Shall We Dance?

 

The American version and Japanese version of the movie “Shall We Dance?” are same in the storyline but quite different in the context and settings. The Japanese version was directed by Masayuki Suo in 1996 in Japan. Kouji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, and Naoto Takenaka star in the movie. The American version was re-made and directed by Peter Chelsom in 2004. Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, and Sarandon star in the movie. Common in both movies, Shouhei or John has his family and bought their house, but he is a very serious guy and has nothing to do beside work. He finds ballroom dancing club and signs it up. However, this is not what men do at that time and people would laugh at the men. Through the club, he finds joy and happiness, changing his life.

I first watched the Japanese one and later the other one, and compare them, which was very interesting to me. Settings of in the movies are different: cityscape, restaurant, etc. Personalities and behavior of each character in the movies are different from each other. To me, there is always something difficult for another to express but easy for the other. In the last part of the dance competition of the Japanese one, Toyoko, a Shouhei’s dance partner, gets shamed in front of all audience and made me laugh a lot. But, there is no same scene in the American version. These movies are different in some parts and each of them has their own good points. Moreover, each character of the American one is more emotional than that of the Japanese one to me. That is one of the big differences I think of.

Of course tastes differ. However, honestly, I prefer the Japanese version because to me this is more unique than the other. I think the Japanese one shows us Japanese old style of people’s life and culture, which is quite different from the present time and very nostalgic too.

 

Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot was a British drama film, directed by Stephen Daldry in 2000 and written by Lee Hall. Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot, Julie Walter as Sandra Wilkson, Jamie Draven as Tony Elliot, and Gary Lewis as Jackie Elliot start in the movie.

The period in the movie is economically unstable, and many mine workers launch strikes.

 At this period, ballet dancers were not something men want to be or not what men do. This was considered as something girls preferred to do. However, Billy wants to be a ballet dancer and his father denies him to do. Nevertheless, he is getting obsessed with it and his passion toward the ballet dance never disappears. Because of his gift for it, people around him raise money and take him to London for dance audition for Royal Ballet School. He thought he failed the audition, he is accepted to enter the school, and leave home.

I saw very strong passion toward the bullet dance in him. He is refused to continue the bullet dance but his passion is so intense that he does not give up, changing his life. I saw some similarities in Billy Elliot and Shall We Dance? In both, dance is not considered as something men prefer to do, but they become so obsessed with it that they find happiness and joy of life through dance and their life becomes brighter. Most of the cases, women rather than men tend to assert the difference between what women are allowed to do and what men are allowed to do. However, Billy Elliot and Shall We Dance? are the opposite case where what men usually don’t do is focused. This is very interesting and new to me. Focusing on different areas always attracts me. 

Rize

 

 

Rize, directed by David LaChapella in 2005, is a documentary movie of African dancing. Lil’ C, Tommy the Clown, and Miss Prissy star in this movie. This movie is about new dance that is famous for krumping and clowing. If you watch them dancing in the movie, you will soon notice that their facial expressions are very intense, their dancing is quite powerful, many of them are nonprofessionals and some of them are just kids. Thomas Johnson thought having fights or run-ins with cops were a dead end, so he started doing something special or unusual. He started performances with very whimsical and showy makeup. And, many people began to intimate him. Finally, they decided to participate in a dance battle called the Battle Zone at the Great Western Forum in 2004. Now, Krumping is a creative competitive sport. I think their dancing is very powerful and impressive and they look proud of themselves. What is very impressive and good is that most of the dancers are not professionals, and some are kids. They look very confident and powerful when they dance in their own style. Their dancing looks violent in some ways, but I feel their passion toward their life and they show us what they are by dancing as a group.