BD 164 Harmonium

Discuss releases by Eureka and Masters of Cinema and the films on them.
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swo17
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BD 164 Harmonium

#1 Post by swo17 » Thu Dec 22, 2016 11:38 am

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: Forthcoming: Harmonium

#2 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Dec 22, 2016 12:54 pm

Great News. If only they could get Happy Hour as well.

tagimaucia
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:24 pm

Re: Forthcoming: Harmonium

#3 Post by tagimaucia » Thu Dec 22, 2016 3:15 pm

Michael Kerpan wrote:Great News. If only they could get Happy Hour as well.
Happy Hour has a distributor (Kimstim) who will presumably put it out at some point

http://www.kimstim.com/happyhour.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: Forthcoming: Harmonium

#4 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Dec 22, 2016 3:40 pm

Not sure that KimStim distribution guarantees any home video release (not a sure thing at all, as far as I can tell).

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rapta
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Re: BD ??? Harmonium

#5 Post by rapta » Tue Feb 28, 2017 1:04 pm

Spine number has been revealed: #164

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Finch
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Re: BD 164 Harmonium

#6 Post by Finch » Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:33 pm

I found this easier to admire than to like or even love: the script, directing and acting are all excellent and it's not entirely without its light or hopeful moments but I thought this still was a massive downer of a film, and the ending in particular felt almost needlessly harsh to me (think Darabont's ending to The Mist). It absolutely is a very good film but not one I want to see again, truth be told.

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dadaistnun
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:31 am

Re: BD 164 Harmonium

#7 Post by dadaistnun » Wed May 06, 2020 11:47 am

I'll largely echo what Finch said three years ago. I knew the basic set up for the plot (what is laid out in the back cover synopsis), but this did not go in the directions I expected. It's depressing as hell, and not something I plan on revisiting for a long time.
SpoilerShow
For the first hour, you would think this was building toward a blackmail/adultery/displace the father of the house scheme. When Asano more or less leaves the film after the incident with the daughter, it shifts to a "parents seeking revenge" lane; but with the reveal of what has actually happened to the daughter -- the viewer having thought that she was certainly dead -- a mood of complete despair takes over. (It's to the film's credit that it doesn't string you along with that false impression regarding the daughter's fate for more than five or ten minutes.) Ultimately this is another story of vengeance crippling those who seek it, complicated by the guilt both parents feel over their connection to the person who has wrecked their lives.

This really is so well written, and all three lead performances are great (so are the girls). Asano pulls of that wary charm so well that the crooked smile Yasaka gives Akie on the bridge near the end is completely chilling.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: BD 164 Harmonium

#8 Post by Michael Kerpan » Wed May 06, 2020 12:22 pm

Thirding Finch and dadaistnun -- Very well made film -- but possibly too depressing to me to warrant a re-visit.

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