Little did I know that what I found would touch me in a very profound way! I am a sucker for simple stories...few lines...strong music...and few special effects (add an animal and you've got me hooked). Yes, I am a guy who admits to liking the movie, "Once." (If you haven't seen it...what are you waiting for! Any movie that was made with 2 Sony Handycams...and less than $150,000...).
Anyway...I saw the preview for a newly released movie titled, "Hachi" (short for Hachiko).
Wow! At the end of most movies I can turn them off...ponder the experience a bit...and move on. For some reason, I can't do that with this one. I lie in bed...and ponder my life. Where I have been...what I have done...what I want to do and where I want to go from here...
Why am I posting this to a blog that is centered around poverty, underdevelopment, and Africa? Well...I don't really know for sure. But...this is what I think. I think partly it is because it has caused me to lose sleep...and I hope that writing my feelings will help me in a few minutes. However, more so I believe that it is an AMAZING example of how very, very big ideas...love, friendship, companionship, loyalty, everlasting bonds...can be told in such a very simple way. The storyline is SO simple...and it is told with very few frills. When effects are used...they are used purely to move the story along, show the passing of time. Simple story, simple editing, simple dialog, strong music...and a very profound, extremely moving experience that causes one to ponder their life.
In our fast food and fast film society I often think that often too much lays on the cutting room floor. I get tired of hearing people say, "oh, that movie is TOO long." In the case of Hachi, I truly believe that too much is left on the cutting room floor. (The movie is about 90 minutes if anyone is wondering). If the story is good...people will watch. This movie should have been 3 hours long...and I wouldn't have left the screen for a second.
No violence, no sex, no guns, no high speed chases, not a single foul word...the simple story was the hook. I can only hope to achieve the same with my upcoming video. Simple...but REAL. And, really moving.
I hope you will watch it. If you do, please don't read reviews or google the story beforehand...there is plenty of time to do so after. Just watch...and prepare yourself. (Here is my one spoiler...you might need some tissue...YES, even you big strong "manly men." Trust me).
Hopefully I can sleep now. But I know that this one will be with me for a long time to come.
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