishsingh9684]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video.

[@lucasblue20]

It had to be done haha thank you! So happy you enjoyed it!!

[@Marc-io8qm]

One point of feedback- she is the one who forgets her stories each morning- not him.

[@milosralevic]

the best review of the movie! kudos to you :)

[@lucasblue20]

Wow thank you! This means a lot because there are many reviews and analyses on KZbin for this film. This is super motivating, thank you so much for watching!!

[@mr_bropo]

Recently subscribed to your channel, fantastic work man! Just watched Censor for the first time last night and your video on it was outstanding, and so was your Requiem for a Dream video. Cant wait to binge watch the rest of your channel, keep up the awesome work!!

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you so much my friend!! It's always fun to cover new and old movies, so I'm super glad you got to see those two. And I'm thrilled to hear you enjoy the channel as a whole! It means so much to me, thank you!!

[@mr_bropo]

@@lucasblue20 You're very welcome man, and thank YOU for the content, I can tell you put in a lot of work in to these videos and it shows, awesome stuff!!

[@jonathanchoo540]

I really enjoyed the story about the girl breaking into the boys house, feel like it would have been another interesting movie. My head couldn't connect that it had something to do with Oto's situation, especially about the part where she killed the thief, great analysis.

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you so much! And yes, I had the same thought that that story would make a good film as well, I think it would be a fantastic short film. I’m so glad you enjoyed, thank you so much for watching!!

[@soniac3920]

2 days ago i was looking through your channel whether you don’t have video on drive my car and now it’s here! Thank you

[@lucasblue20]

Omg thank you for keeping up! Yeah after I saw the movie, I had to cover it. I just finished recording Part II which I'm super excited to upload Saturday morning! Thank you so much again for watching!!

[@iya3952]

i think its also worth to see it yusuke as vanya in the sense of giving himself over to a phony/someone who turned out not to be everything they expected them to be. i take this from the repetition of the passage of the play where it says "I could've been dostoyevsky", i feel like it reflects the pain of choosing someone to marry for life (like vanya chose to care for the farm bc he believed in the professor) and having them break that trust, but i guess it could also be turned around to reflect his romatic lack in response to oto.

[@iya3952]

also i thought one of the final play scenes was so beautiful, the one where sonya gives the inspiring dialogue using sign language. it feels like yusuke is finally physically comforted in the way he needs, not in a sexual passionate way as oto functioned, but with a gentle touch bordering on the pure and able to understand him without needing much from him. it drives one of the other messages of the film which i consider to be that a partner will hardly fulfill every part in the journey to healing. this idea shows up also with the girl who drives yusuke's car, with whom he can connect with the pain of being hurt by an imperfect close person without diving into an intimate romantic relationship.

[@lucasblue20]

I love your ideas in both your comments, they actually relate pretty closely with my ideas in Part II that I'm uploading tomorrow. Just like you, I was really touched by the scene with Lee Yoon-A in the final play. Her monologue encapsulated so much of what the entire film was trying to communicate to the viewer. I'm so glad you brought up these ideas, thank you so much for watching!!

[@iya3952]

@@lucasblue20 i imagined you'd cover some of this stuff in future videos haha. but yes this was a well thought out video which introduced me to things i hadn't thought about!

[@Graciousgates]

Amazing review. Just watched today and love it. Just got yourself a subscriber as I’ll look forward to part two

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you so much my friend, this means a lot! I uploaded Part 2 this morning (I really hope you enjoy) and thank you so much for subscribing!!

[@Graciousgates]

@@lucasblue20 on it!

[@zosiapawlak627]

this explanation is rlly good

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed!!

[@Marc-io8qm]

*really

[@starxmon]

yay i was heavily looking forward to this !!!

[@lucasblue20]

So happy to hear this! Thank you so much!!

[@ethangraham7918]

Great explanation. Just subscribed.

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you so much!! I'm so happy you enjoyed, plenty more analyses to come!

[@dylanmeert5169]

This is so great thanks a lot. I was quite puzzled at the end of the movie

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you, I’m so glad it was helpful! Part 2 (tomorrow morning) will cover the ending specifically. Thank you so much again!!

[@davidsheriff9274]

What was puzzling about it?

[@quocanhnguyen7275]

Please do more!!! This is great

[@lucasblue20]

When you say do more, do you mean more new releases, more classic movies, or more coverage of this specific movie? And thank you! So glad you enjoyed!!

[@quocanhnguyen7275]

@@lucasblue20 I did mean this specific movies. But I also enjoy your reviews on classics. So more of everything please!

[@lucasblue20]

@@quocanhnguyen7275 ok, perfect! Part II comes out tomorrow morning, and more classics every week after that. Thank you so much for keeping up!!

[@josealmeida3836]

So great!

[@lucasblue20]

Thank you so much!!

[@edgemov]

Dude, you are smart! I missed allat!

[@NN-mr5lw]

Good Lord, japanese sensibility and russian classics, мы не отдохнём! Definitely will be watching this. Good to see you back, Lucas!

[@NN-mr5lw]

It seems it was adapted from a Haruki Murakami's novel! Cool!

[@lucasblue20]

Yeah, lemme know what you think, I feel like you'll have a lot of new insight. And I'm glad to be back! Thanks so much for keeping up!!

[@peterstockdale620]

I noticed that all the non-Japanese actors in the play were from former parts of the Japanese Empire. So I wondered if Oto was the Empire and Yusake is modern Japan full of grief but hankering for magical Japan, even with its dark aspects. They note that Korean is grammatically close to Japanese and it is the woman who speaks through sign language who heals Vanya/Yusake.

[@kaspermigi9456]

I wish I can be as hot as Nishijima Hidetoshi when I’m in my 50s.

[@djagtkmapgm4703]

Murakami "I can never understand a woman" Hamaguchi "She is a developmental disability and she is unique"

[@Rolexsir10]

U fantastically explained it. I had doubt that why she betrayed Her husband by sleeping with someone even she's is deeply in love with her husband. U solved my doubt. Great explaination 👌👌

[@WeeeAffandi]

why did she betray her husband?

[@diyaeldo2883]

@@WeeeAffandi because he couldn't give the type of physical contact she wants after their daughter has died. She needs it so that she can write stories. Her artistic abilities have a connection with it, even though she doesn't keeps any connection with the sexual partners

[@lucasblue20]

@Ra yeah I found it odd at first as well how she still loved him, but as the film went along it seemed very possible that she still loved him very much. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words!!

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

So we should read Yususe as Yuske? I saw how his name is written, but I have no idea why Yususe is Yuske.

[@lucasblue20]

Yeah, I think it's pronounced like "Yus-kay" even though it's spelled "Yusuke." I don't speak the language but I looked up the pronunciation before recording the video. It's kind of like how you pronounce the name "Sasuke" like "Saw-skay" from the show Naruto. That's my best attempt

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

@@lucasblue20 You have a talent for this, you pulled from that film really the essence, and explained that well, very well... I suppose that you make preparations, read about films, and you know about cinematographic art a lot. I am a big cinephile, but, honestly, I didn't watch that film, but according to that what you said, I doubt that I am able to catch all nuances of this, for many, boring film. I know that it is praised, I was reading about the film, I saw what others have to say, but such films are for real cinephiles that can enjoy that art. I hope that you will not understand me wrong, for instance, I think that Satantango is a deep, excellent film, but try to give that to an ordinary mediocre person, that film is 7.5 hours long and most of them will say "what the hell is this p.o.s." because it will go in one ear and went from the other, it is not easy to watch such films, Bergson, Tarkovsky, even Kubrick, Barry Lyndon for many is "boring", they don't realize it is a masterpiece. I wanted to ask you one thing that is bugging me since my early teen days...Uncle Vanya, I am hearing about that play my whole life, and others from Checkov, but especially that one my whole life, and "The Seal" if I am not mistaken, that play named after the bird, I think on R$ussian it is "Чаика„. WHY is that play so important??? I hope I am not taking of your time. I am not an expert, I am in education, but my profession has nothing in common with that, except that I had the subject "Esthetics" at the university. I always wondered why is Uncle Vanya so important...

[@NN-mr5lw]

@@ozymandiasnullifidian5590 There's nothing special about Tchekov (and dare I say boring as hell) if not replaced in the contexte.Tchekhov is at the basis of the renewal of dramatic aesthetics : replacing the main character with a group of characters, the dramatic action evolves in a “choral” manner around small ordinary actions, ordinary life depicted with realism and impartiality. Thus the idea of subtext is essential : what is said contains something other than the sum of the words. Peter Stein (and most of the contamporary mises en scène of Tchekov go in that sense) called his dramaturgy “the dramaturgy of the spiral”: the repetition of events, words or short scenes which are reproduced in their structure and which are distinguished not by what is said but by the way of saying it. Unfortunately, I can't access easily to Drive my car, but I'm very curious to see the aesthetic parallels to Tchekov and also to Murakami. I remember thinking while reading Kafka on the shore that his style was close in feeling to Truman Capote's novels (Music for chameleons) and the japanese concept of iki.

[@吸血姫丼]

I've got a major in Japanese linguistics and have a maybe overly complicated answer, but I like rambling about Japanese phonetics so here I go. The "i" and "u" vowels in Japanese become de-voiced when between two voiceless consonants (voicing is using your "voice box"). So with Yusuke, the second "u" is between an "s" and "k" consonant, both of which are voiceless, therefore, the "u" vowel is de-voiced, making it sound more like Yuske. The same can be seen in his surname, Kafuku. "f" and "k" are voiceless consonants, so the "u" vowel is de-voiced, making it sound like Kafku. Koshi's surname, Takatsuki sounds like Takatski for the same reason, as well as the director, Ryusuke sounding like Ryuske. I don't recall any names in the movie of the same thing happening with the "i" consonant, but an example would be the name Michiko sounding like Michko And yeah this goes beyond names and is a phenomena across all spoken Japanese.

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

@@吸血姫丼 No, it is not overly complicated, thank you for the answer. I saw how the name was written, the first "u" has something above it, I don't know how that is called, I wonder if the writing, I mean writing with Latin letters has anything with pronunciation. My native language is usually written with Cyrillic letters, but it can be, as with most languages written with Latin letters, but we have certain phonemes for whom I have to use Latin diphthongs because there is no suitable letter. Is there some simple rule where the accent falls in the words or it is complicated? In my language, the accent is usually on the third syllable counted from the back of the word. For instance, "во-ДЕ-ни-ца", but where there is an article at the end of the word, we have 3 articles, for instance, most usual, --та, the accent goes back, "во-де--НИ-ца-та", always on the third syllable from the back. Воденица means mill, I used it from the top of my head. And even if some words are smaller, they go together, as in Кисело млеко, which is called "accent unity", and no matter that those are 2 words, the accent goes on the third syllable counted from the back, " ки-се-ЛО-мле-ко„. I am not an expert by no means, by Japanese i somehow a fascinating language, as far as I know, it is a "Language isolate", and I think Korean is such, ant it is very interesting to me, for instance, the problem of differentiating R and L... that is interesting.

[@marinecomponentvandefensie5351]

Wonderful analysis and I fully agree but I’m not sure whether it’s simply the sexual romantic needs that yusukes wife desired, after all she was hoping for her secret to be found out, so she could become a new person (meaning her life needed drastic change and she wanted Yusuke to come along in that change). Also though yusuke thought his needs were satisfied, much like how Vanya sees his wife as the reason he couldn’t be “as big as Schopenhauer” Yusuke also secretly must have blamed his wife for not having a happier more fulfilling life (after all, she didn’t want to have a kid again)

[@sethrogaine]

RICH PEOPLE CAN BE UNHAPPY TOO! WOAH MIND BLOWN! Never thogut about that

[@damianstarks3338]

This is an interesting movie.

[@lucasblue20]

Yeah it's super dense even with its 3-hour length, there's so much to dissect

[@ruff1draft]

It's a great film

[@sethrogaine]

confess? he knew she was sleepy with multiple men. She (wife) would tell him about the story as they made love. He likely knew about her infidelity early on. Would this movie be as celebrated if the genders were reversed if the husband was sleeping with multiple women and the wife was this weight on him?

[@sethrogaine]

would have been a better movie if the car talked to him

[@samialfhaed7422]

Wonderful analysis of a great movie, i share the same view with you about Oto Loving her husband deeply even if she betray his trust. Also at the end of the movie when Misaki told Yûsuke that your wife can love and still seek other men.

[@lucasblue20]

Yeah I’m glad you mentioned that, you’re right, she really does tell Yusuke verbally what you and I believe is the case about his wife. I’m so happy you enjoyed the video, thank you so much!!

[@crobeastness]

please dont compare this to The Power of the Dog. this movie is far better.

[@Truthseeker371]

The original author of this movie is Haruki Murakami. He is widely known both in the Japanese and international novel lovers. Murakami has strong liking to the Northern European and Russian literatures. The politically tumultuous, yet nostalgic time for the glorious Russian Tsar Regime was very emotionally draining and charging to the well to do class. That class sentiments are similar to our time which enjoys the material affluence yet spiritual decadence.

[@TuanLe-oc9te]

Great vid with quality content bro. My heart is broken since this masterpiece haven't won Oscar best picture Btw Takatsuki personally had his own way to cope with Otto's tragic death. He is always yolo-ing and behaving violently, like beating the sh!t out of 2 men who annoyedly took sneaky photos of him. He's seeking empathy by having sex with random women to fulfill the loss Kafuku: Sex isn't the only way to get to know someone. Takatsuki: But some things you can't know unless you do it. Kafuku: Like what? Takatsuki: Like... Otto bruhhh =)))

[@lucasblue20]

It did win Best International Feature Film fortunately! I'm really glad it got recognition at the ceremony because it's so ambitious. And I love your points about Takatsuki, I strongly agree. I think you'll see a lot of similarity in your points to my Part II videos on Saturday! Thanks so much for sharing this!!

[@davidsheriff9274]

Who cares about the Oscars? Citizen Kane didn't even win best picture.