Friday, May 23, 2008

Movie Review: Sero Hiki no Goushu ("Gauche the Cellist")


This is one of my favorite movies -- we just watched it with Sam and Aidan for the first time. It's an hour-long Japanese animated movie about a cellist who's struggling to find the heart of music. Let's just say he does, and you have to see how. Along the way, you get Beethoven's Sixth (and it really does sound like a rehearsal when it's being reheased), some more obscure cello pieces of music, a cranky damanding conductor, lots of animals, and the healing of creation. It's about tying your shoes, working hard at something emotional, and giving yourself to others, quirks and all.

I've been thinking a lot about music lately, and when I see this film I think of St. Francis of Assisi preaching to the birds, and I know that the time spent in rehearsing and polishing music is well worth it. It takes discipline and heart, and it speaks to everyone. God gave us music so we could have films like this, and he gave us films like this so we could understand music -- or understand that we don't understand it, but it is good.

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/goshu/

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