Chris Marker - Level Five (1997)

[Thorkell A. Ottarsson]

Here is another film from Chris Marker about memory, this time the
memory of a nation (Japan), the computer age (the Internet, called OWL
in the film - Optional World Link) and relationships. It is about how
humankind does not deal honestly with the past, which in turn forces
us to be haunted by it forever. The only way out is honesty,
confession and forgiving oneself, something Japanese have not been
able to do.

The heart of the film is the battle of Okinawa where the inhabitants
committed mass suicide. Parents would kill their children, then the
husbands their wives and then finally themselves, all out of "love".
There is an interview with a man who killed his brothers and sisters
and his mother. This story (which is true) is so shocking, horrifying
and heart wrecking that one wonders why it is not as well known as the
concentration camps in Europe.

This is a very poetic film. I often wanted to stop the film just to
write down the beautiful and thought provoking monologues. Another
masterpiece from Chris Marker!

Thorkell

[Jonathan Takagi]

This is probably my favorite Marker film. I hadn't seen it for a while, but while rewatching recently I couldn't believe I never thought of Hiroshima, mon amour before. The mixture of love story with horrific disaster is very potent. The technology used in the movie hasn't aged very well and may limit some people's enjoyment, but I love it all.

[Thorkell A. Ottarsson]

I agree with both points Jonathan. Laura even says she'd call her pain
"Okinawa mon amour" so that it would sound like a movie.

The dated data graphics made it a little hard to get into, for the
first 20 minutes or so but after that I was hooked.

Brilliant film!

[Jonathan Takagi]

A couple fun facts about the movie:

Unlike many of the works that I've seen that use a generic narrator (often with a different English-language track for the English versions), I greatly enjoyed hearing Chris Marker's voice.

Catherine Belkhodja (who plays Laura) is the mother of Isild Le Besco (and Maïwenn Le Besco), both of whom are directors themselves. Once I found that out it I could completely see the resemblance.

[Thorkell A. Ottarsson]

Interesting!