F orbidden love is the sexiest kind, and love of death the most forbidden kind, in this emoish erotic tragedy from francovietnamese filmmaker tran anh hung, based on the. Thirtysevenyearold toru watanabe hears an instrumental cover of the beatles song norwegian wood. When he hears an orchestral cover of the beatles song norwegian wood, he is suddenly overwhelmed by feelings of loss and nostalgia. As his plane arrives at hamburg airport, toru watanabe hears the beatles song norwegian wood played over the speakers, bringing back an intense and painful memory, a scene from 18 years ago in 1969 when he was 19 years old. Apr 15, 2014 touching book and the movie as well background song name.
Plot synopsis a 37yearold toru watanabe has just arrived in hamburg, west germany. Norwegian wood study guide contains a biography of murakami, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full. Of course, neither of these taped renditions were released to the public in any way. Handlingen foregar i tokyo pa et universitet i 1960\\erne.
In norwegian wood, haruki murakami introduces the main character as he walks through. Joy, pain, sorrow, loss, love, and death are intertwined with life and those of us who choose to go on living and feeling. In norwegian wood, haruki murakami introduces the main character as he walks through an airport in hamburg, germany. Norwegian wood is at once an obvious and terrible choice of novels to adapt, popular but emotionally elusive and devoid of fantastical elements that might more easily conform to the cinema. This study guide, written by, includes the following sections. Norwegian wood is a 2010 japanese romantic drama film directed by tran anh hung, based on haruki murakamis novel of the same. Serious and quiet toru, kizukis friend and enforcer, meets cute naoko in tokyo when they are entering college in the late 60s and falls in love with her. What i believe until right now is, the story stopped when he called midori, maybe from germany, but he still trapped in the trance of the past with.
Norwegian wood is a moving story of loss and sexuality set in tokyo in the late 1960s against a time of global instability. Norwegian wood i didnt understand the ending of this book. After hearing the norwegian wood by beatles, he is overcome with nostalgia and begins musing about his teenage years. There were 3 other movies released on the same date, including the devil inside, roadie and beneath the darkness.
It becomes a film that, like its characters, remains elusive in its. After they leave the bar, midori needs to use the bathroom. Through his reminiscences, we see him develop relationships with two very different women, the beautiful yet. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of norwegian by night by derek b. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of norwegian wood by haruki murakami. Apr 26, 2016 this universality makes norwegian wood adaptable for the screen, which brings us to tran anh hungs 2012 film, norwegian wood. It is told from the firstperson perspective of toru watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college student living in tokyo. Norwegian woods 2009 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. This japanese adaptation of haruki murakamis bestseller is gorgeous and sensual, says peter bradshaw. Upon hearing the song norwegian wood, toru matsuyama remembers back to. After the novels initial release in 1987, norwegian wood became a cultural icon. The official trailer for director anh hung trans adaptation of haruki murakamis bestselling novel norwegian wood. Norwegian wood begins with toru watanabe, a 37 year old man traveling to hamburg. I once had a girl or should i say, she once had me, go the opening lines of.
Norwegian wood is a poetic adaptation of the haruki murakami novel that uses rapturous visuals to draw viewers in its exploration of young love and lasting death. The novel was adapted into a film in japan in 2010 that stars kenichi matsuyama. When she goes into a mental hospital, he promises to wait for her. Although the movie won awards from smaller film festivals, some critics have lamented that the film does not.
Norwegian wood summary while on an airplane descending to hamburg airport, toru watanabe hears the beatles song norwegian wood played over the speakers and is overcome by painful memories of his past. Summary as his plane arrives at hamburg airport, toru watanabe hears the beatles song norwegian wood played over the speakers, bringing back an intense and painful memory, a scene from 18 years ago in 1969 when he was 19 years old. Toru recalls his life in the 1960s, when his friend kizuki killed himself and he grew close to naoko, kizukis girlfriend, and another woman, the outgoing, lively midori. Norwegian wood 2012 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. The beatles actually went through norwegian wood on two different occasions, january 7th and 9th, 1969, at twickenham film studios during the rehearsals for what became the let it be album and film.
While on an airplane descending to hamburg airport, toru watanabe hears the beatles song norwegian wood played over the speakers and is overcome by painful memories of his past. Norwegian wood was tremendously successful in murakamis native japan, especially with college students. He remembers a meadow where he and naoko, the girl he loved, walked 18 years ago when he was still 19 toru grew up in kobe with kizuki as his best and only friend. Though originally written in english, norwegian by night, a crime. Norwegian wood movie tiein edition vintage international.
Norwegian wood movie tiein edition vintage international paperback january 3, 2012. The novel is a nostalgic story of loss and burgeoning sexuality. Toru falls in love with kizukis tortured girlfriend, naoko, who is isolated in her own mind. Titel norwegian wood ist ein japanischer film des regisseurs tr. He becomes emotionally closer to his friends exgirlfriend naoko, who shares the same sense of loss. He remembers a meadow where he and naoko, the girl he loved, walked 18 years ago when he was still 19. Japanese author haruki murakamis comingofage novel is being turned into a film, and it looks promising. Norwegian wood is a coming of age novel by haruki murakami that explores the concept of loss and the need to overcome ones struggles with grief. Dec 06, 2011 rinko kikuchi as naoko in the film version of norwegian wood t he novel that raised haruki murakami to literary superstardom ranges across the seasons, but the heart of its meaning is found in winter. Everything you need to know about norwegian wood movie 2012. Jan 05, 2012 murakamis novels and short stories have often been called unfilmable, but norwegian wood is his most realistic book to date, lacking talking cats, alternate realities or surreal. I once had a girl, or should i say, she once had me. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
Is this film related to beatles song norwegian wood. As the two try, in very different ways, to contend with their grief, toru forms a bond with another woman, midori. Toru pays for her to use a public toilet but is worried when she doesnt come out for a long time. Norwegian wood i didnt understand the ending of this book, what.
Students around the world are uniting to overthrow the establishment and toru watanabes personal life is similarly in. With kenichi matsuyama, rinko kikuchi, kiko mizuhara, kengo kora. The film was released in japan on 11 december 2010. Norwegian wood was released in 2012 on friday, january 6, 2012 in limited movie theaters. A drywitted story of a man who failed to charm his love interest into bed, and how he got his revenge in an extreme and sociopathic way. Set in tokyo during the late 1960s, the films male protagonist is toru, a quiet and serious college student. Norwegian wood study guide contains a biography of murakami, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
Watanabe japanese rising star kenichi matsuyama, death note, detroit metal city looks back on his days as a freshman university student living in tokyo. But the film leaves it a bit more obscure, by leaving out the fact that he was. Norwegian wood 2012 stream and watch online moviefone. Toru watanabe is a quiet and serious young man in 1960s tokyo whose personal. Released january 6th, 2012, norwegian wood stars rinko kikuchi, kenichi matsuyama, tetsuji tamayama, kengo kora the movie has a runtime of about 2 hr min, and received a score of 58 out of.
Though a frenchvietnamese director who presumably isnt fluent in japanese would seem an unlikely choice to adapt a japanese novel into a japaneselanguage film, tran the scent of green papaya does. Norwegian wood is the story of toru watanabe, a young man who is damaged by the suicide of his high school friend, kizuki. Norwegian wood chapter 1 summary and analysis gradesaver. He loses his best friend to suicide, and his personal life is thrown into turmoil. Watanabe japanese rising star kenichi matsuyama, death. At the age of 17, kizuki, his best friend, decides to end his life leaving behind toru and his girlfriend, naoko, broken. Mar 30, 2010 norwegian wood was murakamis first major hit in japan and pushed the author into literary superstardom. The beatles norwegian wood this bird has flown lyrics. Norwegian wood is the murakami book that i think shouldnt be used as an introduction to his worlk. The movies cinematography, by mark lee ping bin, paints each frame in rapture. Seeking an escape, toru enters a university in tokyo.
The fact that norwegian wood is based on haruki murakamis 1987 international bestseller should encourage many viewers to give this long, elegantly shot, sporadically involving japanese film a try. Upon hearing the song norwegian wood, toru matsuyama remembers back to his life in the 1960s, when his friend kizuki killed himself and he grew close to naoko, kizukis girlfriend. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this norwegian wood study guide and get instant access to the following summary. Norwegian wood is a masterpiece of the inner mind and will bring you back to places and feelings that you thought only you had ever experienced. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
But then i recalled again, there was a scene of him on the plane, listened to the norwegian wood tunes, watanabe recalled himself in santa fe, watching the sunset, so watanabe must still alive. After the second movie bores midori she asks toru if they can leave, and they go to another bar for more drinks. Norwegian wood is a poetic adaptation of the haruki murakami novel that. The actors are so attractive they could be models for vogue, and perhaps they are.
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