Murakami and 400 Blows (Seema)

It has been really fascinating to study the film and music influences on Murakami's work. his taste is so diverse and multicultural which highlights how aware he is of the world around him. I really enjoyed watching Francois Trufant's film, 400 Blows, because I could see why Murakami held on to it strongly. Despite how this film deals with serious topics such as poverty and homelessness during one's youth, it retains an air of simplicity and silence which is akin to what I see in Murakami’s writing. In a similar manner Murakami will deal with themes such as loss, suicide, and mental illness, yet they never feel heavy and overbearing in his work. He writes about these topics in a casual and mundane way rather than having them be a banishing testament of life. One thing I thought was really interesting is that one of the most famous scenes in 400 Blows is of Antoine running to the beach. This scene is extensive and goes on for a few minutes. The scene is also really similar to the one mentioned in the Western film that we discussed in class. The image of people on the run from something but oftentimes themselves is a common image in Murakami’s work. This is also seen when Toru goes away for a month after Noako’s death.