My thoughts on the Norwegian Wood Film

It is quite challenging to bring a novel such as Norwegian Wood to film. The beauty of the novel lies in the small details, introspective monologues, references, and subtleties that cannot be captured in a movie with a runtime of only two hours. I applaud Tran Anh Hung for his work, and understand how hard it would be to make choices and cuts to what was deemed important. I felt the storyline was on par with what I had imagined, but I couldn't see the novel's small details that I cherished. I would have loved to see more of the interactions between Nagasawa and Stormtrooper, and the personal thoughts that Toru had in his mind. I felt that the movie was far too focused on the events rather than the internal struggles that were so apparent in the novel.

However, for somebody who has yet to read the novel, I would say that they would appreciate this movie and all that it has to offer. Despite its setbacks as far as the accuracy of the story and details go, I deeply enjoyed the atmosphere. I tried not to get too caught up in the details, because I knew naturally, the story would deviate from what I had imagined in my mind. As far as aesthetics go, they captured the style of the times very well. I enjoyed seeing the clothing worn by Toru, his long-sleeved collared shirts with intricate designs, and his tight flared pants. Naoko is seen with her simple clothing and calm, neutral colors. Additionally, the interior of the rooms was very well designed. Colorful wallpapers, posters lining the walls, and leather couches that exuded the styles of the late 1960s. The cinematography was great, especially the scenes in nature, such as the shot with Toru in Naoko walking through the large field of grass. The lighting and colors were bright and exuberant when they needed to be, and soft and mellow at other times.

Simply put, I tried to take the movie and the novel each as its own respective work. The novel gave a slow and quiet narrative, intricate subtleties, while the movie captured the vivid moments of beauty contrasted with the somber melancholy mood. Each medium is different, and I think that they each offer different things that the other cannot.

- Alex McBrier