The youth complex is probably the obsession of all people with warm blood and feelings. Youth is revealed in the intermingling of light and shadow, or one-sided or universal, revealing her face. Japanese director Shunji Iwai gives back the feelings that youth should have in his own way.
With the development of the new film movement in Japan, a large number of young directors emerged in Japan in 1990, the most representative of which was Shunji Iwai.
(/ Shunji Iwai)
Before becoming a professional director, Shunji Iwai shot several short films for Fuji Television in Japan. He has completed many film and television works such as "Ghost Soup" (1992), "Nameless Zone" (1993), "Fireworks" (1994) and so on.
"During that time, I was still exploring a film language that suited me, and almost all of my works paid attention to the living conditions of the underclass in Japan, trying a realistic style, but also an exaggerated and grotesque style." It now seems that this experience of shooting TV movies has had a lot of impact on Shunji Iwai's films, especially the transformation, in his own words, "In the seven-year adjustment period, I did not leave the film industry too far." The original shooting experience keeps popping up in my mind. ”
In 1995, Shunji Iwai caused a sensation throughout Japan with his film debut "Love Letters".
(Photo/Movie "Love Letter")
"Shooting a youth romance film can give people the strength to keep people in a fresh and moist state." In fact, I hope that this state can be maintained for a long time. ”
Shunji Iwai is very good at describing and portraying, and the feelings of crush and the throbbing of young boys and girls are fully revealed in the movie "Love Letters". "Love Letters" is also a very regrettable love story; perhaps the harder to get love, the more unique the attraction. "I like the delicate narrative style, which is probably my delicate palm print in the film industry. Many times, life is like a very ordinary fruit. You can only discover its unique charm by cutting it open and then looking closely with a magnifying glass. For me, the camera is that magnifying glass. ”
It is also said that Shunji Iwai is a director who thinks with a female mind.
(Photo/ Movie "April Story")
In April Story, Shunji Iwai reveals the heroine's desire for love and timidity. It is impossible not to marvel at the fact that a male director can create a work so close to the heart of a young girl. When asked if the reason why the work is so delicate is because he has a similar experience of young feelings, Iwai Shunji laughs and denies it. "My first love happened in elementary school, no holding hands, no confession, a pure unrequited love." In fact, this state is the norm for most people! In this state, it is straightforward and pure, and it is also a painting style that Shunji Iwai has no one can match.
The film dream of an 18-year-old began with a movie called "Keiko".
(Photo/ Movie "Flowers and Alice")
After watching this movie, Shunji Iwai fell in love with the movie, and joined the film club in advance in his junior year of high school, staying for six years. During this period, he moved home machines and equipment that were not used and independently shot more than ten short films. "I like to write poetry, I write novels, I like music, I like painting, and for me, film is something that brings these interests together. That's why I chose to make a movie. ”
Shunji Iwai, who is always young, is ignited by interest and grows up with his work. If Iwai Shunji is labeled as an absolutely small and fresh, it is really biased.
(Photo/ Movie "Swallowtail Butterfly")
1996's "Swallowtail Butterfly" can be said to be a landmark work of Shunji Iwai. The youth he shows people is no longer clear and beautiful, but cruel and resolute. Although youth should be full of beauty and hope, but this is not what everyone can expect to get, growing up after despair and capturing the moment of breaking the cocoon into a butterfly is also what Iwai wants to convey. Just like the "chrysanthemum and sword" in Japanese culture, beauty and cruelty are intertwined, pouring out an extreme and sharp moving.
2001's "All About Lily Week" hit reality and touched the entire Japanese middle school community, with a broad vision. But the production does not lose his usual delicacy and delicacy, and its influence is not under "Love Letters".
(Photo/ Movie "All About Lily Week")
"Before filming 'All About Lily Week', in order to gather the most authentic information, I spent a lot of time diving at major high school student forums in Japan to learn about the hot topics that teenagers were most concerned about at that time, as well as their online language. The results shocked me. Shunji Iwai incorporated his pre-investigation into the film. As a result, people saw the real and unknown side of the life of Japanese high school students - school violence, aid communication, music, friendship... "The people in the film should still be living their lives. They should have changed a lot in the last decade. So, I left room for the audience to imagine in the film. Speaking of this topic, Shunji Iwai frowned, "At that time, their lives were very dark, and whenever I thought about their future, I would be very sad and worried." ”
"I'm not a talented director, I went through a lot of failures before I slowly developed a love of movies. Until now, when I write the script, I am always worried that these things will become dusty cassettes and unattended when they are made into film. I don't think you can make the best movie with all your life. ”
Shunji Iwai uses a unique rational thinking to constantly understand himself and constantly adjust his posture. Unique beauty is a height that others cannot imitate. The answer of youth is left to the eternally young people to answer.