Even when the body decays, you may always live on in the heart of another together with the love of that person. Therefore the story of love must always be retold. So that the one you love can live on forever. Live forever, the feelings of the beloved, which never fades, only one promise...That is love.

The new and young and present generation must always contend with the traditions and values and ideas of the past, while navigating their own mortal existence between attraction, social roles, moderation, and love, ALL while attempting to define and discover oneself. Of course that is what makes a bildungsroman (coming of age) and House an incredible example of one.

It's adorable that even the middle-of-nowhere-in-nature bus stop has an idyllic landscape mural behind it, further positioning these teenagers in an optimistic and naive projection of the world. No matter the conditions of that location, you will see a beautiful backdrop as you hop off the bus.

Stellar showing, not telling, of the power that war and peace storytelling has on a people. Growing up, you can align yourself with identities that feel comfortable and empowering but our larger histories have seen it all and posit their own experiences on your dream world.

The more explicit effects of storytelling is seen in tightly-bound interactions like human relationships, and even more densely in cultural and family traditions where stories are repeated and shared down from generation to generation.

The ultimate question is will you succumb to the weight of history? and Obayashi's answer...yes

wtfff...like that piano really just ate that girl and that drowning scene was disturbing on a massive screen. the visuals were incredible, the soundtrack a banger, and the atmosphere masterclass

mental

Real cool to have the original Mission Impossible TV show formula play out for the first 20 minutes...but then deconstruct it by having a mission actually fail and having the infamous Jim Phelps be the mole we were looking for the whole movie :0

Some qualms I have with reboots is their lack of spiritual homage in the use of their effects.

For example, the sequel trilogy of STAR WARS lacks the amount of puppets, models, and practical effects that the originals used. Respectfully, that was the limits of the effects of that time and I get it, make it all CGI so we don't even have to worry about the wiring or rigging and we only have to pay the actors half as much because half the scenes and characters will be fabricated behind a computer screen for much less money. On the other hand, every field of visual effects has advanced immensely and to drop off from tangible and real settings, characters, and props feels like a bit of a write-off of the hard work, advancements, and the intension and spirit of the original productions.

Communication theorist Marshal McLuhan famously wrote that "the medium is the message." That is to say that the form in which a message is transferred is of higher value and importance than its respective content. McLuhan identified the "message" as "the change of scale or pace or pattern" that a new invention or innovation "introduces into human affairs." That is to say, an advancement in a medium speaks it's own message; the medium represents a milestone or exemplar of human construction, communication, and connection. Film is itself a medium but mediums always hold an inner medium, like acting, makeup, humanity, CGI, etc.

Of course, CGI and AI mediums speak a message that transcends many things that came before it. In the current age of CGI, we can create any world we can imagine: amazing simulations and scenes beyond our Earthly experiences and comprehensions. BUT...CGI cannot put a physical mortal human body into a life-threatening situation, this medium is still reserved for practical stunts.

The medium of practical effects is tangible settings, characters, or props that interact with a living, breathing corporeal human being. This medium speaks to a level of immersion that puts us into the shoes of the actor(s); and when we take it even further, by putting this character into a real conflict in front of our eyes, it pulls us to the edge of our seats and into the actual scenes. In action and thriller films, the realism of that crazy and uncommon situation the character is experiencing is immersive and mind-blowing. When we are watching a recording of something that actually happened, we are experiencing a message that is beyond anything...CGI Harrison Ford hopping between CGI TukTuks in Indiana Jones: the Dial of Destiny could ever make us feel.

Tom Cruise begins the reboot franchise with impressive prosthetics, makeup, and costumes, and then a simple wiring rig for the big mission...incorporating a few of the first advancements of medium in practical effects (and even human entertainment) into his first Mission Impossible movie.

I can't commend Cruise for creating the formula and this great franchise, but I can and do commend him for staying consistent with the formula that made the original show so thrilling and exciting, and pushing the bar every time with every new stunt; because, if we did not know that Tom Cruise was actually holding onto the outside of that plane, or breaking a world record for holding his breath underwater, or climbing the Burj Khalifa, or driving a motorcycle off a cliff, or whatever other insane things he does in these films...

the message of these films would simply not be as impactful.