Movielogr

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (2009)

Directed by Jessica Oreck

Documentary

Overview

Untangling the web of cultural and historical ties underlying Japan’s deep fascination with insects.

Length 90 minutes

Actors

Rina Katsuta | Haruku Shinozaki | Takeshi Yoro | Rin Katsuta | Akito Kawahara | Naohiro Kazaoka | Kazuya Kumazaki | Tomone Kumazaki | Yu Miyasaka | Norikuni Nakamura | Takumi Nakamura | Gakuto Nakamura | Mitsuru Nozawa | Dragon Sensei | Takeshi Sugimoto | Tetsuo Suwa | Joichiro Watanabe | Yoshi-To Yoshioka

Viewing History (seen 1 time)

Date ViewedDeviceFormatSourceRating
07/27/2020TVStreamingVideo on Demand7 stars
 

Viewing Notes

I really, really like this documentary. Besides the general content it’s also like a sleep agent. I would like to own this just so I could put it and let it lull me to sleep. So calming and relaxing with a focus on nature and its connection to the Japanese, both in religion and as a culture. I could watch 10 hours of this. I like the discussion around “mono no aware” which precisely translates to “pathos of things” but has a much deeper meaning to the Japanese people. It’s the concept of impermanence in life. For example, viewing the sakura blossoms (hanami) each spring is a huge deal in Japan and comes with the understanding that it is a moment to appreciate and will be gone soon after it begins. This idea is instilled in many aspects of the culture, and insects is just another one in which they are both personified and revered.

The movie unintentionally provides a look at many Studio Ghibli influences, from the bugs and nature to culture and ideas around the bond between humans and the world, which is also part of the Shinto religion observed in Japan. Some of the creatures on display are straight out of a Ghibli flick. The moths and beetles are wonderful.

So I’m of two minds on this production. One side of me loves seeing all these views of Tokyo and other areas of Japan. I love it. I love seeing people at the store or walking in the street or out in a rural area. I love seeing people passionate about unique hobbies such as bug collecting. The extreme close-up photography is excellent. However, this also falls into Wacky Japan territory. It’s unavoidable when they present the fascination as an obsession and make it seem like it’s so weird and wacky that this culture goes to these lengths for bugs. Now, much of this is done with respect but since it’s entirely focused on Japan and its culture it feels like a highlight reel you’d see on the news of these crazy hobbyists trading in bugs. I also think that having a non-Japanese director / writer frames this as a window into the life of Japan and making it a little more sensational than if it had been helmed by a Japanese crew. To be fair, many of the producers and staff are Japanese but that’s also par for the course when making a movie in Japan.

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