Cutting reality in the context of fiction: The ``young sensibilities'' that ``The Journalist'' brought to social films

Index

•  Recognized for its “aggressive” attitude and became a smash hit
• Establishing a “precedent” that “you can draw up to this level”
• A skill that wraps “sociality” with “entertainment”
• Director Fujii's "young" sensibilities paid off
• In today's chaotic world... being a "The Journalist" never ends

"The Journalist" synopsis

Dongdong The Journalist Yoshioka (Shim Eun-kyung) receives confidential information regarding a new university project via anonymous fax. She grew up in the United States with a Japanese father and a Korean mother, and works at a Japanese newspaper company with a certain secret in mind. She begins an investigation to find out the truth. Meanwhile, Sugihara (Tori Matsuzaka), a bureaucrat in the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, is conflicted. Contrary to his belief in "serving the people," his mission is to control news that is inconvenient to the current administration. One day, when his beloved wife is about to give birth, he reunites with his old boss, Kanzaki, whom he respects for the first time in a while, but a few days later, Kanzaki throws himself off the roof of a building. A young The Journalist struggles to get to The Truth . An elite bureaucrat becomes aware of the existence of "darkness" and is forced to make a choice. When their lives intersect, a shocking truth is revealed! A new form of social entertainment that has never been seen before in Japanese movies, directly addressing various ongoing issues! Can you believe this movie?

Recognized for its “aggressive” attitude and became a smash hit

This is a movie. It's not the "reality" we live in.

However, this work "synchronizes" that boundary.

Fear made visible. Peaceful days fly away on the other side of the screen.

There are film awards that represent each country, such as the American Academy Awards, the British Academy Awards (BAFTA), and the French César Awards. In the case of Japan, it is said that this is the case with the Japan Academy Awards (though there may be different opinions).

However, this Japan Academy Award is something that is very troubling. To be frank, movie fans are always in a state of bickering, asking questions such as ``Is the screening process fair?'' ``Why isn't that movie included?'' It can be said that the ``roughness'' comes from each person's love for movies. This time, there was more controversy than usual during the nomination stage, but there were relatively few objections after the Grand Prize winner was announced. This is because ``The Journalist'' (2019), directed by Michito Fujii, won three awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

“The Journalist” Trailer

The movie ``The Journalist'' is a social suspense film based on the book `` The Journalist '' written by active journalist Isoko Mochizuki. The story is about Erika Yoshioka (Shim Eun-kyung), a journalist who is a maverick in the industry, teams up with Takumi Sugihara (Tori Matsuzaka), a bureaucrat in the Cabinet Intelligence and Investigation Office, to get closer to the "darkness" that the government hides. .

Although not explicitly stated, journalist Shiori Ito's claims of sexual violence (she said at a talk event after the film was released that she thought the character was herself) and the problems at Moritomo Gakuen. A number of incidents are included as metaphors (in a way that is clearly recognizable), and even though it takes the form of fiction, it is highly ``contemporary.''

When the film was released in theaters, many viewers were surprised by its aggressive attitude, and there was a lot of praise and disapproval. The cumulative box office revenue, including the "triumphant return screening" after winning the Japan Academy Award, has exceeded 600 million yen.

The quality of the work, the topicality, and the unique level of impact - it will play a role in the Japanese film industry in 2019, filled with films such as `` Weathering with You ,'' ` `Kingdom ,'' ``Fly to Saitama ,'' and ``From Miyamoto to You.'' There is no doubt that it is a "masterpiece". This time, we will once again unravel the appeal of ``The Journalist'' from aspects such as ``structure and origin'' and ``direction and acting.''

Establishing a “precedent” that “you can draw up to this level”