How to leave memories of happiness
Gabe Klinger's "Porto"
Yoshiaki KOSHIKAWA
Male and female strangers involved in something encounter in a foreign country and take a night together. Even though the couple tasted a sense of unity that is unforgettable for a lifetime, such a relationship will not last long. But in just a moment in your life, the memory that tasted happiness does not disappear. This movie tries to leave such a momentary ephemeral memory that remains in the human mind.
As a narrative of the movie, it adopts the "minimalism” which aims at the maximum effect with minimum representation. Rather than telling many stories, it appeals to the imagination of the audience rather. For that reason, it repeats several scenes that left intense impression on the two protagonists.
For example, the scene that the man and woman stare at each other shows at the beginning and ending. They will face sideways on the bed and stare at each other. The man is naked, but the woman is dressed. In the morning, only a woman gets up and goes to buy breakfast for them and it is a blissful moment to lie on bed again. At the beginning this scene lasts only a few seconds, but at the end of the film it lasts for more than a minute. Both of them are silent without any speech. It is the imagination of the audience to establish the conversation between the two people, and what they think of then.
Another scene is a late-night restaurant. After making love, they go out and eat. For the first time the information exchange on each other is made. Male (Jake) is an American of 26 years old. When his father was a diplomat and transferred to Lisbon, he was a high school student and also came to Portugal. When his father was to be transferred to another place again, he decided to stay with an older sister in this city. He does any work he gets, but he doesn’t like the job itself. The images of train stations, rush hours and clocks will flow, but he does not seem to take part in the modern industry which seeks productivity and efficiency.
A woman (Matty) is a French student of 32 years old. She was learning archeology and classics at Sorbonne, but she became in love with the Portuguese professor who came to Paris. The professor said that he wanted to divorce and want to be with her, but she refused his offer because he wanted freedom. She has led a student life for many years because she was hospitalized of a mental illness. She is not cured yet. She seems to have come to this city following the professor.
This place is the second largest city of Portugal, Porto. It is also the title of this film. Construction of the old city was done before the 5th century, and there are also residuals of Celtic culture. It is also a multicultural city open to the outside. The Old Town is registered as a World Heritage Site in 1996 as "Historic District". Although the image of the "historical district" such as the elevated iron bridge over the Douro River and the Saint Bent railroad station comes out in the film, it seems to have a deep symbolism, not being merely the backdrop.
For example, the hordes of seagulls flying over the Gulf of Porto are displayed several times with their distinctive barks. Among other things, the beautiful scene is where the seagulls flock to the expanse of blue sky on the dawn when the two spent together.
It goes without saying that seagulls are omnivorous and strong enough to eat crabs, octopus and small fish, and garbage thrown away by humans. In addition, they give birth and raised babies in colonies, and are considered that the mate fidelity is very high. They rarely cheat.
The large group of seagulls is a thing that does not change over time. Love affair is easy to change. It is only memory of love that does not change. What this movie tried to capture might be the beauty of things that will not change.
Conversely, in this world, all things are changed and lost. Matty speaks of the paradox of forgetting while quoting the words she read in a certain book. "People forget everything, but things forgotten are not lost."
Soundtrack is also wonderful. It is itself a unique presence rather than a background for a movie. Two contrary black musicians are used. While this movie has a Western couple as main protagonists, African music gives a global perspective and spiritual element of the different culture.
One is John Lee Hooker's thick voice, singing lightly and soulfully, the Blues song "Shake It Baby" of the 1960’s. By the way, John Lee Hooker is a black guitarist / singer (1917-2001) from the South of the United States. He had session with Rolling Stones, Doors and numerous rock bands in the 60’s, but he simply continued working for the rest of their lives without ending as " a legend". In the movie, the strange man and woman meet at a cafe restaurant in the Old Town called "Ceuta", then the music of John Lee Hooker flows in a crushing moment. Refrain of "One Time for Me" (for once, for me) and "Me and you, nobody but you (me and you, only you)" is very impressive.
Meanwhile, in contrast, the flow is Emmahoy Tsegue-Maryam Ghebrou's piano, "Homeless Wonder" and "Presentiment (Insect Notice)". Emmahoy is a pianist, a composer from Ethiopia, influenced by Western music. Two songs are adopted here from the album of the 60's. Like Eric Satie, her piano music is unique that a strange dynamics is felt in a tranquil melody. Once it is heard it cannot be forgotten. The audience is playing a role in imagining the mental and physical of the couple who have experienced a shocking love and lose it.
Speaking of a love affair between foreigners at a journey, Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" is reminiscent of it, but this work is an interesting indie work that surpasses that.
("Subaru" October 2017 issue)
