(C)1987 / Pelemele Film GmbH - Pro-ject Filmproduktion im Filmverlag der Autoren GmbH & Co. Produktions-Kommanditgesellschaft München - Bayrischer Rundfunk/BR - hr Hessischer Rundfunk.
"Bagdad Cafe" A story of the "heart" shown by a "coffee machine that needs repair"
2019.07.15
The reason why you continue to be loved
Mr. Endo also told us the following about the secret behind the popularity of ``Bagdad Cafe.''
``There are no bad guys in this movie.I like the fact that it has a very simple structure.When it was released, it was the bubble era and the economy was booming, but this movie deals with issues of the heart. The lyrics of ``a coffee machine that needs repair'' symbolically tell the story.I don't remember any particularly elaborate advertising when it was released, but it is a timeless song. It probably gained deep popularity because it depicted issues of the heart.”
If you think about the setting of this movie, it may be that it was a work that was a little ahead of its time in addressing issues that are relevant today. The main characters are foreigners (immigrants) from Europe, African Americans, Native Americans, etc., and in Hollywood in the 1980s, it was difficult to make a movie in which only these races were at the center. Furthermore, the main characters (rather than young actresses) are two middle-aged women who are tired of life, and their failed marriages leave them feeling bittersweet and sad. It's refreshing to see how these two eventually communicate, involve those around them, and create a community that goes beyond race. (That's why he ends with the meaningful words, ``I'll talk to Brenda.'')
"Bagdad Cafe" (C) 1987 / Pelemele Film GmbH - Pro-ject Filmproduktion im Filmverlag der Autoren GmbH & Co. Produktions-Kommanditgesellschaft München - Bayrischer Rundfunk/BR - hr Hessischer Rundfunk.
Director Percy Adlon also made this comment in the British newspaper “The Guardian” in August 2018: “Looking back now, there are no ordinary white people in this movie. The main characters are the people who hate them. That's why, 30 years later, people may still think of it as a somewhat modern story."
When I think about it again, I realize that the director's proactive spirit was in full display. In the United States, it is aired regularly (especially at Christmas) on public broadcasters and HBO. Also, many people come from all over the world to the cafe where the story is set, and some are even moved to tears upon arrival.
In Barcelona, Spain, there is a movie theater called ``Bagdad Cafe,'' and there is a record that the film was shown there for seven years, and it is said that it is still shown there three to four months a year.
Its popularity has spread over the years, and it has truly become one of the ``heart movies'' loved by people all over the world.
Text: Sawako Omori
Movie journalist. His books include “Lost Cinema” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) and others.
His translations include "Woody" (written by D. Evanier, Kinema Junposha) and others. Contributes to magazines such as ``Weekly Women'', ``Music Magazine'', and ``Kinema Junpo''. A research book based on the web series, `` Mini Theater Revisited, '' is also scheduled to be published.
“Bagdad Cafe” 4K restored version Blu-ray
Publisher: WOWOW Plus
Seller: Kinokuniya Bookstore
Base price: ¥5,800+tax
(C)1987 / Pelemele Film GmbH - Pro-ject Filmproduktion im Filmverlag der Autoren GmbH & Co. Produktions-Kommanditgesellschaft München - Bayrischer Rundfunk/BR - hr Hessischer Rundfunk.
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