Book review - "A Pale View of Hills" by Kazuo Ishiguro

It did not take me long to realize that I had made the wrong choice of the book “A Pale View of Hills” as the one following “The Remains of the Day” on my reading list. By comparison, it is inferior to the latter in its content and linguistic appeal. There is no surprise at all, though, as it is Kazuo Ishiguro’s very first novel.

I won't say I don’t enjoy the reading. But the pleasure from the perusal must have somehow been affected by the Japanese elements that pervade the entire story - the Japanese names, the frequent exchange of bows, and whatnot - which I find a bit exotic in an English novel. 

The frequent use of long conversations serves, I think, to enhance the reader's understanding of the background of the story. From the exchange of words between father and son, we learn about the generation gap in the wake of the bombing of Nagasaki and the subsequent increase of the American influences on the youths. The writer mentions repeatedly the couple's divided opinions about the election of a political candidate, which was unknown to the Japanese culture prior to the arrival of the Americans. What happened to a Japanese woman and her daughter also hints at the tendency towards intermarriages and emigration to the United States. The author is intent on impressing the reader with this part of the Japanese history. Aside from these details, however, there are few focuses of dramatic interest.

The one I’ve read is a New York Times publication. On the book cover the name of the author is highlighted with the phrase “Author of the Remains of the Day”. Though the need for the borrowed fame is understandable, “A Pale View of Hills” is itself the winner of the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize.

Perhaps it would be fairer if I would not bother to compare the two books or if the comparison serves only to encourage me with the truth that diligence pays, for Kazuo Ishiguro has made amazing improvement since his first novel.

“A right time" – movie review

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There is a time for everything. This concept, implied in a Bible quote beginning with the verse "To everything there is a season", is the theme for the movie "A right time" (有時), one of a series named “Macau Stories”.

Though the concept may imply that life is decided by forces beyond our control, it does not set a sad tone for the movie. Quite on the contrary, what happens to the three main characters shows how people, and, in this case, Macau people, respond to inevitable situations with a come-what-may attitude and with the readiness to make the best move when the right time comes.

Ah Ming, for example, decides to clear up the mess in his home. This somehow symbolizes his realization that it is time to organize his hitherto disorderly lifestyle. An old woman, Ah Ming’s neighbour and also his mother’s friend before her death, understands that the time has come for her to prepare herself for life in a care home though she is still in good shape. A teenage girl, seemingly hanging around doing nothing serious, finally grows into a mature lady, thus suggesting that the right thing happens at the right time.

This story, simple but refreshing, weaves through the three characters and brings them together at certain moments of their lives. What causes their paths to cross is their shared interest in photography. Their interaction throughout the story appeals to the viewers with the fun of photo-taking. With the camera in hand, they spread cheer to people around them. Apparently, photography is of central importance in the movie, which starts with a few snapshots and ends with an exhibition displaying those taken by the teenage girl in replacement of the old woman’s lost ones. What is the link between photography and the main concept about the inevitability of life’s realities? Could it be the director’s intention to show that though there seems little we can do to decide about the time when something happens, we can, with the help of the camera, capture the moment while it still lasts?

And the three characters are fascinating on their own. Despite his nonchalant personality, Ah Ming is actually a very caring person. He pays regular visits to his mother’s tomb and looks inside through the gate every time he walks past the old woman’s home. The lovely smile on the old woman’s lined face makes one think that there is nothing scary about ageing. And I take great delight in the very careful description of the young girl’s fondness for her idol, the photographer, whom she addresses as “Ah Sir”. She would sit hidden in a quiet corner watching Ah Ming arranging the bouquet on the tomb and later go and trim the stalks with a prepared knife. She would even try to detect his presence at home by looking up at the lighted window.

It being one of the Macau stories, there is reference to some of the city’s changes since the Handover. This inspires us to reflect on the Bible quote from a broader perspective: there is a time for the end of an administration and a time for the beginning of another. 

There is also frequent appearance of a Macau landmark and its vicinity. I marvel at a touch of humour in the word choice for the label of a photo of this landmark displayed at the exhibition mentioned above. It is “Neither 3 Nor 4”, which is of a very interesting meaning if interpreted in Cantonese (不三不四). To find out which landmark this is referred to and why, you can come to watch this movie and the other four of the series.

Reflections on the movie "Passing Rain"

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Language teachers sometimes ask their students to tell a story about a given picture to encourage creative and associative thinking. When presented a picture such as the one above, can you come up with any story ideas? Not easy, is it? That was how I felt when offered this postcard at the entrance to the filming room. Could any link be established among such images as a clown, a man holding an unlighted cigarette, a boy in a raincoat, a battery, a ring and a bitten apple? But these, as I later found out, are the very small yet important details that make up the story of “Passing Rain”, a movie I enjoy very much.

There are scattered shots in the movie that may be a bit puzzling in the beginning when the viewers are still unfamiliar with the various characters and scenes. For example, the driver who keeps trying to light a cigarette is suddenly seen to be playing the guitar with a hand bandaged. When and how did he sustain the injury? Outside the funeral home, a tall girl offers to help a lady seemingly suffering from pain due to her pregnancy. Whose funeral has the girl just attended? A child in high spirits throws a battery up to the sky murmuring something about a space-shuttle soaring. Will the battery fall and hurt him? The scene changes before we even have time to harbour any doubt. As shown on the above mentioned postcard, there seem to be puzzle pieces waiting to be put together to form the complete picture.

As the story proceeds, however, the doubts clarify themselves one by one. The rotten apple picked up intentionally from the forgotten corner of the house signifies a mended relationship. The fall of the battery has indeed caused an injury, without resulting in a tragedy, though. The man’s wedding ring that ends up on another woman’s necklace may be a symbol of the latter’s determination to bid farewell to a rotten lifestyle. The related incidents are thus not all presented in chronological order. This is perhaps what makes the movie appealing especially for viewers who prefer films that go in strange and unexpected directions.

Albeit the characters may be strangers to one another, their paths cross. And on several occasions, it is a passing rain shower that brings them together. One such occasion is when the pretty woman from the mainland is seeking shelter from the rain at a church entrance while a few kids in yellow raincoats are guided in a queue down the street. Among them there is the lovely boy with his toy space-shuttle. The shots are, in fact, very well organized and presented to achieve the desired effect. And it is also clear how passing rain serves to establish connective links, hence the choice of the movie name.

The movie mirrors the reality of life in our city. What happens in it may actually be everyday occurrences in the vicinity of our home or workplace. We may take no heed of them just as we tend to be heedless of the passing rain. And, while there seems not much to expect from living in a city like ours, this is a movie with a lot of pleasant surprises right to the very end. It is a very good movie worth my enthusiastic recommendation. And I, in particular, appreciate the short positive message that comes after the closing credit roll. So be sure to remain seated till then.