- Norwegian Wood (film)
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Norwegian Wood 
Promotional posterDirected by Tran Anh Hung Produced by Chihiro Kameyama
Shinji OgawaScreenplay by Tran Anh Hung Based on Norwegian Wood by
Haruki MurakamiStarring Kenichi Matsuyama
Rinko Kikuchi
Kiko MizuharaMusic by Jonny Greenwood
CanCinematography Mark Lee Ping Bin Editing by Mario Battistel Distributed by Toho Release date(s) September 2, 2010 (Venice)
December 11, 2010 (Japan)Running time 133 minutes Country Japan Language Japanese Box office $18,991,080[1] Norwegian Wood (ノルウェイの森 Noruwei no mori) is a Japanese drama film directed by Tran Anh Hung, based on Haruki Murakami's novel of the same name. The film was released in Japan on 11 December 2010.[2]
Contents
Plot
Toru Watanabe is a quiet and serious young man in 1960s Tokyo whose personal life is in tumult, having lost his best friend Kizuki after he inexplicably commits suicide. Seeking an escape, Toru enters a university in Tokyo. By chance, during a walk in a park, Toru meets Kizuki's ex-girlfriend Naoko, and they grow close. Naoko is devastated by the loss of Kizuki, however, and spirals into a deep depression.[3]
After Naoko's 20th birthday, which she shares with Toru, she withdraws from the world and leaves for a sanitarium in a remote forest setting near Kyoto. Toru is anguished by the situation, as he still has deep feelings for Naoko, but she is unable to reciprocate. He also lives with the influence of death everywhere, while Naoko feels as if some integral part of her has been permanently lost. He continues with his studies, and during the spring semester meets an attractive girl and fellow student Midori, who is everything that Naoko isn't — outgoing, vivacious, and supremely self-confident. The story then follows Toru as he is torn between the two women in his life, and choosing between his past and his future.
Cast
- Ken'ichi Matsuyama as Watanabe
- Rinko Kikuchi as Naoko
- Kiko Mizuhara as Midori
- Tetsuji Tamayama as Nagasawa
- Kengo Kora as Kizuki
- Reika Kirishima as Reiko Ishida
- Eriko Hatsune as Hatsumi
- Shigesato Itoi as the Professor
- Haruomi Hosono as the Record Shop Manager
- Yukihiro Takahashi as the Gatekeeper
Release
This film first debuted in the 67th Venice International Film Festival where it competed for the Golden Lion. [4] It was then subsequently released in Japanese cinemas on December 11, 2010. [2]
Europe
In UK, it was released on March 11, 2011,[5] while in Russia, it was released under the name of Норвежский лес on 16 December 2010. [6]
Reception
Critical reception
The Daily Telegraph said that director Tran Anh Hung was "brave to attempt (to) bring Haruki Murakami's 1987 novel to the big screen" but mentioned that "the film comes across as a mere summary of Murakami’s book".[7]
Accolades
Film Festival Date of ceremony Category Participants/Recipients Result 67th Venice International Film Festival [4] 2 September 2010 Golden Lion Norwegian Wood Nominated 35th Toronto International Film Festival [8] 9 September 2010 Special Presentations Norwegian Wood Participant 7th Dubai International Film Festival [9] 12 December 2010 Muhr Asia Africa Norwegian Wood Nominated Muhr Asia Africa Best Composer Jonny Greenwood Won 5th Asian Film Awards [10] 21 March 2011 Best Actress Rinko Kikuchi Nominated Best Cinematography Mark Lee Ping-bin Won Best Costume Design Yen-khe Luguern Nominated Soundtrack
The score for this film's soundtracks was composed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. [11] The original soundtrack disc for this film was released on 10 November 2010.[12]
Track list:[11]
No. Translation Japanese title Romanization 1. "Bit About Yourself, You Want to Properly" もう少し自分のこと、きちんとしたいの Mō sukoshi jibun no koto, kichinto shitai no 2. "Meadows, Wind, Groves" 草原、風、雑木林 Sōgen, Kaze, Zōkibayashi 3. Mary, Mary, So Contrary Mary, Mary, So Contrary 4. "Since I'll Come to See You Again" また会いに来るからね Mata ai ni kurukara ne 5. "Don't Read Things That Have Not Had the Baptism of Time" 時の洗礼を受けていないものを読むな Toki no senrei o ukete inai mono o yomu na 6. "Reiko" レイコ "Reiko" 7. "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" "Bring Me Coffee or Tea" 8. "Naoko Has Died" 直子が死んだ Naoko ga shinda 9. "Shut Up Like a Good Boy" いい子だから黙ってて Ii ko dakara damattete 10. "I Walked About Aimlessly" あてもなく歩き回った Atemonaku arukimawatta 11. "Quarter Tone Bloom" クォーター・トーン・ブルーム Kwōtā tōn burūmu 12. "Don't Turn the Light On, Leave Me Alone" "Don't Turn the Light On, Leave Me Alone" 13. "When You Take Me, Take Only Me" 私をとるときは私だけをとってね Watashi o toru toki wa watashi dake o totte ne 14. "Hearing Things" 激しい幻聴 Hageshii genchō References
- ^ "Noruwei no mori (Norwegian Wood) (2010)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&wk=2011W30&id=_fNORUWEINOMORINO01. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Nippon Cinema (Norwegian Wood Trailer)". © 2006-2010 Nippon Cinema. http://www.nipponcinema.com/trailers/norwegian-wood-trailer. Retrieved 2010-12-22.
- ^ "Fuji TV site". Fuji Televison Network, Inc.. http://www.fujitv.co.jp/en/s_window/mp.html#2. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ a b "Venezia 67". labiennale.org. http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/festival/lineup/off-sel/venezia67/. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ Adams, Mark (5 March 2011). "Beautiful Japanese romantic drama Norwegian Wood". Mirror.co.uk. Mirror.co.uk. http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertainment/film/film-reviews/mark-adams/2011/03/05/beautiful-japanese-romantic-drama-norwegian-wood-115875-22968731/. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "Film.ru". film.ru. http://www.film.ru/afisha/movie.asp?code=NORWD. Retrieved 2011-04-22. (Russian)
- ^ Sandhu, Sukhdev (March 10, 2011). "Norwegian Wood, review". Telegraph Media Group Limited. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8373820/Norwegian-Wood-review.html. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ "Toronto International Film Festival Website". tiff.net. http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/norwegianwood. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
- ^ "Dubai International Film Festival Website". Dubai International Film Festival. http://www.dubaifilmfest.com/index.php/en/movie_details/norwegian-wood/9061/2010/1_a-n_i-223. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
- ^ "5th AFA Nominees by Film". asianfilmawards.asia.. http://www.asianfilmawards.asia/2011/5th-nominees-and-winners/5th-afa-nominees-winners-by-film/#film16. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
- ^ a b "Cdjapan". Neowing. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=SICP-2900. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
- ^ "Amazon.com, Inc". Amazon.com, Inc.. http://www.amazon.co.jp/ノルウェイの森-オリジナル・サウンドトラック-サントラ/dp/B00409HC3K/ref=pd_sim_b_2. Retrieved 2011-03-04.(Japanese)
External links
- Official website Japan Official Site (Japanese)
- Official website UK Official Site
- Official website Russian Official Site (Russian)
- Norwegian Wood at the Internet Movie Database
- Norwegian Wood (film) at Rotten Tomatoes
Films directed by Tran Anh Hung 1990s The Scent of Green Papaya (1993) • Cyclo (1995)2000s The Vertical Ray of the Sun (2000) • I Come with the Rain (2009)2010s Norwegian Wood (2010)Categories:- 2010 films
- Japanese films
- Japanese-language films
- 2010s drama films
- Japanese drama films
- Films set in the 1960s
- Films set in Tokyo
- Films directed by Tran Anh Hung
- Films based on novels
- Coming-of-age films
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