Does “The W's Tragedy” originate from a mystery masterpiece? How to enjoy tracing the roots of the title

Reckless title quotes can have the opposite effect.

An even more extreme example would be the 2016 film " The Birth of a Nation ." This is a film about a slave rebellion that took place in Virginia, USA in 1831, and its title is based on the 1915 silent film masterpiece " The Birth of a Nation ," going back 100 years (!) in film history. The original title is exactly the same as "The Birth of a Nation." As if to fly the flag at half-staff in comparison with "The Birth of a Nation," which portrayed the Civil War and its aftermath entirely from a "white person's perspective," this 2016 film looks at it from the black perspective, saying, "This is the birth of a nation!" Of course, the title is filled with strong irony.

Due to its theme, "Birth of a Nation" was once rumored to be a strong contender for the Academy Awards, but the director's scandal (he was accused of rape, and the person he sued committed suicide) came to light, and the film was completely ignored by the Academy Awards. In response, the theatrical release of the film was canceled in Japan, which was also an "ironic" result.

Finally, there was another film, "From Russia with Love," an action film starring John Travolta, whose title was inspired by "007 From Russia with Love." The original titles are "From Russia with Love" and "From Paris with Love," so the enthusiasm of the filmmakers is obvious. However, "From Russia with Love" ended with disappointing results, with both criticism and box office sales being mediocre. If the title had not been inspired by a classic work, it may have been more generally evaluated. Citing a title is a risky gamble.

However, if someone who has seen "From Paris with Love" has not seen "Russia," they will certainly be interested. The effect of quoting the title is not zero in terms of expanding the world of the film.

After watching the movie "W's Tragedy," you may want to read Shizuko Natsuki's novel, and then pick up a book by Ellery Queen, which may pique your interest in whether there are any films based on his works (there are actually some surprising films!). Following the connections between the titles may lead to a new cinematic experience.

Text: Hiroaki Saito

Became freelance in 1997, contributing movie reviews and interview articles to various media such as movie magazines, theater pamphlets, and movie sites. The column is constantly updated on Yahoo! News. Star Channel's program "GO! Theater" introduces the latest released works.

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