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rewatching kita kita and taking note of all the little things i didn't notice the first time around
a minute in and the movie already distinguishes itself from other romcoms by being color graded with blue instead of vibrant pinks and yellows. also, first mention of nobu is punctuated with lea being shown with an empty space with a line down the middle.
lea is lonelier than she wants to admit, holding on to a crumbling relationship with her boyfriend and the disconnected voice of an unnamed sister we never get to see. both dialogue and cinematography establish this so nicely and efficiently.
its significant too, that nobu's first mention isn't accompanied by a visual cue; there's no picture on lea's phone or dresser to show who he is. he's not even named until later on in the movie. the movie is trying to tell us he isn't character that we need to remember.
kita kita loves wideshots, and its usually used for showing off japan's scenic views. but the first time they use a wideshot is to show lea's room: neat, with small bursts of personality here and there, but noticeably empty.
even wider wideshot to drive the point home. lots of straight lines and blank spaces, but lea's space is full of flowers and life. like she knows she's feeling empty but is still trying to make the most of it
first show of the "people that occupy the same space but are still separated by a line" symbolism that characterizes the whole film. meaningful that the shot isn't centered on any of the characters onscreen, but focuses on the endeared, longing look lea gives to the old couple
this was lost on me on my earlier watches, but there's quite the emphasis on time in the dialogue. makes sense, since a big part of the movie is shown anachronistically
nobu's first appearance is a flashback full of warm colors. and still, that big expanse of empty space persists, along with the line that separates them both. they aren't occupying the same shape.
the same symbolisms for separation persist even when he's proposing to her. added by a slight shift in angle to have the whole shot seem subtly off-kilter, you get the feeling that something isn't right.
shot parallels with the first scene! compare and contrast lea looking out the window in darkness, angry and disappointed with her fiance vs lea with her eyes half-closed, shrouded in light and refusing to look at the mirror, in denial that her relationship isn't going well
reds and yellows: the typical colors for a romance film. yellow, associated with happiness, highlights contrast with the persistent blue, associated with sadness, color grading. fitting that this is the first time we see tonyo, even when neither us or lea know him yet
it's hard to see, but there's a pole separating lea and aiko here. it's supposed to be a moment of friendship, and yet the separation persists.
still astounds me how they used something as technically basic as lens blur to communicate how much and how quickly lea spirals after she finds out nobu is cheating on her. gradual bokeh blurring of the background + gradual zoom in + lea walking towards the camera. five seconds.
it's not something i can show in pictures but i absolutely adore how, when tonyo finally properly shows up in the movie, the camera changes from steadicam to handheld. a lot less graceful and polished, but also a lot more sincere with that human touch. sounds like tonyo himself.
yet another thing i can't show in pictures: the vibraphone and violin used for the leitmotif for lea and tonyo's developing friendship is so light and cheerful that it legitimately warms my heart
another shot parallel! compare and contrast the first time we see lea with her cane, her footwear matched but bland before she meets tonyo vs the day of their first date, her footwear unmatched but bright and colorful
not as obvious as all the other examples, but there's still a line between tonyo and lea on the boat. also this whole boat scene is adorable because just when you think tonyo is going too far, lea responds so enthusiastically to his humor that it just makes you smile
there's nothing much to say here other than this shot's colors are so warm compared to how cold most of scenes before look, and it's so adorable because. look at them. this is so tender and sweet
i didn't realize that they actually alluded to tonyo's heart condition before he explains it in the letter
the entire reason why i made this thread was so i could point this out: that's a split diopter shot, baby! hell yeah i know more technical stuff now than i did two years ago!
