Hey, this is a short story i did in the context of the Kumo desu ga Anime having a character read it. Maybe there is some different deeper meaning in it, so i decided to translate it. Have fun with this beautiful part of Prose – APM
弱者の糧
by Dazai Osamu
Many people that love movies are weaklings. Even for me, when I am feeling weak, I get sucked into the movie Theater on a whim. When my Mind is high on Energy, I do not even look at movies. But whenever I feel anxious about anything, I jump into a Movie theatre to feel a little relieve. I don’t know how much the total Darkness there helps. No one will pay attention to yourself. You can sit in a corner of the Movie Theater at least a few hours and be separated from the World. There is no other place like it.
Regrettably/Sadly, most movies make me cry. It would not be an exaggeration that I cry every time. Masterwork, Trash piece, to behold such criticism never occurred to me. Because I rather Laugh and cry with the audience. 5 years ago, at the Theater on the Chiba Prefecture Bridge, I watched a historical drama called “新佐渡情話”and cried very much. The following morning, I woke up recalling this movie. Sobs escaped me. Yataro Kurokawa, Yonago Sakai and Hanai Ranko did the play. The morning afterwards, I remembered and cried again, and as one would expect this movie not the only one. If my Consciousness began to weep, why do critics say it’s a great piece of folly then? It was good. I do not know the Director, but I still want to thank him for that Film.
Maybe I am making fun of the movie though. I do not think of it as art. I think of it as Red-bean soup. But there are times when one would rather be grateful for Red-bean Soup, rather than art. There are a lot of times when that happens. Also ca. 5 years back, I was living in Funabashi, in desperation I went to Ichikawa, without any idea where I was going, sold a book from my pocket, and saw a movie with that money. “Older brother and younger Sister” was it called. At time I, too, cried very much. Omon’s (?) tearful protests made me so sad. I cried with a loud voice. After doing something so intolerable, I escaped to the Restroom. But that was good too.
I am not a big fan of foreign films. I do not understand the conversation one bit, and it is extremely difficult to read every sentence that appears in the corner of the screen. Because I have a habit of examining writing carefully, I can often not finish reading. It is really exhausting. Besides I do not wear Glasses even thought I am near sighted, so I cannot read anything unless I’m seated very far forward.
The times I go to the Cinema are times I am really tired, the times my Heart grows weak. At that time, I am being defeated. I just sit at a small spot of total Darkness where I cannot see anybody’s Face. Because it brings a little relieve. Its times like these that make any movie sink into your bones. It even seems that Japanese films are made with such a weak heart as their goal. Abandon your Ambitions. In small, humble homes there is Happiness. The rich have their own dark misfortunes. Give up! And teach. The World’s losers cannot help but cry when they receive this gentle comfort. Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? I do not even know.
The Necessary Qualifications as Spectator are: First, you have to be innocent. Then you have to believe in the absurdness. Ichirō Ōkouchi (TLN: screenwriter), must always win the game. Like a well-educated lady once said laughingly: “The actor, Hideo Otani, is so charming. I feel a little at ease whenever he appears. He can never Loose. Art films bore me”. That is a beautiful Opinion. If you try to play clever, you will lose.
Novels, as well as Films, differ quite a lot. Watching the Kokugikan Kakuriki seriously, a foolish Author who is deeply moved by it, would say: “Ultimately art is the same in all things”.
It is a little more reasonable to say that everything is the same in terms of living emotions. Moreover, it is not necessary to equate movies and novels in terms of their so-called “perfections”. It is also ridiculously wrong to rant and rave about the uniqueness of one thing and exclude the other. As even a medical Doctor and a Buddhist priest bow before each other if they meet on the street.
Maybe Future Films will no longer be made with the goal of “Food for the weak”. But I wonder if the majority of the audience will still be a miserable bunch of people. When I am seeing a long line of visitors, that surround the theatre, I feel a heavy mass weighing me down. I cant help, but think that, “Lets go and see a movie!” are still lethargic words, lurking in the sighs of the Weak and defeated. For the time being, the theme of comforting the weak may still be smoldering at the bottom of Films.
APM - Translation 