Re: [Lingo] もにのあわる

["tangerine TANGERINE" <tangerine.jp@example.com>]

Hi guyz

Firt time I join a discussion ^^; I'm Zuco's gf. I think you are
talking about these concepts ^^;  I hope I can answer to Steven his
question... My answer is a lil bit loooong ^^;

小津安次郎の「晩春」is related to→
侘び／寂び
or wabi/sabi (simplicity and elegance)
泡末夢幻
houmatumugen (ephimeral)
ものの哀れ
mono no aware (emptiness of things)

Wabi means sth like  a type of simple, austere type of beauty, like
those you find in haiku or the sado (tea ceremony) It is a quality of
loneliness, sadness. It is being calm, quite into a austere state of
mind.
Sabi reffers to loneliness, resignation, tranquillity, arriving to the
old age with a sadness for ancient times.

Wabi comes from the verb "wabu" . You can find this into the Manyoshuu
(a collection of ten thousand leaves) which is the oldest collection
of poems in Japan. People here were relating their pains in
non-returned love. During Heian, wabi was refered to desolation of
love, disappointed feelings of people who deplored their misfortune.
After Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it also related to
"aesthetics".
I dunno if you can picture the feeling here, but it is sth like,
watching sakura You have the blossoms, and suddenly they are gone, and
with them all beauty you knew just a moment before, but at the same
time, it is so beautiful, and this feeling is something that only you
can understand, within yourself. Your neighbor might not grasp you.
That's why this concept is also related to "ephimeral" 泡末夢幻
Wabi is aesthetics, time fading out, and the beauty of all of this.
Wabi is the beautiful sadness of life.

Sabi is more related to the beauty and silence of growing old. You
find a word japanese use a lot →　寂しい Sabishii ^^; This adjective comes
from this word. It expresses quietude, loneliness and the beauty of
antiquity. You find this word in the Manyoushuu, where is used to
describe a lonely state of mind or the desolation of nature. (You find
it also into Matsuo Basho's poems)

So, these two concepts joined together. Wabi/sabi can be found in
poetry, the ceremony of tea, classic japanese films, zen koans,
shodo... Almost anything which is art related. This concept is related
to the "ephimeral" as I told before. But it is also connected to the
"NOTHINGNESS".  Or the mono no aware ものの哀れ　(the emptiness of things)
You find it easily in these two poems

"Everything exists in emptiness:
flowers,
the moon in the sky,
beautiful scenary".

"As I look afar
I see neither cherry blossoms
Nor tinted leaves
Only a modest hut on the coast
In the dusk of autumn nightfall"

Wabi/sabi has almost faded with materialism. You can see that in the
film. While "old" is trying to make survive some of the traditions,
you have some cocacola advertisings around. Its a film about whats
gonna happen with the next generation while expressing it with a
beauty and feeling that most actual japanese film makers cannot .
Traditionally Japan has rejected the "apparent beauty" of things,
giving more emphasis on what you cannot see "the emptiness", and what
is easily gone, like the ephimeral (like those buddhist mandalas monks
do during weeks, look for a while and destroy them afterwards).
Japanese used to life simple lives free from materialism, but after
the IIWW things changed (you can c that in the film). But also,
Japanese have a kind of taste on the sadness of life, and thats
beautiful for them. (It is really disappearing? Just think about what
you see while you walk on the streets, you can see easily what has
already disappeared...)

I hope I answered you in a way.

Pepi


On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 6:56 AM, Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com> wrote:
> On 04/04/2008, steven smith <sjs@example.com> wrote:
>
>  > Many of the Japanese films seem [to be imbued with a tragic sense of life] to me.
>
> > The classics that pop to mind are Kurasawa's "7 Samurai" and Ozu's "Late
>  > Spring" and "Tokyo Story"
>
>  For the anti-pattern, try Kurosawa's "Ikiru". It is not for everyone,
>  but I enjoyed it thoroughly.
>
>
>  > Even comedies like Ramen tend to end on a sad note.  Maybe I'm just used to
>  > American films where there is almost always a happy ending.
>
>  I find that a lot of non-Hollywood-system films tend to have endings
>  that are more natural to the story. Any ending that ties up all the
>  loose ends neatly in 15 minutes almost certainly kills the story
>  (which is why the end to LOTR is so long and bittersweet).
>
>  You want a well-done films with happy yet natural endings, try
>  Miyazaki's stuff on for size.
>
>  --
>  Cheers,
>  Josh
>
>
>
>  --
>  To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
>  please see the instructions at http://www.tlug.jp/list.html
>



-- 
Tangerine