Talk:Dodes'ka-den

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Misc

"Some have thought that the film title refers to a traditional Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound made by a tram or train while in motion ( "Do-desu-ka-den do-desu-ka-den do-desu-ka-den") but it was an onomatopoeia Kurosawa created for the movie. "

this is not true. Dodesukaden is used by the child making train noises in the original collection of stories this movie was based on, therefore it is impossible that Kurosawa made it up. I have edited to fix this factual error. 75.72.178.131 18:12, 9 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The point is "dodesuka-den" is not a real word that Japanese people recognize.

And though the word may appear in "dodesuka-den" appear in the original story by Yamamoto Shūgorō, but Yamamoto made it up.[1]

So you didn't quite correctly fix it, because you misstated that this is a "traditional" onomatopoeic word.

Although "traditional" was later removed here by 124.97.104.38, I think it is better to explicitly state this is a coined word, based on the source (Joan Mellen) that I just gave.

For the same reason, I think it's misleading to say dodesuka-den is "literally clickity-clack" (even though the New York magazine reviewer does so[2]).--Kiyoweap (talk) 07:37, 7 February 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure it's related, but "dōdes'ka" with a long o sound is Japanese for "How are you?"/ "How is it?". It's possibly a coincidence, though. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 23:16, 28 September 2018 (UTC)[reply]

"The period immediately following World War II"?

I don't think so. It's contemporary (i.e., c. 1970), isn't it? Nakadai 22:35, 18 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree. There are many signs that this is a 1970 contemporary movie. For example, the wannabe architect and his boy live in the junked remains of a Citroen 2CV (deux chevaux), a car which first model year was 1949. The condition of the car implies that it has been lying in the junk yard for many years. Also, the style of clothing, especially the torn jeans that one of the female characters wears, indicates that this takes place in or after the 60’s. The old man who wants to commit suicide speaks of the war – and his loss -- in terms that imply that it happened a very long time ago. There are many more such period indicators. Ron g (talk) 14:34, 9 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Running time:

If it has been ssuggested that the 244 minute running time was a myth, has anyone talked to someone who watched the Japanese version? Emry (talk) 04:51, 24 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Five-year career lull

You might add that Kurosawa was awfully apprehensive after Hollywood fired him from the Japanese-US co-production of "Tora Tora Tora". Dodesukaden was transmuted from the remains of a project for another co-production called "Runaway Train" that never materialized. The original schedule called for a 44-day shoot; he completed it in 28. After release, critics came down hard on him for washing family linen in public: they felt that his duty was to make Japan look good and not dwell on homeless psychotics, village drunkards, local lasses of looser morals and such. The attacks contributed heavily to his suicide attempt and he survived only because his son came upon him in time. --Arthur Borges (talk) 05:20, 29 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Expansion

This article is too short and needs to be expanded in more detail with the plot and production being the main ones in need of expanding.--Paleface Jack (talk) 18:01, 13 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]