Sennen no koi - Hikaru Genji monogatari (2001) User Reviews (3)

A new twist on Genji

[KBeee · 7/10 · 10 June 2005]

Bringing Genji Monogatari to the screen was never going to be easy.

How can you take a 1000 year old book, set in a world that is more outlandish to modern people than any alien civilisation depicted in a Sci-Fi movie, and make it interesting to a modern audience?

Of course, The Tale of Genji is full of sex which helps, and another way is to tone down the the differences between Heian Japan, and the modern world - No fashionably blackened teeth here, and interaction between the sexes instead of Court ladies being always hidden from male view and communicating through poetry. Murasaki Shikibu is even pictured riding in a carriage with 2 men!!! The real Murasaki (whoever she really was) would rather have died than do that. Oh, and having The Shining Prince played by a girl is an interesting twist. And strangely... it works! Even the occasional pop song seem to blend into this fantasy world without jarring too much.

It's not really The Tale of Genji, it's more of the tale of Murasaki writing The Tale of Genji, with excerpts from the book shown throughout depicting the life and many loves of The Shining Prince.

As one of the few films that try to portray pre-samurai Heian Japan, I found it interesting just for that. Sure it's not a Great film, but it's enjoyable enough. There are a few moments of humour, the costumes are beautiful, and so are most of the girls (and Genji).

Skip the Bollywood scenes and enjoy the rest of the movie

[screaminmimi · 7/10 · 22 August 2005]

I agree the music video was weird and out of place. It made it seem like a Bollywood movie. However, I liked the story-within-a-story idea.

I hadn't realized this was directed by a woman. It makes more sense to me now. It was feminist in a way I don't think a guy, however well-intentioned, could have pulled off. This movie made me wish I could have met Lady Murasaki. But, honey, I still don't get why all these women fell for Genji. He was such a rat (in the Western, not the Asian, sense). Not having read the book, I don't know if Murasaki made him out to be a rat, or if that's just my 21st century world view. What I found feminist about the movie was the depiction of Lady Murasaki's life struggles and triumphs.

I thought the production was visually beautiful, almost to the point of being distracting. But I did have a problem telling some of the characters apart because the costuming and makeup were so rigidly style-bound (and maybe this is a comment on court life of the period, too), that few of the characters stood out as individuals.

(POTENTIAL SPOILER): I was more interested in Lady Murasaki than in Genji, but the point at which the two stories converged and the author mingled with her creations was magical. The "Tale of Genji," at least as retold here, was depressingly misogynistic, until she connected with her characters.

I guess I'll go read the book, now.

6 points out of 10.

[jinno · 29 November 2003]

Why does this movie includes SINGER'S PROMOTION VIDEO? Without Music Video Clips, I could have given 8 points instead of 6.

This Music Video kills tension without fail. Good acting, good story lines...then, suddenly STUPID (Lack of better words) Music Video cuts in.

Last scene should have been eliminated. The Shining Princess image was totally killed by this last scene. Besides make-up was cheap, thus, reality was totally killed.

Possibly Production needed money? Thus, Singer's promotion Video entered? It should have been released as Video Movie or TV special. It is really an insult to all actors. What a shame!!!