Review of Norwegian Wood (2010) by Ryan H — 14 May 2011

Norwegian wood has a rough start. It seems like Anh Hung Tran loved the book so much that he didn't know what could be taken out, so he tries to summarize the beginning of the book. This being said, it's great for the people who love the book, but to the people who have never read the book I can see it being confusing. He doesn't really establish the relationship between Kizuki, Naoko, and Watanabe very well, but as the film progresses the audience begins to understand. That might be the way Tran wanted to tell the story, but I didn't think it was effective seeing as the audience wants to be emotional by the death. Once we get to know the characters, Tran sucks us in. My eyes were glued to the screen. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to know what the characters were thinking and feeling. Rinko Kinkuchi tore me apart. She does an excellent job making the audience love her, but at the same time be cautious of what she will do to Watanabe. Every single shot of the film is a piece of art. I couldn't believe my eyes while watching it. The camera knows when to follow the characters for a long period of time, or the editor knows when to throw in a jump cut. Tran picks out the most important parts of Murakami's novel to keep the film focused. What is love? Is it any different from the physical acts that we do with another person? Or is that even a part of it? Can you love only one person your entire life? After Kizuki kills himself, Naoko goes crazy. She becomes so depressed that after Watanabe mentions Kizuki's name after they make love Naoko sends herself to a rehabilitation center. Watanabe tries to shuffle the two women in his life, not sure what to do with himself. I love the way Tran does the scene with Reiko singing Norwegian Wood to Naoko and Watanabe. It's just the way I imagined it in my mind. However, with there being so much characterization in the book, it's hard to carry all of it over to the film. I wonder what people will think of Nagasawa? He seems underdeveloped to me, but that might be because I know the full story. Kizuki has a great scene in the movie, and I thought Tran brought her in for the perfect amount of time. She is much heavier in the book, but she doesn't need to be in the film. The dinner scene is just as emotional as the one in the book.

**SPOILERS**.

I also love the way it shows Watanabe taking Kizuki back to her home. She leans her head on his shoulder, and in a voiceover we hear that she will one day leave Nagasawa and marry another man and have a family, but will kill herself. She will kill herself because she was truly in love with Nagasawa and can't be with anyone else. This mirrors Naoko in the end when we find her hanging from a tree. The music in this scene is intense. Watanabe puts himself at the edge rough waves beating against giant rocks while he cries out in pain. I expected soft, overbearing music to make me want to cry, but instead it thrashes in anger. The world is rough and will go its own way no matter what you try to do. The scene with Midori and Watanabe standing outside in the snow is perfectly done. The camera slowly moves closer as we look at them in profile as they slowly come to explain their love for each other. Really, the story is perfect and it's told in an interesting way. I'm just not sure if I like the style or not, but I definitely want to watch it again.