18 February 2007

Mr. Children's Hero (ヒーロ、2002)



In my ongoing investigation into the work of Tomoyasu Murata, I discovered that he re-edited the short film Shiro no michi (White Road, 2003) into a music video for the popular J-pop band Mr. Children (aka Misuchiru). It was a strange experience to watch the images accompanied by a pop ballad, when the original film is much more quiet and reflective. At least it gives you an idea about the look of his films, as they are not available on DVD outside of Japan as far as I can tell. The song "Hero" was released in December 2002 and was a number one hit for the band.

 

Shiro no michi belongs to a series of films about a pianist. In this film he recalls two losses he experienced in childhood: the loss of a childhood friend who moves away, and the death of a puppy the two friends found together. The full-grown dog in the video seems to be the living spirit of the puppy that died. Let me know what you think.


© Catherine Munroe Hotes 2007