Floating Clouds

Hayashi Fumiko wrote the novel Floating Clouds, which is a long novel and also the last novel of her. She was a novelist and poet who had a hard life, but she never gives up on writing. it is attractive and impressive.

              The main character of Floating Clouds is a woman whose name is Koda Yukiko. She went to work at French Indochina during the war, and met a man named Tomioka, who she fell in love with. However, it was an affair between and it was an unethical thing even though Yukiko really loved him. After the war, Tomioka returned to his wife, but he did not cut off his connection with Yukiko. It seems that Yukiko always knows Tomioka has wife but she still can not stopping love him. Tomioka never stopped torturing her, and he even fell in love with someone else while Yukiko was pregnant, so she had to do abortion. I hate the man so much while I was reading this part because that was not only the mental destruction but also the damage of Yukiko’s health.

What never change is Yukiko loves Tomioka and she does not hide her feeling at all. Readers might think she is a fool and they do not understand her thoughts and behavior, but I think that’s what woman will do when they love someone so much. Yukiko might be a little crazy, but she is understandable. She always follows her heart and does not care about other factors, which makes me admire her courage.

Nevertheless, Tomioka is very different from Yukiko. His love is not as purely as Yukiko’s, and his love depends on the social environment. Tomioka is selfish and he is always affected by other factors, which means he has inconstant love. He also “controls” Yukiko by using her obsession.

The writer Hayashi Fumiko expresses her thoughts and opinions of the difference between men and women. Women are passive in the relationship because they pay out too much on love, so that women’s love are persistent and selfless. According to Fumiko, men’s affections are unstable and selfish.

Stella Dallas : Character Arc

The film Stella Dallas (1937) touches upon many themes including the stereotypes behind motherhood and the patriarchal influences on the family. It's a thin line where culture and melodrama can come together to depict stories of heartbreak, loss, and sacrifice, as seen in the film.
As an example for this, I'd like to focus on Stella's character arc and the way we experience it from beginning to end using two moments from the film. We know Stella must get out of her daughter's life in order to help her be a part of high class society, but we must not forget that this is what Stella wants for herself before any of the sacrifice for her daughter comes into play.

     Towards the beginning of the film we see Stella at a ball, chatting and dancing away amidst the high class society she so very much wants to be a part of. When other people joke with her about her relationship with the people sitting at the table (her husband) being one of "simply business partners", Stella doesn't jump out to defend her own husband but instead she laughs as if she heard the funniest joke on the planet. All of this is her direct attempt to fit in with everyone at the party and hopefully start going up the social ladder. All of this is presented with laughs, cheers, and a dance scene where the main thing is seeing Stella in her desired element. 

In direct contrast to the party sequence, by the end, we see Stella at the climax of her emotional point, literally behind bars. It's a visual representation of how apart she now is from the life she desired so much. The story presents this moment as her daughter is getting married and finally entering the high class society Stella sacrificed so much for, yet gained little to nothing from, if you limit it to her personal benefits. Whether she walks away satisfied or unhappy with the resolution, Stella's dream changes throughout the film and makes the transition from hopeful to hopeless - all which is carefully constructed in the visual storytelling of the film, as seen in the two stills presented. 

“Washington Square” by Lily Mars

“Washington Square” written by Henry James in 1880, is in many ways a typical melodramatic story, however, when analyzing each character, it becomes apparent that the story is unconventional in many ways as well. James tells the story of a wealthy man, Dr. Sloper, and his daughter and heroine of the story, Catherine. The plot is set in New York City, in the middle of the 19th century; a time when it could be considered dangerous to be a young woman like Catherine, as she is on the threshold of being an old maid. Catherine is very sweet, plain, and dull, in part due to the neglect she receives from her father who is forever bitter because of the death of his wife. It becomes apparent that there are a few ways in which family tragedy are demonstrated in this story, yet another classic melodramatic theme. It appears that each family member feels betrayed by the other in one way or another, creating a complex mix of emotions. There is no doubt that this story should be categorized as a melodrama, as it aims to induce multiple emotions at once, making it memorable and highly regarded, still today.

When Catherine falls in love with a man for the first time, her father is suspicious that his intentions are to only marry for her money, not because he loves her. Catherine refuses to believe that Morris would do such a thing and betrays her father by pursuing him anyway. I enjoyed this aspect of the book because typically, stories are told about a woman playing with a man’s affections for their money, but here it is apparently the other way around— the man is the gold digger. I like the unconventionality in the story, but overall I did not love the story because the protagonist's character is vey different from what appeals to me. It is not unusual for girls to be shy or passive in the 19th century, especially considering the lack of love she received from her father, but in my opinion, I appreciate female characters who fight for what they want and who go against the current that life is leading them down if it is not the direction they want to go in. I did enjoy Catherine’s character development, as she does learn a lot throughout the book, and demonstrates maturity as the story goes on.

Henry James makes judgements of Balzac’s views, but also demonstrates an acceptance of them. In Peter Brooks account, he discusses the Jamesian definition of romance and highlights many of the ways in which his work can be found basic to melodrama: the confronted power of evil and goodness, the sense of hazard and clash, the intensification and heightening of experience corresponding to dream and desire “(James, 155). He goes further to insist that “Balzac’s imagination alone did the business.” I find James’ concern for the definition of “the romantic,” to be quite intriguing. He expresses that romance cannot truly be defined, rather it’s something that can be interpreted differently by each individual as it is unique to our own “circuit of thought and desire.” Considering that “Washington Square” explores the moral dualisms of romance vs. family, money vs. love, individual vs. society, etc., it can be said that James succeeded in creating a melodramatic effect. 

支那の夜(China Nights) and Political complexity

支那の夜China Nights:

China nights is a Japanese film released in 1940 by the Manchurian Film Company, directed by Osamu Fushimizu. There are two main characters in this film: Keiran, played by Ri Koran and Hase, played by Haesegawa Kazuo from the Toho Film Company. The main story is about a war time orphan from China, Keiran was helped by a warm hearted Japanese sailor Hase and the love stories that later happened between them. At first, Keiran refused to stay in Hase’s house and hated Japanese, but there was an interesting transition of Keiran’s attitude toward Hase, which led to a love crush on him. Even though everything seemed fine and they got married when they confirmed each others’ willing, it was the war that separated them again. At the end of the movie, because Keiran thought that Hase was already dead on the sea, she intended to commit a suicide and walked into the river. At the same time, Hase showed up and it looked like he ended up just being injured. Then the movie ended in the scene that they were sitting on a little boat traveling through the bridge on the river with back ground theme song “China nights” by Ri Koran.

Speaking of the historical context of this film, I want to mention the second Sino-Japan war in WWII. In 1937, Japan captured Beijing after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, this was also the time point where Japan showed their desire to invade all of China. Then the Mukden Incident happened in 1931, and after that Japan took control of the northeastern three provinces of China and named them Manchuria. By 1939, the war reached a stalemate since Japan couldn't breach the middle part of China because of the precipitous topography. Then on December 7, 1941, Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. 1940 is just in the middle of the war between China and Japan. 

Political Complexity:

This film is not only a simple love story between Japanese and Chinese but a more political propaganda during war time by Japan. The story happened in Shanghai under Japan’s domination.  Even though in this film, Hase and his families were portrayed as friendly and human emotional  contrasting Keiran’s emotion of unfriendly and hate, it was understandable because of that Keiran’s tragedy was caused by Japanese. Her pride couldn't accept a Japanese to have pity on her. The interesting transition happened after Hase slapping on her face. This scene is powerful both on the sense of turning the attitude of Keiran and the sense of implying political massages. Some will argue that this movie is showing Japanese’s “friendship” and their desire of peace. However, on the other side, I think this scene shows Japan’s highest “power” upon China. First of all, in this situation, Keiran was the one who was hurt by Japan’s invasion and stood for the weakness, but Hase slapped her just because she was obeying him. The interesting point is that after Hase slapped her, he seemed really regret and told Keiran to go anywhere she wants. The fact is that there was nowhere that Keiran could go. In the earlier scene where Keiran thought about her families, we can see from the back ground that all buildings were ruined by the war, so did her family. Thus she bagged for forgiveness, holding Hase’s hand and kneeling on the floor. For me this scene is really an irony of Japanese domination of China and political excuse on the war. 

But if we view this film only through the lenses of art of film making, this film is outstanding in showing surrounding environments of characters such as the scene when Keiran was thinking about her family and the reunion scene taken at Suzhou at the end of the film. 

China Nights, Yamaguchi Yoshiko and the Orient

            In her piece Screening Asia, Yiman Wang uses three actresses, Anna May Wong, Yamaguchi Yoshiko and Maggie Cheung to analyze Asia as a geopolitical space, as a region shaped and conceptualized by the West, as a place historic of contestation and union within itself and the world.

            Wang begins by citing Edward Said’s text Orientalism, a discourse that argues that Asia, or the Orient, is both imagined and realized by the West. The imaginaries that the West has constructed of the Orient, whether true or false have shaped the reality of Asia, and thus have shaped interactions and relationships in politics, society, etc. It is this discourse that has determined each actress’s place, however in turn is challenged by her.

            China Nights’ star Yamaguchi Yoshiko symbolized unity within the Asian sphere. Her dual identity of Japanese blood with Chinese experience made her very popular to the public, but also subject to criticism. Her ability to represent multiple Asian cultures was exploited by the Japanese. Wang explains that her power in assimilation enforced a Japanese-centered Pan-Asianism, because she is ultimately Japanese and thus her loyalties must lie there. By perfectly emulating other Asian cultures so well in her roles, she contributes to their “feminization,” their inferiority in comparison to Japan. For such, she has received criticism especially in China Nights where she plays a Chinese woman that falls in love with a Japanese man, even after being slapped by him. The Chinese accuse her of misrepresenting Chinese women and the Japanese accuse her of being too Chinese. Thus, although her identity should be seen as a connection between Asian nations in support of a transnational, cosmopolitan unifying concept, she has been shot down as a propaganda tool by imperial Japan.

            Yamaguchi’s case isn’t just confined to her time period. Today, Asia is still a place of great power struggles, diversity and conflict. It is unfair the criticism she has received by both sides; Yamaguchi represents a growing phenomenon experienced by so many: “third culture kid.” Part of the reason she was able to portray different cultures so well is that it is part of her identity, her personal experiences. Her ethnic background may belong to Japan, but her identity may lie elsewhere or be a combination of things. The overall political conflict within Asia, namely between Japan and China, is thus represented in Yamaguchi. She has not necessarily challenged the Western notion of exoticism in the Orient, but rather has tried to explain to audiences the diversity in the region. However because of the clash between these two cultures, she has not been able shed these notions. Even today, Asia still carries that element of exoticism and is heavily perceived through this Western "oriental" lens.

母の曲 Haha no Kyoku

The film, 「母の曲」, while working from within the same framework as Stella Dallas, recontextualizes the narrative within a Japanese setting and in doing so provides valuable insights into the historical and cultural attitudes of the time.

Oine, far from being the overbearing, histrionic, and smothering influence of Stella in that parallel narrative, is presented as being overmeek-unable to follow her daughter into high society as a function of her propensity to falter at moments where she ought to assert herself as mannered and refined. While Stella relinquishes her hold over Laurel because she knows that she will overpower her attempts at social climbing with her own all-too-evident desperation, Oine's decision to leave her daughter in the hands of the others is based on perceived weakness instead of perceived excess strength.

This dichotomous mirroring of each mother's relationship to the discourses of "strength" is particularly significant in the historical context of both films. Oine's noble choice to allow her daughter to embrace a new life, swept into success on the wings of prestige borrowed from Western classical music (it is perhaps not insignificant that neither the piano and the composer Mendelssohn are Japanese in origin) may reflect the attitudes of the Japanese people as the country began in earnest its march towards nationalization and eventual war. Though Oine's gentleness and nurturing disposition are not necessarily condemned, it is explicitly clear that Keiko has outgrown her caretaker and is ready to step onto a greater stage without anyone to hold her hand.

This is perhaps exemplified in the final scene of the movie, wherein Oine, desolate and inconsolable after witnessing her daughter's wedding as an outsider, is run down by a car. There might be no more a potent metaphor for Westernization's relentless surge forward than the automobile; a vehicle by which the next generation (Keiko and her husband) will travel onward to their new lives together. It is metal and glass--unyielding and unfeeling as it careens into the unwitting Oine and pushes her into the mud. The kindly policeman who comes to her rescue is gentle with her--perhaps he is there as a final consolation to a woman so thoroughly left behind by the world.

However, for all their differences, both mothers in Haha no Kyoku and Stella Dallas, share the same smile at the very end--torn between emotional anguish and beatific joy for their daughters. In this sense, the theme of motherhood comes to the surface in both narratives. What each mother can do to ensure her daughter survives in the world to come may vary between across cultures and times, but the beating heart of both of these melodramas is the idea that this bond of motherhood is both the motivating factor behind these decisions and the very reason that that letting go is so painful.

Seirei no Moribito

Seirei no Morbito (精霊の守り人) is a Japanese drama currently airing on NHK. It is an adaption of the children's novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi. The show is currently in its second season and is produced by NHK Taiga Fantasy.

Usual examples of melodrama all seem to be realistic-fiction, stories from the world the author or creator currently inhabits. They reflect current social upheaval and changes and focus on relationships. Though Seirei no Morbito is set in a fantasy world, I believe it still has some melodramatic aspects.

The plot may revolve around spirits, but the core of the series is the main character Balsa. Balsa is a wandering bodyguard. The reason why she pursues this line of work is embedded in her past and revolves around her adoptive-father. In Season 1, Balsa is forced to take on a job guarding Chagum, a royal prince, from assassination attempts by his own father. Other characters are introduced including Tanda, Balsa's childhood friend, Torogai, Tanda's teacher, Shuga, a star-diviner in court, Second Empress, Chagum's mother, and Toya and Saya, two orphans Balsa is acquainted with. The story highlights and contrasts the relationships between the characters and explores what a familial relationship looks like.

Another aspect of the drama that touch on aspects of melodrama is its treatment of the Emperor and the Yaku. Chagum's father is the Emperor of Shin Yogo. In the past the Yogojin came from Yogo and conquered the Yaku and founded Shin Yogo. The Yaku are clearly analogous to Japan's aboriginal people where the divinity invested in the Emperor seems to parallel Japan's past. Despite setting up this dichotomy, the story treats the Yaku within the story without judgement.They are not cast as savages or barbarians, despite their belief in the Spirit World. The separation between Shin Yogo histories and the Yaku, as well as the effort the Shin Yogo Empire put into eradicating Yaku histories and stories comes into play in the plot too. 

Currently, melodrama still carries a negative connotation. Seirei no Moribito is, at heart, a fantasy drama but it is one grounded in the very realistic and relatable characters and the relationships they form. But I think it provides a window into how melodrama can evolve - where the coincidences and tropes are not shoehorned in, but used to provoke thought and reflection on our current lives.

Night in China 支那の夜

Night in China was screened in 1940, which was during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).The movie was set in Shanghai. After Japanese won the Battle of Shanghai in November in 1937(which last for three months), Shanghai was governed by Japanese. The main female character, Guilan/ Keiran (桂蘭) was one of the victims of the war. She was a Chinese woman who lost her home due to the war. Her father was “killed in a hail of bullets”, and her mother got lost during the war. So, at first, she was very anti-Japanese. The male protagonist Hase, however, was a Japanese. So, from these two people’s background, we can see the tension between enmity and love. Keiran was attracted by Hase and thought he was a good person. But due to the family tragic that Japanese army has caused, she could not be with him. This trope was used in a lot of melodramas, and it appeared as early as 16 century. For example, we can see the same type of tension in Romeo and Juliet.

In the movie, the director made a huge effort to reduce the tension and let Keiran and Hase get together. For example, a lot of paralleling images was showed in this movie. Keiran and Toshiko lost their family members in the same fight; Keiran’s father and Toshiko’s brother died at the same place; Keiran’s father and Hase were both attacked by “a hail of bullets”; Keiran and the young Japanese kid at the hotel were both beaten by other people. By showing these paralleling images between Japanese and Chinese, the director was trying to tell the audience that some Japanese and Chinese were experiencing the same type of pain. People from both parties were hurt.

There are some very melodramatic moments in this movie (some perfect coincidence/ timing). Keiran refused to communicate with Japanese when she has conscious, however, while she was sick, she not only told them her past, but also apologized for beating the kid.  Her opening up made it possible for Hase and other Japanese to understand her situation and her real thoughts. The scene that Keiran’s mother “returned” was also very melodramatic. Keiran’s mother recognized Keiran at the harbor when Keiran was in pain of losing her husband. At this time, I thought the director was playing the irony of "family reunion". When Keiran lost her father and mother, she formed a new family with Hase. When she lost her husband, the new family member, her mother returned. If Keiran committed suicide, then her mother will lose her daughter again. This will make the family reunion impossible. However, to my surprise, Hase also “returned”. He came at the perfect timing and stopped Keiran from drowning herself. Personally, I feel that the ending will be more powerful if Hase came back after Keiran died (an ending that is closer to Romeo and Juliet).

Henry James, "Washington Square" (60-130)

Henry James’ American novel “Washington Square” tells the story of Dr. Sloper and his family as they steer through their disagreements and differences. In the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the family background and the individual characters such as Catherine, Lavinia Penniman, Mrs. Almond,  Morris Townsend and Dr. Austin Sloper himself who all play a major role in developing the dramatic plot. Then, between chapters 11-23, we see the plot develop more with melodramatic elements as James dives into the family conflicts, betrayal, and struggles for each character. 

            This section presents Catherine, daughter of Dr. Sloper, who expresses her interest in marrying Morris Townsend, a young impoverished man, to her father.  Catherine, raised mainly by her aunt Lavinia, has gained reputation through her father’s reputation and will be expected to inherit her father’s fortune.  As a result, Dr. Sloper, who has always thought of his daughter as dull, not clever, and submissive, feels apprehensive towards Morris’ affection for Catherine and attempts to target his underlying intentions. It is evident Dr. Sloper is cautious about marrying his daughter off to someone who just wants her for her future fortune but at the same time he struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with his daughter.  In this situation, we see Catherine grow up a little and branch into adulthood. She abuses her freedom to pick a husband and gets engaged with Morris without consultation. As such, we see a conflict develop between her and her father for the first time as Dr. Sloper puts their relationship on the line, as he demands her not to marry Morris.  He threatens to disown Catherine and forbid any inheritance. He goes at length to prevent the marriage by manipulating Morris’ sister Mrs. Montgomery opinion and also forbidding any betrayal from his fellow sisters in the house, particularly Mrs. Penniman, who appears to side with the marriage.

            Evidently, one of he major melodramatic aspects presented in the conflict is the tension and betrayal occurring at hand. Catherine juggles choosing between family vs. romance, a moral dualism we have established in the beginning. While she has always been respectful and admirable of her father, she slowly branches from her norm as she seriously considers choosing between her father and Morris. She uses patience, in the form of quietness, as a weapon, which builds the tension between the father-daughter relationships. The element of betrayal also presents itself, contributing to the melodramatic effect. Dr. Sloper manipulates Mrs. Montgomery with his words and convinces her that Morris is not right for Catherine. As a result, Mrs. Montgomery ends up betraying Morris. Subsequently, Mrs. Penniman betrays Dr. Sloper by going behind his back and encouraging Morris to more forward with their marriage at all cost. The sibling relationship begins to tumble into flames with Dr. Sloper’s violent and oppressive nature. It is clear that his behavior acts as a destructive force that could ultimately sever all his family bonds, Yet, he still insists on continuing with his tyrannical and fearful nature to his advantage to keep people in check. The section ends with Dr. Sloper planning to take Catherine on a trip to Europe to delay the marriage, but we see Catherine remains adamant about her feelings. The familial tension and betrayal continues to unfold as the story proceeds. The irony that follows develops the drama as the characters end up falling at the hands of their own weapons.

Late Spring

Late Spring tells the story of a relationship between a father and a daughter and how their cozy household is forced apart by marriage. The protagonist, Noriko, is in her late twenties and is passing the prime of her life to find a husband. Her meddling aunt, arranges a marriage for Noriko, but her father pretends that he will remarry in order for her to marry.

            Once again, this is a melodramatic story that depicts family and relationship issues. Society and expectations are forcing Noriko and her father, the Professor, in one direction when they want their life to take a different route. The Aunt is the character that represents society and all the expectations that come from living in Japan during the 1940’s. Noriko will do almost anything to not leave her father, including not attending a concert with Hattori, who could’ve been her partner.

            Ozu was very successful at making the audience feel as thought they are part of the story. He mainly used one lens, a 50mm, which is closest to what the human eye sees. This effect really brings the audience into the story. Additionally, he used recurring shots, such as midlevel shots and low long shots that are on eye-level with the characters or with the scene that makes a viewer feel like they were placed into the scene to watch. Another characteristic of Ozu’s work is lingering shots on characters when they are alone in order for the audience to get a better feel of their personality. An example of this is in the very last scene with the Professor. He comes home and pretends to act excited about his daughter’s wedding and happily accepts the congratulations, but once he is alone, peeling the apple, the audience can truly tell how morose and lonesome he feels.

            Another effect of Ozu’s filmmaking are the details he includes about Japanese life to truly show how it was during that time. His shots include the structure of the classic Japanese home, the type of food they eat, and the type of relationships within the family. Many critics say he is exact when it comes to showing Japanese life in the 1940’s.

Lastly, a theme of Ozu’s Late Spring was whether or not Noriko would be able to move forward into modernization. A scene where this symbolism comes through is when she rides the train with her father and decides whether she will sit down or not. She chooses sit down next to her father. Her friend, Aya, is the symbol of modernity as she is divorced and is able to provide for herself. Noriko is almost able to come to this point of westernization when she is on the date with Hattori. They looks very Americanized as they ride their bikes, and they even pass a quite obvious Coca-Cola sign.

All of these symbols that Ozu includes in his film help the audience to better understand the story he is trying to tell and the personalities of the characters. One must closely analyze the film in order to pick all of this up and fully understand the film.

Washington Square (1880), Henry James

In Henry James, “Washington Square”, the author conveys several melodramatic elements in the tragic romance between Catherine Sloper and Morris Townsend whose relationship is ruined by the girl’s father, Dr. Sloper, and his obsession with the young man’s socioeconomic status. Initially, their love commenced on a probable prospect, as both Catherine and Morris were adamant in the commitment towards each other, by standing firm in their feelings despite Dr. Sloper’s scorn. However, yielding to the melodramatic twist, the novel curses the lovers’ attempt to salvage their romance in spite of all odds, resulting in Morris’ emotional surrender and Catherine’s resignation from seeking a new relationship. Although the characters’ romantic calamities are largely stemmed from the father’s self-centered attitude to protect his own wealth and daughter from an unsuitable partner, Catherine and Morris are undeniably instrumental in their own romantic mishaps. The girl wants to appease to both her father and the lover, by obeying the former’s commands and refraining from disappointing the latter. Her indecisiveness in choosing her own destiny leads to a vicious cycle, which further complicates the relationship. For instance, while Catherine obeys her father’s commands to embark on a trip to Europe, she vehemently insists on her feelings for Morris and her plan to marry him. By compromising for both Dr. Sloper and her lover, Catherine indicates her unwillingness to decisively choose her destiny, which ultimately leads to her father’s persistent dissatisfaction and Morris’ abrupt change of heart.   Moreover, Morris also plays a part in this romantic tragedy, as he decides to give up halfway on the marriage proposal to Catherine by prioritizing the girl’s relationship with her father over her actual feelings for him. Although the decision might seem like a tremendous sacrifice on his part, the reality is that he rejects Catherine’s unconditional affection to preserve her ties with Dr. Sloper. Yet in doing so, he has also severed the girl’s affectionate bonds with him, permanently scarring her emotions. Thus his rash action, while serves to prevent him from inflicting further family dramas, turns out to cause debilitating, long-term emotional effects on his lover, Catherine.

Nonetheless, the biggest culprit in this romantic tragedy is undoubtedly Dr. Sloper himself who is overly protective of his own wealth and his daughter’s social status, which later harm the lovers as well as himself. Had he been able to overcome his own vanity and materialistic obsession, Catherine would have had the freedom and independence to choose her own suitor, and Morris would’ve been saved from the undue shame and embarrassment as a result of his ridicules.

Although the ending could have taken a rather positive twist, the melodramatic influence insists on the tragic outcomes - a lifetime of solitude and disappointment for Catherine, which can leave the audience with a mixed response of empathy, pity, and resentment towards the protagonist’s fate.