介绍:
Roughly ten years ago in China, Japanese writer and translator Haruki Murakami won popular acclaim when the Chinese translation of his novel Norwegian Wood was released. The Chinese probably knew Murakami better than they did the Beatles, whose song bearing the same name could have been one source of inspiration for the Japanese writer. Ten years later, Murakami's Norwegian Wood is commanding the attention of the Chinese audience again – a film adaptation of the novel by French director Tran Anh Hung is now appealing to Chinese audiences.
The story takes place in Japan in the 1960s. It depicts the painful journey of a sensitive youth in the struggle to outgrow his insecurities. A few years after the death of his best friend in high school, the protagonist Watanabe develops a unique and intimate relationship with Naoko, the ex-girlfriend of his late best friend. While Watanabe is taking pains to get over his friend's death, he finds himself losing Naoko to an obsession with that death. Meanwhile, Watanabe's encounter with another girl, the outgoing and vivacious Midori, forces him to make a decision between the past and the future.
Those who have read the novel will be able to tell that the film is a perfect incarnation of the original story in film. The film successfully depicts the tribulations of youth, how they strive to come to terms with a number of questions involving their age, desire and death.
Perhaps owing to his Asian ancestry, Tran Anh Hung exhibits a fairly good understanding of the original work. The presentation of this understanding is boosted by the miracle worker and director of photography Mark Lee Ping Bin, his wizardry with the lens and the spectacular settings never fails to recreate the quiet ambience typical of Murakami stories. What's more, to live up to the author's unique taste in music, a wide range of songs are carefully selected and positioned for moviegoers to feast their ears on. All in all, the film is able to deliver the silent melancholy that haunts the original story.
However, the director goes no further than providing a recreation of the novel. There are no perceptible signs of originality on the part of the director. He obviously hasn't done anything to stray from the novel as to make the film exciting, but allows sufficient time – two hours plus – for the story to develop. At some points, it seems Tran Anh Hung has based the film on the premise that all viewers have read the novel, as if the Murakami fans are the only target audience. One can't help but worry: for those who haven't read the story, will they be patient enough to remain seated until the closing credits? Let's just hope the well crafted audio and visual effects can do the trick.
Directors who take on adaptations always face a thorny question: should they be allowed to tamper with the original script? The question can only be answered on a case by case basis. In this case, Tran Anh Hung deserves an EIGHT.
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