FROM AN E-MAIL

This is a part of my e-mail to someone:

...I assume that Duras must have a very unique way of directing actors. I once saw a documentary about the making of INDIA SONG, and was surprised to learn from the documentary about how Duras directed Delphine Seyrig in the film. I can't remember the details about Duras' directing methods, but I think they are strange because it seems Duras didn't want the actors to immerse themselves in the characters, but she wanted the actors to distance themselves a little bit from the characters or something like that. I had never known before that this kind of acting method existed.

I know nothing about classical music, but I think the subject is interesting. When I was a little child, I used to think that classical music, operas, and many traditional performances are boring. I used to pay no attention to paintings and art works, too. But when I became a cinephile in 1995 or so, I gradually discovered that in order to appreciate films, you should also appreciated many things connected with them, such as paintings, philosophy, politics, classical music, operas, theaters, etc. I still know nothing about classical music now, but I no longer feel it is boring.

...I think CHARISMA is one of my most favorite films by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Talking about him, I wonder if you have seen HOME (directed by Ursula Meier, starring Isabelle Huppert) or not, because this film is a little bit like Kiyoshi's films. HOME and Kiyoshi's films share one thing in common: they represent the dilemma of human beings. My friend Filmsick made a nice observation that most of Kiyoshi's films are about dilemmas. These films present human beings who must choose a way to solve their problems. But when they choose the first way, they find that it leads to a cul-de-sac or something like that. When the characters choose the second way, they find that it leads to a cul-de-sac, too. Human beings thus find no "absolute" or "perfect" way to solve the problems. They must deal with this fact of life and try to balance between the two imperfect ways or try to adapt them as best as they can.