Visit NC, Again

The familiar bradford pear blossoms are almost at every street when I drive around. It reminds me that spring is definitely here, as if I have not sneezed enough from the pollen. The weather has been very pleasant, no matter how meteorologists on local TV stations scare me that cold and rainy weather is ahead. Every time I come to Cary, I always swing by the house that I used to live, to see how it looks like and to refresh some old memories. The two big bradford pear trees in the front yard has matured to cover the entire yard by now. I still remember how tiny they were when I bought that house after they were just planned. This place has changed so much. It seems every empty land has been grabbed and turned into some sort of development. Trees are gone, traffic lights are up. I no longer see people on the streets as in San Francisco. I only see cars, and I am in one of them. There is hardly anything happening around, all I can do is to go shopping, in shopping malls of course. I realize that I walk less and drive more. I feel guilty for adding more carbon footprint to the environment. So when I am at a store, I see a four pack of eco friendly light bulbs. I hesitate to buy them although I do need a few in my apartment, because I am not sure how to compute the carbon footprint of their traveling across the country in an airplane. Eventually, I bought the pack, because I realize that I am being ridiculous. Certainly I am not reducing much carbon footprint the last few days when I go out to eat every night. Especially on Friday night, I got a huge 16oz of prime ribs on my plate at Ruth’s Chris, after I had scallops for appetizer. I feel I won’t need any steak for a long time. But the scallops were not hot enough in the center even the plate was burning hot. When the waiter came out asking how the food was (perhaps just for formality or courtesy), I spoke the truth. Then the house manager came out, apologized, and took the scallops ($15.99) off my bill. That’s called good service if you ask me. Next to me was a young guy on a date with a pretty girl. He was in his shorts and flip-flop! I feel bad for that girl, but she doesn’t seem to mind. After all, this is North Carolina. I don’t like to live in a hotel. No matter how good the bed, it never as comfortable as my own. The pillows (I have five of them in the bed!) are almost for sure to be either too soft or too hard, just not right. Besides, I have to deal with the three hour time difference and the unusual schedules. It is quite tiresome. But luckily, three more days to go, I will be out of here. The Sun (Сóлнце) We all know how the catastrophic World War II ended decades ago; we are aware of the horrific crimes that Japan committed to China and other Asian countries; and we regret (or else) the tragic atomic bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, what less known is the stage of mind of Japanese emperor Hirohito, who is at the center of these historical moments and is responsible of unforgivable crimes. Russian director Alexander Sokurov‘s "The Sun" (Сóлнце | Russia 2005 | in Japanese | 110 min.) gives an interesting fictional account of the emperor’s life during the days leading to the announcement of Japan’s unconditional surrender. The film almost entirely sets in the dark and crampy bunker under the emperor’s palace in Tokyo. The atomic bombs have destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Americans have occupied Tokyo, and the defeat of Japan becomes inevitable. Regarded by the Japanese as a descendant of sun goddess Amaterasu, the house arrested Japanese emperor Hirohito (Issei Ogata) comes to term that he is actually a human being facing the war crimes tribunal. He seems more interested in his marine biology hobby than people’s lives, including both Japanese soldiers and victims from the Japanese invasions. He constantly moves his mouse nervously, a visible contrast to his mellow and slow body language. After a dinner with General MacArthur in his Charlie Chaplin‘s outfit and couple Cuban cigars, he goes back to his palace and declares Japanese’s surrender. In return, he avoids war crime prosecution. What a deal! It would have been fascinating if Hirohito were a fictional character. However, Hirohito is not just a character, he is a war criminal who is responsible for tens of thousands of innocent lives and countless gruesome criminal acts. Portraying him as a gentle, sophisticated, and sensitive human being is absurd. Although Issei Ogata ("Yi Yi") marvelously plays the odd and complex Hirohito, almost everybody else in the film looks awkward and as if they are recruited from the streets because the real actors fail to show up on the set. This film is the third installment of director Alexander Sokurov‘s film tetralogy about famous historical figures. Its predecessors are "Moloch" about Hitler and "Taurus" about Lenin. Whoever to be his final subject, he or she should be a Russian, because Alexander Sokurov understands Russians the best and is able to create terrific characters like the mother in his beautiful film "Alexandra". Let’s hope his last subject will not be Chairman Mao. "The Sun" opens on Friday, March 26, 2010 at Bay Area theaters.