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KAZOO's "SNS Eigojutsu" Movie Corner (9) 
 Reflections on My “Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot" Interview With Director Gus Van Sant 
 - NHK E-Tele "SNS Eigojutsu" (aired 2019/04/26) | CINEMA & THEATRE #013
Photo: ©RendezVous
2022/01/17 #013

KAZOO's "SNS Eigojutsu" Movie Corner (9)
Reflections on My “Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot" Interview With Director Gus Van Sant
- NHK E-Tele "SNS Eigojutsu" (aired 2019/04/26)

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KAZOO
Translator / Interpreter / TV commentator

Overview


1.Prologue

Last week on the show we aired my interview with director Gus Van Sant. I had the opportunity to speak with him when he came to Japan to promote his new film Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.

To general audiences, Gus Van Sant is most famous for directing the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. But that film is better characterized as a breakthrough for them-unknown Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who wrote the script and starred in the film. In terms of Van Sant’s oeuvre, the film is the exception, rather than the rule.


2.Thoughts on My Gus Van Sant Interview

Van Sant first garnered attention for his work as a director of independent and art films such as 1991’s My Own Private Idaho. Good Will Hunting was his mainstream breakthrough, garnering him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director; however, he later returned to directing art house films. The perspective of the outsider is a common theme in Van Sant’s work.

Van Sant’s protagonists are the kind of characters rarely given a voice in mainstream films. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot is the story of a quadriplegic cartoonist suffering from alcohol addiction, while Elephant, which chronicles two bullied high school kids who embark on a school shooting rampage, is based in part on the Columbine High School massacre.

Van Sant is perhaps best regarded for his work that deals with homosexuality. 1991’s My Own Private Idaho, one of his earliest films, is the coming-of-age story of two male prostitutes living in Portland, Oregon—where Van Sant himself grew up. 2008’s Milk is a biopic chronicling the life of gay activist and politician Harvey Milk in 1970s San Francisco—a center of gay culture. As an openly gay man, the theme of being an outsider is one that he has, in more ways than one, lived himself.

Rewatching Van Sant’s films in preparation for the interview and talking to the man himself has made me reflect on what it means to be an outsider. In the U.S., where rebels and outlaws have traditionally been romanticized and celebrated, outsiders have a place in society, albeit as outsiders. And outsiders are given the freedom to forge their own path and achieve success. It’s only natural that a country founded on the pioneer spirit would hold those who stick to their guns in the face of opposition in high regard. It is precisely that social climate that has cultivated larger-than-life figures like eccentric Apple founder Steve Jobs and gay Pop Art icon Andy Warhol.

In contrast, Japan is a mura shakai where peer pressure results in outsiders being expelled and eliminated as threats to the social order. Mura shakai dynamics are why the Japanese indie scene is given little recognition,. and luminaries commensurate to the aforementioned ones from the West are few and far between. If you get a chance to watch Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, or any of Van Sant’s films, pay close attention to how he depicts outsiders.


3.Gus Van Sant’s Profile and Selected Filmography

Gus Van Sant (1952-) is an American movie director, screenwriter, photographer, and musician. He was born in Kentucky, in the east south-central region of the U.S., and grew up in Portland, Oregon on the West Coast. After graduating from art school, he got his start making television commercials. He made his feature-length directorial debut in 1985, and is known for work that spotlights the marginalized, addressing themes such as homosexuality, disabilities, and blue-collar workers. His 2003 film Elephant won the Palme d'Or as well as the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival.

My Own Private Idaho (1991)
This coming-of-age tale depicts the struggles of two young men living on the streets and working as prostitutes in Portland, Oregon. River Phoenix was praised in particular for his work, winning awards for Best Actor/Best Male Lead at the Venice Film Festival, the National Society of Film Critics Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, and more.

Elephant (2003)
This drama is based on the Columbine High School Massacre, which took place on April 20th, 1999. Van Sant does not dramatize, nor does he attempt to shine a light on possible motivations or assign meaning to these tragedies; Instead, he depicts the meaninglessness and senselessness of school shootings. This film won the Palme d'Or as well as the Best Director award at the 56th Cannes Film Festival.

Milk (2008)
This biopic depicts the final 8 years of the life of Harvey Milk, who spoke out against social inequality and fought for gay civil rights in San Francisco. The film won the award for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay, among others, at the 81st Academy Awards.

Don’t Worry (2018)
This biopic is the story of John Callahan, an alcoholic slacker living in Portland, Oregon, who becomes paralyzed in all four limbs in a car accident. Struggling to overcome his drinking habit, he regains purpose in his life when he starts drawing satirical cartoons.


4.Tweed jacket by Ralph Lauren

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For more about this item, see FASHION & SHOPPING #006.


5.White button-down shirt by Brooks Brothers

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For more about this item, see FASHION & SHOPPING #011.


6.Black knitted tie by Brooks Brothers

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BigBrother lent me this vintage knitted tie from Brooks Brothers.


7.Brown belt by Brooks Brothers

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For more about this item, see FASHION & SHOPPING #008.


8.Red corduroys by Brooks Brothers

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I bought this pair of corduroy pants (“14-Wale Corduroy Plain Front Pants Milano") back in May in a spring sale on the Brooks Brothers online store. Originally more than 10,000 yen, I got them for 4,500 yen (with tax). Sweet deal.

Side note, the wale in 14-wale refers to the distinct vertical ridges on the corduroy fabric. The number 14 refers to how many ridges there are in a one-inch span of fabric. The higher the number, the finer the ridges, the lower the number, the wider the ridges.

As a rule, the finer the ridges, the more suitable the pants are for a business-casual look; the wider the ridges, the more casual they are.


9.Orange socks by Tabio

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These are Tabio “Men’s Wide Ribbed Socks" (972 yen, tax incl.), this week in an autumnal orange.


10.Chukka Boots by Red Wing

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For more about this item, see FASHION & SHOPPING #010.


11.“M-27" glasses by 999.9

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For more about this item, see CINEMA & THEATRE #005.


12.Epilogue: Notes From My Stylist Scarlet on This Ensemble

For this interview KAZOO was interviewing director Gus Van Sant, so I chose an ensemble that evokes a journalist from the 80s.

Tweed jacket, white button down shirt, and black knitted tie. That’s an 80’s journalist if I ever saw one.

Normally, I would match a pair of khaki-colored chinos with this ensemble to go with the theme, but this is 2019, so I decided instead to opt for brick-red corduroy pants.

I chose orange socks and beautiful reddish-brown chukka boots to compliment the pants.

I don’t often see people pulling off chukka boots here in japan, but most European gentleman will likely own a pair, much like the Duke of Windsor in the 1920s and 30s. The leather shoes were originally meant for the sport of polo, so they give off a casual vibe and tend to go better with something like a tweed jacket rather than a suit.

The knitted tie and button down shirt also give off a rough, casual look, favored by liberal journalist types.


CINEMA & THEATRE #013

Reflections on My “Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot” Interview With Director Gus Van Sant


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