映画【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】戸田奈津子さんからの宿題|Assignment from Natsuko Toda

-There is an English translation at the bottom of the text-

映画を観て文章を書く時のマイルール

noteに初めて映画のことを書いた文章【サブスタンス】はたまごと鶏とシャイニング🍳でも軽く触れたのだが…
映画を観てnoteの文章を書く時のわたしのマイルール》は…

映画のはなしのまえに〈わたし〉のはなし

映画字幕翻訳者 戸田奈津子さんの講演会

10月のとある父の命日。平日だったので会社から帰りの電車で「父の好きだった栗の入った最中でも買って帰って家で食べようかなぁ。」と考えながらInstagramをシューッとスクロールしていたところ…。

突然、プロモーションで《戸田奈津子さんの講演会参加募集》の案内がでてきた。元々映画用のアカウントで、映画関連のことしかいいねしないし…映画関連のことをUPするユーザーしかフォローもしていないアカウントだったので…。そのようなプロモーションがAIによって流れてきたのは、納得が行くのだが…。いつも、プロモーションと文字が出ていればスッとスクロールで飛ばしていたので目に止まったのが不思議だった。「戸田奈津子さんのお名前で、参加も無料となれば即日満席だろう」と本当に何気なしにリンクを開いたのだった。

するとなんとスルスルと画面は進んでいき、「お申し込みありがとうございました」の文字。「え？！本当に？！生で戸田奈津子さんの、お話を聴くことができるのか…」と電車の中で震え、仕事の半休を死守する心意気で当日を本当に楽しみにしていた。
何なら、この【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】を満席の映画館で観たときには隣の人が軽く咳払いをしようもんなら…。「わたしが戸田奈津子さんの講演聴けなかったらどうすんのよっ」と一瞬、頭の中をよぎったほどだった。普段そこまでの潔癖症では、けっしてない。笑

迎えた当日。300人越えの集客で主催者側も驚いていると司会の方の紹介の後…戸田奈津子さんの全部の、お話が楽しすぎて…。沢山のことを一気に聴いたり考えたりしすぎて…。終始興奮状態で、時間はあっという間。終始腕時計を気にされていた戸田奈津子さんが「あら、もう時間ね。いつもオーバしちゃうのに…」と仰ったその言葉に「本当に、この時間がずっと続けばいいのに」と悲しくなった直後…。

司会の方が「それでは質疑応答を…。」との、ことばが聞こえてきた。まさか質疑応答ができるなんてまったく思っていなかったので質問なんて用意していないし、わたしのあたまは「っっっ？！！！」真っ白状態で、わたしが見えた範囲で2名の方が即座に挙手をされ…。あっという間に1つ目の質問になった。

その質問をもちろん聞いてはいたが、わたしの頭の中は「こんな機会滅多にない…何か聞かないと…。」と焦るばかり。やっとの思い浮かんだ質問は…。前段の講演のなかで戸田奈津子さんが「やりたい仕事をやるのに、20年待ち続けた。30代の頃に少し近づいたと思ったが、実際やりたかった映画字幕の仕事ではなく全く未経験の通訳の仕事だった。そしてやりたかった映画翻訳としてプロデビューしたのは40代のときだった。」と、いう言葉にいまの自分を重ねていたので。「(どのように自分を重ねたのか、少し自分の置かれた状況を話したうえで…)その30代をどのように乗り越えましたか？」と質問つもりで2回、手を挙げた。

すると年代は違えど、苦しい状況におかれた《女子高生》の方が詳細は違うけれど…同様の質問をされたのだった。きっと、わたしのように藁にもすがる思いだったと思う。この女子高生の多分、人生をかけた質問への戸田奈津子さんの回答に思わず涙ぐんでしまった。

しかしここでポロッと涙が出たことで、わたしは少し自分を取り戻し…。（「あの時の彼女っ！本当にありがとう。心から…。」巡り巡って、今わたしの高校時代のようにしんどいを思いをしている彼女に…この文章が、この「ありがとう」が、いつか届いてほしい…。）

そして女子高生の彼女の質問のあと、はたと気がついたのだ。「なにかnoteでネタになる質問を…。」と。
講演の中で、全部が全部〈今の映画が良くないということではない〉と、強く前置きされたうえで「昔の映画はよかった」と、お話されていた。更に自己紹介の場面では「戦後子どもの頃、映し出された洋画の世界は別世界そのものだった」と話す彼女の恍惚とした表情がすべてを物語っていた。

わたしの中で昔の映画と言えばモノクロ【ローマの休日】や【雨に唄えば】の世界観に心奪われて、実際にでも心の中でも何度〈雨に唄えばごっこ〉をしたかわからないし、イタリアに行ったときには「あぁここが…。ローマの休日の舞台…。」と心奪われた。しかし、わたしにとってはカラーの【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】だって。もっと言ってしまえば先日《午前十時の映画祭》で観た【アマデウス】だってわたしの中では昔の映画だ。（これを読んで今愕然とした方、全く持って悪意はございません…汗　ご容赦を…。）そんなわたしに向け戸田奈津子さんがおすすめしてくれる。彼女にとっての《昔の映画》が、とてつもなく気になった。

そして高校生の彼女の質問から3人目…。司会の方が「そこの女性の方」と、まっすぐわたしの目をみて指名してくださった。

二代目うさぴょんたん

小さいころ大好きなワンピースがあった。〈ピンクのチューリップ〉が細かくプリントされた生地。そのワンピースは母が作ってくれたものだった。当時、大好きだった絵本『わたしのワンピース』に出てくるようなパターン柄のワンピースがお気に入りだった。

当時、わたしには2代目うさぴょんたんがいた。初代うさぴょんたんにはドラマが詰まっているので、またの機会に書いてみたい。要するに〈うさぎのぬいぐるみ〉である。笑　初代うさぴょんたんは、わたしは生まれる前から一緒で活躍していた。話せるようになって既に〈うさぴょんたん〉と呼ばれていた、うさぎの名前は父か母が付けたのだと思う。何となくネーミングセンスから直感で父な気がするが、答え合わせをしたことは今までない。今思えば〈独特な名前〉のついた、その子が大好きだった。多分生まれて初めての、親友だったと思う。

そんな生まれて初めての親友のうさぴょんたんに続く二代目うさぴょんたんも、肌りが大好きで…。多分25センチくらいだったその子の、手やおしりをちいさな手で撫でていた。その肌触りだけで安心するのだから…。初代うさぴょんたんの〈ライナスの毛布〉ほどの存在ではなかったが。当時のわたしとしては父と母家族同様、身近な存在だった。

大好きなチューリップのワンピースは少し厚手で、春先に着るのにちょうどいい生地だった…。しかしあっという間に夏が来て、母と手芸屋さんに行ったとき…。沢山、生地を買ってもらった。

真夏に向けて、母に甚平とワンピースを作ってもらった。そしてなんとっ。多分、当時こんな風に母からは呼ばれていなかったはずだが…笑「2代目うさぴょんたんの分も生地が余った」と言ってお揃いのワンピースも母が作ってくれたのだった。肩紐の部分を結ぶとリボンの形になるワンピースで、もちろんお気に入りになった。絵本の『わたしのワンピース』の世界にいる気分で二代目うさぴょんたんと手を繋ぎ、お揃いのワンピースで満面の笑みで写っている写真が今も残っている。

JRの広告

会社からの帰りの電車。会社の先輩と電車に乗って話していたものの、1枚の窓横のポスターが目に飛び込んだ。見たことのあるポスターと〈赤毛のアン 千秋楽〉の文字。会社の先輩と別れてから、劇団四季のサイトで調べてみると残り2週間。もちろんチケットは完売だった。しかし、何故か直感で観ることができる気がしたのだ。

それから約一週間後、三連休前の金曜の夜。映画館で映画を観たい気分で上映中の作品を探してみると、ネットフリックスの【ジェイ・ケリー】がちょうどよさそうな時間にやっていた。同じくネットフリックスの【フランケンシュタイン】を映画館で観たときに【ジェイ・ケリー】が予告で流れたのだった。以前、インスタのリールで〈おちゃらけた〉ジョージ・クルーニーがプレミアか何かでカメラマンのカメラを奪い取り共演者の写真を撮るパフォーマンスをしてみせた。その時の仕草と予告の中の彼があまりにも酷似していて…。映画館でなくても、家で寝そべりながら観てみたいと思っていた作品だった。

そんな彼の作品はライトに感じられて、1週間の仕事が終わって金曜の夜に観るにはちょうど良い作品のような気がして…。電車に揺られながら、気がついたらチケットを買っていた。

そんな映画上映前、さっと食べられる定食屋に入った。注文を終えて料理が運ばれてきて、ふと時計を見ると18時45分だった。そこで「あれ？劇団四季の当日券って前日の19時発売開始だったような…」と思い出し。とりあえずログインだけして、食事は温かいうちに食べきりたいので「いただきます」と手を合わせた。以前、夏休みに帰省した際劇団四季をどうしても観に行きたくてチケットを取ったのに…。関東に台風直撃で観劇もおろか、京都に帰るのを1泊延期しても東海道新幹線を迂回してもやっと帰宅ということがあった。その時は天災ということで返金手配をしてくれたのだが、お金が戻ってくるクレジットカードのキャンセル手続きではなく〈2年以内に同額のチケットを買うことができる〉というシステムだった。その時から、折に触れて観たい作品と観たいタイミングが一致しそうなときにはチケット情報を観ていた…。そのため翌当日券の発売開始時間・事前にログインしておくのが鉄則等、購入のポイントが頭に入っていたのだった。

特に時計を見ながら食事をしたわけではなかったのだが…。ちょうど「ごちそうさまでした」と手を合わせて、箸をおいてからスマホをみると19時2分だった。2分過ぎてしまったので「もう席はないだろう」と…見てみると…。「なんと前から6列目ほぼセンターの席が空いているではないか…。こんな奇跡的なことあるのかっ。」と空いた食器を前に慌てて購入確定画面まで進んだ。

4歳のころNHKで【赤毛のアン】のアニメが放送されていた。今思うと、お話の内容はよくわかっていなかった気もするが…。徐々に大きくなって観た【アルプスの少女ハイジ】や【ふたりのロッテ】と並んで記憶に残る作品だった。

そんなことも忘れていたコロナの時に入会したネットフリックスで、サムネに惹かれて観始めたのが【アンという名の少女】だった。

原作は読んだことがないが…。最近、運転中欠かせないルーティーンのオーディオブック。40時間越えの『国宝』上下巻。170時間以上ある『ハリーポッターシリーズ』も順調に聴き進んでいる。『ハリーポッター』を聴き終わるのは寂しい気もしていたが今、検索してみると『赤毛のアン』があったので『ハリー・ポッター』を聴き終わったら挑戦してみたい。

ネットフリックスドラマの【アンという名の少女】は社会課題も取り上げており映像の綺麗さも、あいまって…。当時すごくまじめに〈おうち時間〉を過ごしていたわたしに、自然を感じさせてくれる《外の世界そのもの》と言ってもよかった。彼女の髪がそよ風になびけば、そよ風が頬をなで…わたしの髪だって揺れているようにさえ感じた。

そんな【赤毛のアン】に多少なりとも触れてきたわたし。全く覚悟もできていないまま、トントン拍子に思いついて約20分の間に…。気が付けば《明日》劇団四季の赤毛のアンを観に行くことになったのだった。何を着ていくかも全く考えていなかったけれど、全身真っ黒のコーディネートに赤毛色の靴下を差し色に京都劇場へと向かった。

ヘッドフォン

【ラスト・ナイト・イン・ソーホー】の文章〈わたし〉のはなしでも、少し書いたことがあるのだが…。高校生の頃、電車に乗れなくなったことがあった。その時、わたしのお守りだったのがイヤフォンだった。

中高と毎朝、時には両足が浮くほどの尋常じゃない満員電車に1時間揺られて通学していた。電車に乗れなくなって学校に通えなくなってから、どれだけの時が経ったのかわからないが…。徐々に学校に復帰するのに、遅刻をして通学し空いた電車に1人乗っていた。それでも周囲の視線から「なんであの子、こんな時間に制服で電車に乗っているのかしら」と思われているのでは…というある意味被害妄想的な思考を断ち切るのと…。そんな意味でのパーソナルスペースを自分の中で確保するのに、わたしはイヤフォンと祖父に買ってもらったiPod Touchをお守りのように肌身離さず持っていた。

通学途中のプレイリストで再生数をダントツで稼いでいたのは…P!NKのSo WhatとF**kin' Perfect。当時、歌詞なんてまるで解っていなかったのだけれど…。P!NKのちょっとハスキーと言うか、ドスの効いた声が心地よくて…そして少し勇気が出るような気がして…。わたしの応援歌だった。いま改めて和訳を読んでみたけれど、我ながらなかなかのチョイスだ。笑（どんな曲か気になる方はYouTubeの和訳をリンク↑で入れておいたので、どうぞ…。ちなみに、わたしは全くと言っていいほど英語ができない。そのため、この和訳が良いとかではなくて動画全体のセンスで掲載させていただいております。）

そんな高校時代のことはほとんど忘れかけた、昨年の春。繁忙期、真っただ中の週末の夜YouTubeでDisney+をフォローしていると〈今週末、公開予定〉のような投稿が上がってくることがあった。そのサムネに惹かれてDisney+で検索してみると公開されていたので繁忙期の気分転換くらいの軽い気持ちで、すぐに観始めたのだった。

主人公のハリエットは恋人をちょうど1年前に亡くし、彼女もヘッドフォンがお守りだった。彼女の境遇と幼いころ父を亡くした自分を重ねずにはいられず、更に極めつけだったのは…。彼女が亡くなった恋人との過去に引き戻されるのは《音楽》だった。が、わたしは〈香り〉で過去に引き戻される経験をしていたので、より一層彼女に自分を重ねたのだった。

わたしが9歳になりたてのとき、父が亡くなったのは10月中旬だった。その頃の空気の香りがしてくるとわたしは、何年何十年経っても小さいころ父が亡くなった家の子ども部屋に引き戻された。当時のわたしの部屋はカーペット張りだったが…。雨が降った時など空気の香りが変わるように…。秋の香りがしてくると駅のホームにヒールで立っていたとしても、足の裏に《子ども部屋のカーペット》の感触を感じるほど。わたしは父の死後、夏から秋になるときの空気の香りの移り変わりに〈かなり〉敏感になった…。

この現象を、うまく誰かに今まで言語化して伝えることはできなかったが…。【グレイティスト・ヒッツ】が、その様を本当に上手に映像化していた。ハリエットの様に気絶することはなかったが、父の後ほぼ10年近く後に亡くなったiPodTouchをわたしに買い与えてくれていた祖父の〈骨を拾う〉時には…。父の時と同じ独特の香りと共に、様々な記憶がフラッシュバックして今思うと冷や汗をかき呼吸はできず…血圧が低下し気絶寸前だった。だから彼女の藁にもすがるような思いからの、行動は映画の中の出来事とフィクションに思うことが難しかったほどだった。

ネタバレなしの感想

修道院で修行中のマリアは問題児。そんな彼女は、とある一家の家庭教師へと派遣される。

幼いころに観たイメージで子ども向けの洋画と思っていたら、大人の展開にアクション映画ばりに息を止めて鑑賞。映画全体を通しての音楽の繰り返しに注目。12月上旬までリマスター版が上映中なので是非映画館へ。（140時）

ネタバレありの感想

幼い頃、母に「［ドレミの歌］の映画だよ」といって見せられた【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】は「歌詞が全然違う…わたしの知っているドレミの歌じゃない…。」とがっかりしたが…。「こっちが本物なのっ！」という母の妙な自信がどこから来るのか全く納得がいかないモヤモヤする映画という印象だった。笑　今思えば母のいうことが正しいのだがわたしにはソ～は青い空だし、ラはラッパのラだし…シなのにティと言うし…。「ドレミの歌の映画では、ないじゃないか」と全く納得がいかなかったのである。笑

そんな風に幼いころ、がっかりした映画だということも…すっかり忘れた中高生の頃…。音楽室で映画館で【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】を授業で観た。2週に分けて映画を観て、みんなで歌いながら教室を移動したのだった。そして高校生の頃には映画【ネバーランド】書くことはセラピーでも書いたのだが、母と訪れたロンドンでもちろん全編英語の【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】のミュージカルを観た。英語ができないわたしでもマリアが子どもに話す内容であれば、わたしにもギリギリ内容は理解でき…。映画で観たことがあった内容だったので、生涯に残る記憶として楽しむことができた。

そんな思い出が沢山詰まった【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】を映画館でやるというので絶対に観ると決めていた。土曜日の1日1枠のみの上映回は、わたしがチケットを買う段階で8割がた席は埋まっていて…。当日は満席。あまりの熱気にみんなコートや羽織っていたカーディガンを上映前から脱いでいた。

歌のすごさ

小学校4年生の頃1か月ほど入院したことがあった。その時に、TVと映画を観られる環境が小児科のプレイルームに用意されており…。そのことを知った母が映画を借りてきてくれた。当時は女優さんの名前なんて全く知らなかったが【プラダを着た悪魔】や【マイ・インターン】のアンハサウェイが高校生役で出演している。

そんな思い出の詰まった映画だったが、先日Disney+で上記のサムネイルを見つけて懐かしくなって観てみた。なんとなくしか、内容が思い出せなかったからである。ティーン向けのDisney実写映画なので、【ハイスクール・ミュージカル】のようにかなりライトかつテンポもいいので面白く、観終わることができた。そしてなんと【プリンセス・ダイアリー２】があるというではないか。驚きつつも、そのまま観始めたのである。

するとなんということだろう、架空の王国のジェノビア王国の王妃である祖母と孫のアンハサウェイがパジャマパーティーをするシーンで…。祖母が歌うのだ…。（ここだけ読んだらどういう設定？！となるがそういう設定なのである笑）その歌声を聴いた瞬間、全く結びつかなかったがその祖母役の女優さんが【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】のマリア役ジュディ・アンドリュースであることを確信した。

観終わってすぐに検索してみると、やっぱりそうで自分の感覚に狂いがなかったことに安堵したものの…。
全く気が付かなかったことに、恥ずかしさを覚えつつ〈歌のすごさ〉を思い知った。（調べてみると、ある事情で長く歌を封印しており…歌唱シーンの復帰が、この【プリティプリンセス2】の歌唱シーンだったという。その事情はかなりショッキングなのと、どこまでが本当がわからないので…あえて記載はしないが気になる方はリサーチを…。）

カーテンとおそろいのパワーと裁縫箱

わたしが生まれ育った最初に住んだ家のカーテンはベージュだった。独特な、でこぼこした生地で…。日の当たるカーテンにくるまっては、自分だけの世界と思って遊んでいた頃を思い出す。「汚いからやめなさい」と言われシュンとしていたが…。その後いくらわたしがくるまって遊んでも平気なように洗濯機で、お天気のいい日には洗われていたカーテンもセットで思い出される。
［マイ・フェイバリット・ソング］に乗せて歌い踊るマリアをみて安心する兄弟の気持ちと、幼いころカーテンの中柔軟剤とお日様の香りで安心感に包まれるように過ごすわたしの気持ちは同じだった。

さらに同じだったのは、2代目うさぴょんたんとおそろいのワンピースを着た時のワクワクだ。既製服より手づくりが勝るとかそういうことでは決してないが…。幼いころ母が作ってくれた洋服は、わたしのなかで格別だった。ましてや、お気に入りぬいぐるみとお揃いとなればさらに格別だった。

わたしは生まれてすぐに母の実家で少し過ごし、その後も母の実家は身近な存在だった。お針子だった祖母のいる祖父母の家では、いつもわたしの目線の高さに裁縫箱があった。裁縫箱と言っても蓋のない、大きなバスケットに裁縫道具がぎっしり入っていて…。そこからキラキラした待ち針・鈴のついた糸切ばさみ・指輪のような形や陶器で出来た綺麗な絵の描いてある指ぬきを出して何をするでもなく触って眺めているのが大好きだった。まさに〈わたしのお気に入り〉の詰まった裁縫箱だった。

そんな祖母が亡くなった年。その実家をたたむ際、形見をもらうのに1日だけその家を訪れた。既にその時、京都に住んでいて関東の実家に帰ったついでに実家の車に母を乗せ車を走らせたのだった。沢山思い出は詰まっていたが、ほしい気持ちともらったら悲しくなってしまう気持ちとが渦巻いて…。
その家に住んでいた祖父の骨を拾う時同様、今思うとかなり動転していたように思う。

ただ、小さかった頃はわたしの目線にあった《裁縫箱》を足元に見つけた時。そのまま、そっくりもらってしまおうかとも思ったが…。中でも大好きだった鈴のついた糸切ばさみと、裁ちばさみをもらってきた。一枚の生地からジャキジャキと心地の良い音をたてて切り出した、布がお揃いのワンピースになる様を小さな頃母が見せてくれていたからこそ…。その裁ちばさみをもらってきたのだと【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】をみて、この文章を書きながら感じることができた。

心音

そんな［マイ・フェイヴァリット・ソング］だが…。わたしは聴くたびに思い出す風景がある。それはJR東海のCMで写し出される紅葉と京都の神社仏閣の映像だ。とある時期にしつこいくらい流れていたそのCMのバックで流れていたのが［マイ・フェイヴァリット・ソング］だった。父のお墓のある京都に行くことを思い立ち「今から京都行くよ」と言って、わたしをたたき起こした母。お墓まいりも早々に、舞妓さんの踊る舞をみて美味しいものを日帰りで食べて帰ってくる。その母の行動力を「そうだ。京都へ行こう。」のキャッチコピーを見るたびに思い出したりした。今調べてみると何十年も続いているCMで中には、ロックバージョンのアレンジもあったりで面白い…。

いつだったか、洋服をお店で物色していた時すさまじいビートで［マイ・フェイヴァリット・ソング］のメロディが流れてきた。最初はびっくりした。あまりに異なるその《マッシュアップ》に「こんなかっこいいことしていいのか」と鳥肌が立ったほどだ。それは〈わたし〉のはなしでも少し書いた海外ドラマ【キャッスル】でP!NKの［So What］が聴こえてきた時と同じくらいの衝撃だった。

そんなことも忘れた頃。社会人になって始めた、ダンスで他の人の創作ダンスを観る機会があった。そこでビートの効いた［マイ・フェイヴァリット・ソング］が流れてきたのだった。そしてこともあろうか、わたしはそのダンスをみて泣いたのである。ダンスをみて泣くなんて初めての出来事だった。それは、とある振付部分で間奏で流れる重低音を心音に見立てた動きで、肩を震わせ…。胸から自分の心臓を取り出すかのような動きで、大切そうな何かを天へと解き放つ振付だった。その後わかったのは、そのダンサーさんが大切なお子さんを亡くしていたことだった。直接聞いたわけではないので真相はわからないが…あの振付は幼いわが子を思っての振付だったのではないかと思う。

最近、小さめのライブハウスで音楽を聴いた。以前もそのライブで2時間ほどライブを見たことがあったのだが…。片側にいたせいでライブハウスを出ても20分ほど片耳だけ聴きにくく、そんな現象になったことはなかったので驚いたことがあった。
その時よりも爆音のライブだったので「なるべく今回は真ん中らへんにいようかな」と思ったのも、つかの間。たまたま押し流されて前方はじのほうにいたところ、片側のスピーカーの目の前だったのだ。

最初の一音が響いた瞬間の音の大きさに、ビビり倒し…。「まずいっ！このままでは右耳がやられる。」と瞬時に頭をよぎったが…。心臓に響く重低音が心地よすぎてスピーカーの前から離れられなくなってしまった。あまりの心地よさに、もう1組バンドの曲を聴いたのだが…。右がやられたのなら今度は左耳…。と。笑　観客ががはけた瞬間に、左のスピーカーに移動してさらに重低音を楽しんだ。
ジャンプした瞬間に全身の洋服や靴が震えるほどだったので、Dolby cinemaで銃撃戦を観るのが長時間続いたくらいの爆音だったのは間違いないだろう。

幼いころBoseのスピーカーがやってきてはしゃぐ両親を横目に…低音の出る写真の真ん中のスピーカーの前に陣取り「耳が悪くなるからやめなさい」と言われても絶対に動かなかった以来の楽しみ方だった。わたしの中の音楽は耳で聴くだけでなく、身体で感じるものなのかもしれない。

ことばにならない

いつだったか同じ映画をみた会社の先輩に「何回も同じ曲のフレーズが使われてたよね」と映画の感想を振り返って言われも、全く気が付かなかったほどの〈音楽には疎いわたし〉である。そんなわたしでも、気が付くことができた今回の【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】の中での曲の繰り返し。と言っても、今回の映画館での鑑賞でちゃんと認識できたので今まで何を観てたのかと…内心ちょっと恥ずかしかった。

映画の後半になるにつれ、戦争の魔の手がすぐそこに忍び寄る。正直、ここまでのスリリングさがあった映画だとは思っていなかった。手に汗どころか、何なら映画館を出る時には汗だくだったほどだ。幼いころは《あのマークの人々》に追われることが、どういうことかもわかっていなかったはず。

ただ［エーデルワイス］だけは2回目でなく最初の弾き語りが、わたしには悲しかった。それは《音楽を禁止していた父》としてのトラップ大佐が突然歌いだしたのが［エーデルワイス］だったからだ。ことばにならない想いが溢れ出すかのような歌だった。
そして今までは子どもたち目線もしくはマリア目線でしか、この出来事を観ることができていなかった。しかし今回の映画館での鑑賞で初めて、トラップ大佐の側の視点で考えられるようになったのだ。

この時代、ノイズキャンセリングのヘッドフォンなんてない。そんなものがあると知っていたら、きっと彼は持っていただろう。彼が自分を保つには〈音楽を禁止〉するしかすべがなかったのだ。きっと亡くなった奥さんとの思い出を思い出したくないと時でさえ、半ばテロのように思い出してしまった経験が何度もあるのだろう。そしてその《音楽禁止》が子どもたちに及ぼす影響なんて、想いを巡らせる余裕なんてなかったはずだ。（わたしが戦争を経験していないからかもしれないが…。）そんな彼からあふれ出した［エーデルワイス］のほうが《いまのわたし》には悲しく切なく感じた。
それでもこの場面で歌い出さなかったら…ずっと音楽に触れずに過ごす大佐だったら…マリアとの関係性だって育まれなかったはず。そして最後には自主的と言えずとも最初の頃からは想像もできない〈大観衆の前で歌うこと〉が、自分もそして大切な人を救うことに繋がるのだ。

どんなトラウマだって、乗り越えた先には思ってもみない可能性が広がっていると気が付かせてくれた。次に観るときは、どんな気付きを与えてくれる映画か楽しみにもなった【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】った。

戸田奈津子さんからの宿題

今後、仕事の繁忙期がやってくるので…。毎回書くことはできないかもしれないが…。いつも書いていたーおまけーコーナーの前に新しい企画をしたい。もしくは観た映画の中で《これは》と思うタイトルがあれば、1つの文章として書き上げたいと思う。

前段の〈わたし〉のはなしで書いた戸田奈津子さんの講演会に申し込み完了し…迎えた当日。300人越えの集客で主催者側も驚いていると司会の方の紹介の後…。司会の方が「それでは質疑応答を…。」との、ことばを開始の合図に数人が質問した後。
意を決して心臓が口から飛び出そうなのを我慢して《noteに書くことだけを目標》に挙手をしたところ…司会の方にまっすぐわたしの目を見て「そこの女性のかた」と、指名されたのだった。

もう立ち上がって、係の方からマイクを受け取るだけで膝はガクガク…。何なら声も震えていた。「本当にしたかった質問は、先ほどの女子高生の方がしてくださいました。（これを伝えることでわたしの置かれた背景を、察知してもらえると思った。ただ前置きを長くするわけには行かないので…）わたしは戸田さんが、先ほどの講演で仰っていた30代になります。そんなわたしに、おすすめの戸田さんならではの《昔》の映画はなんですか。」と質問したのだった。

彼女の最初の回答は「そうねぇ…。あの〜何だっけあの〜。家で観られる。」（実際には特定のサブスクの頭文字を連呼され…。会場もわたしも特定のサブスクをみんなで教えて差し上げた笑）「それで、調べてご覧なさいよ。」と、親切におしえてくださった。ただ、わたしのリアクションに瞬時に答えが違うと感じ取られたのだろう…。もしかしたら、お話されながら戸田奈津子さん自身考える時間が必要だったのかもしれない。しかしながら、この講演にくる人は映画好きであるという前提条件の中での〈おすすめ〉は難しいし、今思うときっと大人の事情もあって特定のタイトルを答えるのは色々と弊害があったかもしれない。

そんなウンウン悩む戸田さんへもう、千と千尋の神隠しで「ここで働かせてくださいっ！」くらいの震えた声で「是非っ。戸田さんのわたしへのおすすめを…」と付け足した。我ながら良くあの一言がでたと思う。汗　すると、「【アラビアのロレンス】は、ご覧になったのよね？」との質問にちょっと申し訳なく「はい。拝見しました…。」と答えると、よほどわたしの声が震えていたのだろう…苦笑　マイクを通して応えたのに「えッ？」と聞き返されてしまい…。本当に千と千尋の神隠しの千が自分の命をかけて職ほしさに連呼する「ここで働かせてくださいっ！ここで働きたいんですっ。」くらいに「拝見しましたっ！！！」と、もう一度答えた。（わたしの心情がそうだっただけで、多分こんなふうではなかったと思いたい…切実…苦笑）

すると、なんと真摯なことだろう…。もう一度うーんと、悩んでくださって「あっ。そうよっ。アカデミー賞の昔の作品を御覧なさい。今はノミネートは10作品あるけれど（ここで粋なコメントをいただいたがnoteでは割愛…笑）当時は5作品よ。どれを観ても絶対にいいわ。そうなさい。」と、わたしのために永遠とも思える時間を割いてくださった。（多分3分程度もないやりとりだったはず笑）

もうわたしは、とにかく膝も声も震えてしまって…。早く座りたい一心で…「ありがとうございます」を連呼したのだが…。さすがは関西に来て7年以上。フツフツと「なにか笑いを取らなければ…」との思いが込み上げてきて、講演でトム・クルーズのミッション・インポッシブルの、お話を沢山聞いたので「本当に素敵な〈ミッション〉をありがとうございますっ。」と伝え会場のクスクスをゲットしてようやく、ヘナヘナと座ることができた。

その後も、いくつか翻訳に関する質問が出て講演会は終了。会場をみんな後にするが…。まだ足には力が入らず、なかなか立ち上がることができない。しかし、わたしにはもう一つ《ミッション》があった。このやり取りをnoteに書いてもいいという許可が必要だった。

会場スタッフさんや主催者側のスタッフさんと思われる方は、戸田奈津子さんの対応で早々に会場から消えていく…。「まずいっ」と思ったわたしは、視界の端で司会の方を捉え、震える膝で懸命に追いかけた。もはや心理的には【サブスタンス】のオリジナルのスー状態だ。（以前「写真が怖かったっす」とコメントをいただいたので、ここへの掲載は差し支えるが…。気になる方はわたしの以前の文書へ…）

実際には、スタスタとあるいているように見えたとは思うが…いやそう思いたいだけかも笑　わたし的にはフルマラソンを走り終えたごとく、やっとの思いで司会の女性の方にたどり着き…。このnoteのプロフィール画面を見せながら（今思えば先に指名していただいたことの御礼を伝えればよかったが、）必死で質問をした。内心、息も絶え絶えで…「先ほど、質問をさせていただいた者です。趣味でネットに文章を挙げています。先ほどの質問のやり取りを書いても問題ないでしょうか。」と伝えた。すると「ご自身の言葉で書いていただく分には問題ないですよ。」と、笑顔で言っていただけたのだ。もうその場で、ふっかふかの絨毯に座り込みたかったが、「後日やっぱりだめということもあると思うので…」と念の為、連絡先だけお渡しし帰路についた…。そしてその熱量のまま一気に書き上げてしまいたくて…。カフェでこの文章を書いている。

講演会から5日「やっぱりネットへの文章のUPは…」と連絡はないのと推敲に推敲を重ねられたので、この文章のUPに至った。主催者の方の冒頭の、挨拶で「映画の企画を更に計画している」ということだったので…また機会があれば参加させていただきたい。

前置きが長くなたがーおまけーの前に《戸田奈津子さんからわたしへのミッション》アカデミー賞のノミネート作品を観る。そしてせっかくここまで書き続けられたnoteで、おまけの前に少しばかり感想を挙げていくコーナーを続けてみたい。

インスタでのプロモーション含め、こんな素敵な企画実現をしてくださった主催者さま心より御礼を申し上げます。

講演の中で、京都ならではのスターたちとのエピソードや戸田奈津子さんだから知っている俳優さんのエピソード。お写真も沢山みせていただいた戸田奈津子さん。貴重なお話と質疑応答とはいえ真摯にわたしに向き合ってくださり…本当にありがとうございました。

またなんのご縁か5作品ノミネートのうちアカデミー賞受賞作品の【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】の文章を書いている最中に質疑応答とはいえ、お話しが出来たこと…本当にうれしく思います。

そして何より、noteでこれまで読んでくださった方。リアクションしてくださった方。この場があったからこそ「講演会を聴きに行こう」と行動に移す事ができました。更にはこの場があったことで来年で90歳を迎えられる、あの戸田奈津子さんに食い下がってまで（おおげさ笑）ミッションをいただくことができました。

この場をかりてnote運営に関わるみなさま、わたしのnoteに一度でも関わってくださったみなさま。更には〈間接的にでも〉関わってくださった、みなさまに心の奥底からの御礼を申し上げます。

また読みに来てくださったら、嬉しい限りです。

おまけ

引用

生まれて初めてnoteで文章を引用してもらったのは、わたしの名前やリンクの共有はなくとも…。チャーミングなお名前でウェスアンダーソン監督への愛を語るユーザーさんで愛情あふれる文章だった。そして先日、生まれて初めてリンクを共有いただき文章を引用していただいた時は飛び上がるほどうれしかった。そんななかこの文章を書いている途中で、画面を切り替えると通知欄に「あなたの文章が話題です」と、表示がされたのだ。

以前の文章【インターステラー】で亡くなった父のことをメインで書いた文章を読んで、【コンタクト】をおすすめしてくださったのだ。いつもこんな風にわたしの文章を読んで、ドンピシャの映画をおすすめしてくださる。

すごく疲れていたけどどうしてもその日、観たくて観始めたため…途中で寝落ちしてしまった。そのためラストシーンは朝起きてから会社に行く前に観た。【宇宙戦争】程、会社に行けない現象は起きなかったが…。一日なぜか、夢見心地の日を過ごした。とっても素敵な映画で、インターステラー同様〈人にどんなに変に思われる〉と感じても信じ続けることも…。思い続けることも、していいよと〈過去のわたし〉も〈今のわたしも〉全肯定してくれる素敵な映画だった。

全くの音楽に疎いわたしが、この【サウンド・オブ・ミュージック】を書いている間「音楽に対して知識豊かなnaotoさんならどんな風に、この映画が見えるのだろう」と考えながら書きつつ…。書き上げるにあたってわたしの支えとなりました。いつもコメントもありがとうございます。

コメント

前回の文章でコメントをいただいた。

「こんなところに書くことではないのですが…」と前置きをしたうえで、想いのたけを書いてくださった。そして字数オーバーでフェードアウトすると、その文章を読んで、わたしは行きつけの定食屋のカウンターで思いっきり泣いてしまった。それから何度もコメントを読むうちに「きっとIT系に詳しそうかつ、わたしより人生経験を積まれているその方は…。【インターステラー】は、また違って見えたのでは？」と思う余裕もうまれた。

絶対に泣くわけがないと思っていた【ジェイケリー】と【赤毛のアン】のミュージカルと同様、不意を突かれすぎで号泣してしまったのだ。劇団四季の【赤毛のアン】のラストで畳みかけるように、同じフレーズでこの歌詞が流れる。

【赤毛のアン】なんて千秋楽前日の公演でスタンディングオベーションが起き、何度もカーテンコールが起こりすぎてキャストの人たちが笑い出してしまうくらいだったのに…。わたしは一人【インターステラー】ほどに声をあげて泣くのを我慢したくらい、号泣してしまったのだ。

決して《言葉で全部書き表せないほどの出来事》を懸命に文章にして本当に良かった。書いてインターネット上にUPする勇気をもってよかった…。

前回の【インターステラー】は正直《書くかどうか悩んだ内容》を、思い切って投稿した部分が多かった。ただそのコメントを読んだ時、本当に書いてよかった。届くべき人に届いてよかった…と心から思えた。

あなたのコメントを読んで、絶対にこの映画について書こうと心に決めていました。もしかしたら辛くて観られないかもしれません。もしまだご覧になっていないとしても、観ていただかなくても全く構いません。それでもコメントを読ませていただき《この映画を思い出した》という事実を共有せずにはいられません。

きっと意を決したコメントだったと思います…。本当にありがとうございました。今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。

おしまい。

My Rules for Writing About Movies

I touched on this lightly in my first movie-related post on note, [Substance], "Eggs, Chickens, and The Shining 🍳," but here are my personal rules for writing about movies on note:* Choosing a Film: I try not to input any prior information, judging whether to watch something based solely on the poster or thumbnail image. This makes the surprises while watching even more interesting.

• When Writing:

  • When writing spoiler-free impressions, I keep it under 140 characters.

  • Even when writing with spoilers, I don't write detailed plot summaries.

  • Before talking about the movie, I always write about "me" as a self-introduction, as it will later relate to the film.

Before the Movie: A Story About Me

A Lecture by Movie Subtitle Translator, Natsuko Toda

On a certain day in October, the anniversary of my father's death. Because it was a weekday, I was on the train home from work, thinking, "Maybe I'll buy some monaka with chestnuts, which my father liked, and eat it at home." While scrolling through Instagram...

Suddenly, an ad for a "Participation in Natsuko Toda's Lecture" popped up. Since my account is primarily for movies, I only like movie-related things and only follow users who post about movies, so it made sense that such an ad would appear through AI. However, I usually scroll past ads, so it was strange that this one caught my eye. I thought, "With Natsuko Toda's name and free participation, it'll probably be fully booked immediately," and casually clicked the link.

To my surprise, the screen smoothly progressed, and I saw the words, "Thank you for your application." "Wait, really?! I can actually hear Natsuko Toda speak live..." I trembled on the train and was determined to secure a half-day off from work. If I hadn't been able to hear the lecture, I would have thought, "What if I can't hear Natsuko Toda's lecture because of that person's cough?" I'm usually not that much of a germaphobe. (Laughs)

I watched it when I was in kindergarten and thought, "Old lady panties! Amazing!" Bridget, who was originally set to be the same age as me when it was released, is now the same age as me. I love [Bridget Jones's Diary] no matter how many times I watch it. After learning to dance, I realized that whether or not it keeps you warm is more important than the design. (Laughs)

The Second Usapyon-tan

When I was little, I had a favorite dress. It was made of fabric with a detailed print of pink tulips. My mother made it for me. I loved the patterned dress, like the one in my favorite picture book, "My Dress."

ISBN: 978-4772100182. The story is about a rabbit who sews a white dress that changes patterns like a chameleon, becoming a field of grass in a meadow or raindrops when it rains.

At the time, I had a second Usapyon-tan. The first Usapyon-tan has a dramatic story, so I'll write about it another time. In short, it's a rabbit stuffed animal. (Laughs) When the first Usapyon-tan was active, I was just born. I was already called "Usapyon-tan" when I started talking, and I think my father and mother gave him that name. I intuitively feel it was my father, based on the naming sense, but I've never confirmed it. Looking back, I loved that child with the "unique name." I think he was probably my first friend.

Following my first friend, Usapyon-tan, I also loved the texture of the second Usapyon-tan. I would stroke his hands and bottom with my little hands. Just the texture made me feel safe. He wasn't as much of a "Linus blanket" as the first Usapyon-tan, but he was as close to me as my father, mother, and family.

The tulip dress I loved was a bit thick, perfect for early spring. Summer came quickly, and when I went to a craft store with my mother, she bought me a lot of fabric.

My mother made me a jinbei and a dress for the summer. Andなんとっ. I don't think it was called this at the time, but (laughs), my mother said, "There's enough fabric left for the second Usapyon-tan too," and made matching dresses for us. It was a dress with ribbons to tie the shoulder straps, and of course, I loved it. I felt like I was in the world of the picture book "My Dress," holding hands with the second Usapyon-tan, smiling brightly in matching dresses, and a photo of that remains to this day.

JR Advertisement

On the train home from work, I was talking to a senior colleague when a poster next to the window caught my eye. It was a poster I had seen before, with the words "Anne of Green Gables: Final Performance." After parting with my senior colleague, I checked the Shiki Theatre Company's website and found that there were only two weeks left. Of course, the tickets were sold out. However, I had a feeling that I would be able to see it.

About a week later, on a Friday night before a three-day weekend, I felt like watching a movie at the cinema and looked for a movie that was showing. [Jay Kelly] on Netflix was playing at a good time. I saw the trailer for [Jay Kelly] when I saw [Frankenstein] on Netflix at the cinema. Previously, I saw George Clooney in a reel on Instagram, taking a photographer's camera at a premiere or something and taking pictures of his co-stars. His gestures at that time were very similar to those in the trailer. I wanted to watch it at home, lying down, not at the cinema.

His work seemed light, and I felt it would be a good movie to watch on a Friday night after a week of work. While swaying on the train, I realized I had bought a ticket.

When I was 3 years old, I watched the overseas drama [ER] and wanted to date George Clooney. (Laughs)

Before the movie, I went into a diner where I could eat a quick set meal. After ordering and the food was brought to me, I looked at the clock and it was 6:45 PM. Then I remembered, "Wasn't the day ticket for the Shiki Theatre Company on sale from 7 PM the day before?" I logged in and wanted to finish my meal while it was warm, so I put my hands together and said, "いただきます." I had previously taken tickets to see the Shiki Theatre Company when I went home for summer vacation, but a typhoon hit Kanto directly. I had to postpone my return to Kyoto by one night and finally got home by detouring the Tokaido Shinkansen. At that time, they refunded me because of the natural disaster, but instead of canceling the credit card, they had a system where I could buy tickets for the same amount within two years. Since then, I have been looking at ticket information whenever I thought there was a work I wanted to see and the timing was right. Therefore, I had the points for purchasing tickets in my head, such as the time when day tickets go on sale and the rule of logging in in advance the day before.

I wasn't particularly watching the clock while I was eating, but when I put my hands together and put down my chopsticks, I looked at my smartphone and it was 7:02 PM. I thought, "There won't be any seats left," but when I looked, "なんと from the 6th row, almost in the center, there was a seat available. Is this a miracle?" I rushed to the purchase confirmation screen in front of the empty dishes.

When I was 4 years old, the anime [Anne of Green Gables] was broadcast on NHK. Now that I think about it, I don't think I understood the story very well, but it was a work that remained in my memory along with [Heidi, Girl of the Alps] and [Lottie and Lisa].

I found out in the process of searching for images that Isao Takahata of Studio Ghibli was the director and Hayao Miyazaki was in charge of the animation. What a luxurious childhood I had.

I had forgotten about that, but during the corona, I started watching [Anne with an E] on Netflix, which I joined because I was attracted to the thumbnail.

[Anne with an E]

Almost at the same time, I started watching [Stranger Things] on Netflix, and now I'm a big fan. I was surprised that the actress who plays Anne appeared in a role that has a friendship with my favorite Robin. At first, I felt uncomfortable with the difference in the setting.

I haven't read the original work, but recently, audiobooks have become an indispensable routine while driving. I'm listening to [National Treasure] Volumes 1 and 2, which are over 40hours long, and the [Harry Potter series], which is over 170 hours long, is also progressing smoothly. I felt sad that I would finish listening to [Harry Potter], but when I searched now, I found [Anne of Green Gables], so I want to try it when I finish listening to [Harry Potter].

The Netflix drama [Anne with an E] also deals with social issues, and the beauty of the visuals, combined with the fact that I was spending my time at home very seriously at the time, could be said to be the [outside world itself] that made me feel nature. When her hair fluttered in the breeze, I felt the breeze caress my cheeks, and even my hair seemed to sway.

I had touched on [Anne of Green Gables] to some extent. Without any preparation, in about 20 minutes, I realized that I was going to see the Shiki Theatre Company's Anne of Green Gables [tomorrow]. I hadn't even thought about what to wear, but I headed to the Kyoto Theater in an all-black outfit with red-haired socks as an accent.

Headphones

I wrote a little about this in the [me] story of [Last Night in Soho], but when I was in high school, I couldn't ride the train. At that time, my amulet was earphones.

Eloise from [Last Night in Soho] is too cute no matter how many times I watch her.

Every morning in junior high and high school, I was shaken for an hour on a packed train that was so crowded that sometimes my feet floated. I don't know how much time has passed since I couldn't ride the train and couldn't go to school, but gradually I started going to school again, arriving late and riding the empty train alone. Even then, I had a somewhat paranoid thought that people around me were thinking, "Why is that girl riding the train in her uniform at this time?" To cut off such thoughts and to secure personal space for myself, I always carried earphones and an iPod Touch that my grandfather bought me like an amulet.

The songs that earned the most plays on my playlist on the way to school were P!NK's So What and F**kin' Perfect. At the time, I didn't understand the lyrics at all, but P!NK's slightly husky, or rather, powerful voice was comfortable and made me feel a little brave. It was my anthem. I've read the translation again now, and I think I made a pretty good choice. (If you're curious about what kind of song it is, I've included a link to the translation on YouTube. By the way, I can't speak English at all. Therefore, I'm posting this not because the translation is good, but because of the overall sense of the video.)

There was an episode in the mystery overseas drama [Castle], which was being rebroadcast, where So What was used symbolically as the victim's ringtone. That's where I found P!NK. I found out in the process of searching for the translation that it was also used in the Japanese drama [Doctor X].

I had almost forgotten about my high school days, but last spring, on a weekend night in the middle of the busy season, I followed Disney+ on YouTube and saw posts like [Coming This Weekend]. I was attracted to the thumbnail and searched for it on Disney+, and it was released, so I started watching it right away with the light feeling of taking a break from the busy season.

[Greatest Hits]

The protagonist, Harriet, lost her lover just a year ago, and headphones were her amulet too. I couldn't help but compare her situation to my own, having lost my father when I was young, and what made it even more extreme was that she was drawn back to the past with her deceased lover by [music]. However, I compared myself to her even more because of the scent.

My father died in mid-October. When I smell the air around that time, I am drawn back to the children's room in the house where my father died when I was little, no matter how many years or decades have passed. The room at that time was carpeted, but even if I was standing on the platform of a station in heels, I could feel the texture of the [children's room carpet] on the soles of my feet. Like the way the scent of the air changes when it rains, I became [very] sensitive to the change in the scent of the air from summer to autumn after my father's death.

Her enemy is music and her amulet is [headphones]. My enemy is the scent of osmanthus and Buddhist flowers. After encountering perfume on a trip abroad, [perfume] also became my amulet.

I couldn't verbalize this to anyone, but [Greatest Hits] visualized it really well. I didn't faint like Harriet, but when I [picked up the bones] of my grandfather, who died almost 10 years after my father, various memories flashed back with the same unique scent as when my father died, and now I think I was sweating cold, couldn't breathe, and my blood pressure was dropping, and I was about to faint. So it was hard for me to think of her actions as something that happened in a movie and fiction.

Spoiler-Free Impression

Maria, who is training in a convent, is a troublemaker. She is sent to be a tutor for a family.

I thought it was a children's movie based on the image I had when I was little, but I watched it with bated breath like an action movie due to the adult development. Pay attention to the repetition of music throughout the movie. The remastered version is being shown until early December, so please go to the cinema. (140 Japanese characters)

Spoiler-Filled Impression

[The Sound of Music], which my mother showed me when I was little, saying, "It's a movie of [Do-Re-Mi]," made me disappointed because "The lyrics are completely different... it's not the Do-Re-Mi song I know..." I had the impression that it was a frustrating movie because I couldn't understand where my mother's strange confidence that "This is the real thing!" came from. (Laughs) What my mother said was correct, but Do is the blue sky, Re is the trumpet, and Si is Ti... I didn't understand at all because "It's not a movie of Do-Re-Mi." (Laughs)

That was the movie for me, but I completely forgot that it was a disappointing movie when I was in junior high and high school. I watched [The Sound of Music] in the music room as a class. I watched the movie over two weeks and moved around the classroom while singing together. And when I was in high school, I wrote about the movie [Neverland] in [Writing is Therapy], and I watched the musical [The Sound of Music] in London with my mother. Even though I can't speak English, I could barely understand the content because it was what Maria was talking to the children, and because I had seen the content in the movie, I could enjoy it as a memory that would remain in my life.

I had a lot of memories of [The Sound of Music], so I decided to watch it when it was shown at the cinema. The screening, which was only once a day on Saturday, was 80% full when I bought the ticket. Everyone was so enthusiastic that they took off their coats and cardigans before the screening.

The Power of Song

When I was in the 4th grade of elementary school, I was hospitalized for about a month. At that time, there was an environment where I could watch TV and movies in the playroom of the pediatrics department. My mother, who knew about this, borrowed a movie. At the time, I didn't know the names of the actresses at all, but Anne Hathaway from [The Devil Wears Prada] and [The Intern] appeared as a high school student.

That was a movie full of memories, but the other day I found the above thumbnail on Disney+ and watched it because I was nostalgic. I could only vaguely remember the content. It's a Disney live-action movie for teens, so it's quite light and fast-paced like [High School Musical], so it was fun and I was able to finish watching it. Then, there was [The Princess Diaries 2]. I started watching it right away.

Then, what a surprise, in a scene where the grandmother, who is the queen of the fictional kingdom of Genovia, and her granddaughter, Anne Hathaway, have a pajama party, the grandmother sings. The moment I heard her singing voice, I didn't connect it at all, but I was convinced that the actress who played the grandmother was Judy Andrews from [The Sound of Music].

I searched right away after watching it, and it was true, so I was relieved that my senses were correct, but I was embarrassed that I hadn't noticed it at all, and I realized [the power of song]. (When I looked it up, I found out that she had sealed her singing for a long time due to certain circumstances, and the return of the singing scene was the singing scene in [Pretty Princess 2]. The circumstances are quite shocking, and I don't know how much of it is true, so I won't write it here, but if you're interested, please research it.)

The Power of Matching Curtains

The curtains in the first house where I lived and grew up were beige, with a bumpy fabric. I remember wrapping myself in the unique pattern of the curtains in the sun and playing as if it was my own world. I was told, "Stop it, it's dirty," and I was sad, but then I remember the curtains being washed on sunny days so that I could play with them as much as I wanted. The feeling of the brothers watching Maria singing and dancing to [My Favorite Things] and the feeling of me spending time wrapped in the scent of fabric softener and sunshine in the curtains when I was little were the same.

Before

What was even more the same was the excitement I felt when I wore the matching dress with the second Usapyon-tan. It's not that handmade clothes are better than ready-made clothes, but the clothes my mother made for me when I was little were special to me. What's more, it was even more special to have matching clothes with my favorite stuffed animal.

After

I spent some time in my mother's parents' house immediately after I was born, and my mother's parents' house was always close to me. In my grandparents' house, where my grandmother, who was a seamstress, lived, there was always a sewing box at my eye level. The sewing box was a large basket without a lid, filled with sewing tools. I loved taking out the glittering pins, the thread scissors with bells, and the thimble with a beautiful picture drawn on it, and touching and looking at them without doing anything. It was exactly [my favorite thing].

In the year my grandmother died, I visited that house for only one day to receive mementos when it was being closed down. I was already living in Kyoto at that time, and I took my mother in my parents' car on the way back to my parents' house in Kanto. I had a lot of memories, but I was torn between wanting to have them and feeling sad if I received them. I think I was quite upset, just like when I picked up the bones of my grandfather who lived in that house.

However, when I found the [sewing box], which was at my eye level when I was little, at my feet, I thought about taking it as it was, but I took the thread scissors with bells and the tailor's scissors, which I loved the most. It was because my mother showed me when I was little how the fabric cut out from a single piece of fabric with a pleasant sound would become a matching dress. I was able to feel that I had taken those tailor's scissors while watching [The Sound of Music] and writing this article.

The other day, I visited my grandparents' house, which had been there for several years, and there was a small child's bicycle there. I was able to feel happy in front of my grandparents' house, thinking that there was a child spending happy time in that space like me, and I left with a sad feeling.

Heartbeat

I have a scenery that I remember every time I listen to [My Favorite Things]. It's the image of autumn leaves and Kyoto shrines and temples that are shown in the JR Tokai CM. [My Favorite Things] was playing in the background of that CM, which was playing so much at a certain time that it was annoying. My mother woke me up in the morning, saying, "I'm going to Kyoto now," and I remembered my mother's ability to take action, watching the dances of the maiko and eating delicious food on a day trip. Now that I look it up, it's a CM that has been going on for decades, and there are even rock versions of the arrangement, which is interesting.

I found out for the first time in the process of searching for images that the song is called [Almost Seventeen] in Japanese, and I don't know how many times I sang, imitated, and danced to this song.

Sometime, when I was looking for clothes in a store, the melody of [My Favorite Things] was playing with a tremendous beat. At first, I was surprised. I had goosebumps because I thought, "Is it okay to do something so cool" with such a different [mashup]. It was about the same shock as when I heard P!NK's [So What] in the overseas drama [Castle], which I wrote about a little in the [me] story.

I only know the folk dance of the campfire, but I thought, "Is there such a fun and elegant folk dance?"

I had forgotten about that, but after becoming a member of society, I had the opportunity to watch other people's creative dances in the dance that I started. Then, [My Favorite Things] with a beat was playing. And what's more, I cried when I watched that dance. It was the first time I had ever cried while watching a dance. It was a movement that likened the low bass that played during the interlude to a heartbeat in a certain choreography, shaking the shoulders and taking out something precious from the chest as if taking out one's own heart and releasing it to the heavens. Later, I found out that the dancer had lost an important child. I don't know the truth because I didn't hear it directly, but I think that choreography was a choreography for her young child.

Recently, I listened to music at a small live house. I had seen a live show there for about 2 hours before, but I was surprised because my hearing in one ear was difficult for about 20 minutes even after leaving the live house because I was on one side, and I had never had such a decrease. It was a louder live show than that time, so I thought, "I should try to be in the middle this time," but it was only for a moment. I was accidentally pushed to the front edge, right in front of the speaker.

The moment the first note rang out, I was terrified by the volume of the sound. I thought, "This is bad! My right ear is going to be damaged as it is," but the low bass that resonated in my heart was so comfortable that I couldn't leave the front of the speaker. It was so comfortable that I listened to the songs of another band, but if the right ear was damaged, then this time it was the left ear. (Laughs) The moment the audience cleared out, I moved to the left speaker and enjoyed the low bass even more. The whole body of clothes and shoes shook the moment I jumped, so it's definitely as loud as watching a gunfight in Dolby cinema for a long time.

I enjoyed it that way because when I was little, I sat in front of the speaker in the middle of the photo that produced low bass, next to my parents who were excited when the Bose speaker came, and I never moved even when I was told, "Stop it, you'll damage your ears." Music in me may not only be heard with the ears, but also felt with the body.

Beyond Words

I'm not familiar with music, so I didn't notice that the same phrase of the song was used many times when a senior colleague at the company who watched the same movie as me said, "The same phrase of the song was used many times." Even I was able to notice the repetition of the song in this [The Sound of Music]. (Even so, I was able to recognize it properly at this viewing at the cinema, and I was a little embarrassed inside because I was wondering what I had been watching until now.)

[Almost Seventeen] is sad but happy when it's about two adults in love.

As the movie progressed, the evil hand of war crept closer. To be honest, I didn't think it was such a thrilling movie. I was sweating so much that I was sweating when I left the cinema. When I was little, I didn't understand what it meant to be chased by those people with that mark.

Even the [goodnight song] [Goodbye, So Long, Farewell], which was so cute and exciting, was only thrilling.

The second [Edelweiss] was more thrilling than [Goodbye, So Long, Farewell], and I was sweating when I noticed it.

However, only the first acoustic version of [Edelweiss] was sad to me. It was [Edelweiss] that Captain Trapp, as [the father who banned music], suddenly started singing. Until now, I had only been able to watch this event from the children's point of view. However, in this viewing at the cinema, I was able to think about Captain Trapp's feelings for the first time.

In this era, there are no noise-canceling headphones. If he had known that there was such a thing, he would have had it. The only way he could keep himself was to [ban music]. And he didn't have the time to think about the impact that [music ban] would have on the children. [Edelweiss] that overflowed from him felt sadder and more painful to [me now]. Even so, if the captain had spent his life without touching music, his relationship with Maria would not have been nurtured. And in the end, singing in front of a large audience, even if it's not voluntary, will lead to saving himself and the people he cares about.

It's not like Harriet from [Greatest Hits], whose amulet is headphones.

I couldn't help but compare myself to the fact that I devoted myself to dance because of the promise I made with my deceased father, which I wrote a little about in the article [National Treasure],when I saw her wearing headphones so enthusiastically in [Contact], which I was told to watch by my movie concierge who I met on note.

I realized that there are unexpected possibilities beyond any trauma. I was also looking forward to what kind of awareness the movie would give me when I watched it next time.

Homework from Natsuko Toda

I may not be able to write every time because the busy season for work is coming, but I want to start a new project before the -Bonus- corner that I always write. Or, if there is a title in the movie I watched that I think [this is it], I want to write it as one article.

Natsuko Toda, who is also a member of the selection committee for the Morning Ten Movie Festival, where I was able to watch [Amadeus] at the cinema.

I completed the application for the lecture by Natsuko Toda, which I wrote about in the [me] story in the previous section, and the day came. The organizers were surprised by the attendance of over 300 people, and after the introduction by the moderator, all the stories were so much fun that I was in a state of excitement from beginning to end because I was listening to and thinking about so many things at once, and the time passed in a blink of an eye. Natsuko Toda, who was constantly checking her watch, said, "Oh, it's time. I always go over time," and I was sad that this time would continue forever, but then I heard the words, "Now, we will have a question and answer session."

I didn't think I would be able to have a question and answer session at all, so I didn't prepare any questions, and my head was in a state of [???!!!] blank, and two people immediately raised their hands in the range I could see, and it quickly became the first question.

Of course, I was listening to the question, but my head was only thinking, "I rarely have this opportunity... I have to ask something." The question that finally came to my mind was... In the lecture in the previous section, Natsuko Toda said, "I waited 20 years for the job I wanted to do. I thought I was getting a little closer when I was in my 30s, but it wasn't the movie subtitle job I really wanted to do, but a translation job that I had no experience in at all. And I made my professional debut as a movie translator when I was in my 40s." I was comparing myself to her words, so I raised my hand twice, intending to ask, "(How did you get through your 30s?)" after talking a little about my situation.

It seems that the turning point for Toda was when Francis Ford Coppola, who came to Japan for [Apocalypse Now], which I wrote about in a previous article, translated for him.

Then, a [high school girl] who was in a difficult situation, although the details were different, asked a similar question, although the age was different. I think she was probably grasping at straws like me. I couldn't help but tear up at Natsuko Toda's answer to this high school girl's question, which was probably a question that she put her life on.

However, by shedding tears here, I regained myself a little. ("That girl at that time! Thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart..." I hope that this article, this "thank you," will reach her someday, who is having a hard time like my high school days...)

I grew up with her and still love her in audiobooks, and I think her subtitle debut in the cinema was [Harry Potter]. Natsuko Toda also translated the subtitles for this.

And after the high school girl's question, I suddenly realized, "I need to ask something that will be a topic on note..." In the lecture, she strongly prefaced that [not all the current movies are bad], and said, "Old movies were good." Furthermore, in the self-introduction scene, her ecstatic expression, saying, "The world of Western movies that was shown when I was a child after the war was another world itself," told everything.

Of course, I was captivated by the world of the monochrome [Singin' in the Rain] and [Roman Holiday], and I don't know how many times I actually did or even pretended to do [Singin' in the Rain], and when I went to Italy, I was captivated, saying, "Ah, this is... the stage of Roman Holiday..." However, even the color [The Sound of Music] is an old movie in my mind. To say more, even [Amadeus], which I watched at the Morning Ten Movie Festival the other day, is an old movie in my mind. (If you are shocked by reading this, I have no malice at all... Please forgive me...) I was very curious about the [old movies] that Natsuko Toda would recommend to me.

And the third person from the high school girl's question... The moderator looked straight into my eyes and nominated me, saying, "That woman there."

Natsuko Toda also translated the subtitles for [E.T.]. I remember the luxury and excitement of being able to watch [E.T.], which I had watched many times, in IMAX like it was yesterday.

My knees were shaking just by standing up and receiving the microphone from the staff. What's more, even my voice was shaking. "The question I really wanted to ask was asked by the high school girl earlier. (I thought that by conveying this, she would be able to understand my situation. However, I can't make the preface long...) I will be in my 30s, which Natsuko Toda mentioned in the lecture earlier. What are your unique [old] movies that you would recommend to me?" I asked.

Her first answer was, "Well... what was that... You can watch it at home. (She actually repeated the initials of a specific subscription service... The venue and I all taught her the specific subscription service together. (Laughs)) "So, look it up." She kindly taught me. However, she probably instantly felt that the answer was different from my reaction... However, the recommendation was made on the premise that the people who come to this lecture are movie lovers, and there may have been various obstacles to answering a specific title due to adult circumstances.

Natsuko Toda also translated [Forrest Gump], which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

To Natsuko Toda, who was struggling, I added, "Please. Natsuko Toda's recommendation..." with a trembling voice like Chihiro in Spirited Away, "Please let me work here!" I think I was able to say that one word well. (Sweat) Then, "Have you seen [Lawrence of Arabia]?" When I answered, "Yes. I have seen it," she probably noticed that my voice was trembling... She asked back, "[Eh?]" even though I answered through the microphone... I answered again, "I have seen it!" with the same enthusiasm as Chihiro in Spirited Away, who repeatedly said, "Please let me work here!" with her life on the line. (That was just my feeling, and I don't think it was like that...)

Then, what a sincere thing to do... She thought about it again and said, "Oh, that's right. Watch the old Academy Award winners. There are 10 nominated works now (I received a witty comment here, but I will omit it in note... (Laughs)), but there were 5 works at that time. Any of them are definitely good. Do that." She spent time that seemed like forever for me. (It was probably an exchange that didn't last even 3 minutes. (Laughs))

Natsuko Toda also translated [Night at the Museum].

I was shaking so much that my knees and voice were trembling... I was only thinking about sitting down quickly... I repeatedly said, "Thank you," but as expected, I have been in Kansai for over 7 years. The thought of "I have to make people laugh" came to my mind, and I had heard a lot of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible stories in the lecture, so I said, "Thank you for such a wonderful mission," and got the chuckles from the venue, and finally, I was able to sit down.

Natsuko Toda translated the subtitles for the new trilogy of [Star Wars], Episodes 1, 2, and 3.

After that, several questions about translation came out, and the lecture ended. Everyone left the venue, but I still couldn't put strength in my legs and couldn't get up easily. However, I had one more mission. I needed permission to write this exchange on note.

The venue staff and the staff of the organizers seemed to be disappearing from the venue early on in response to Natsuko Toda... "This is bad," I thought, and caught the moderator in the corner of my vision and chased after her desperately with trembling knees. Psychologically, I was in the original Su state of [Substance]. (I received a comment that [the photo was scary] before, so I will refrain from posting it here... If you are interested, please go to my previous article.)

Natsuko Toda also translated [The Lovely Bones].

In reality, I think I looked like I was walking quickly, but I want to think that's all (laughs). I felt like I had finished a full marathon, and I finally reached the female moderator... I showed her the profile screen of this note (I should have thanked her for nominating me first, but,) I asked desperately. In my heart, I was breathless and said, "I'm the one who asked the question earlier. I upload articles to the internet as a hobby. Is it okay to write about the exchange of the question earlier?" Then she said, "It's okay as long as you write it in your own words." I wanted to sit down on the fluffy carpet on the spot, but I gave her my contact information just in case, thinking, "There may be a case where it's not okay later," and went home... I wanted to write this article all at once with this enthusiasm, so I'm writing this article at a cafe.

Natsuko Toda also translated [No Time to Die].

The organizer said in the opening greeting that [they are planning more movie projects], so I would like to participate again if I have the opportunity.

[The mission from Natsuko Toda to me] Watch the Academy Award winners. And I want to continue the corner where I upload impressions on note, which I have been able to continue writing so far.

According to Natsuko Toda, there was a scene in [Jay Kelly], starring George Clooney, where the star had a lot of luggage on a trip... It's not necessarily wrong.

The girl who appeared as George Clooney's daughter was...

Daisy from [Daisy Jones & The Six], the story of my favorite Amazon Prime original fictional band, was really the best!

In the lecture, Natsuko Toda showed us many episodes with stars unique to Kyoto and episodes of actors that only Natsuko Toda knows. Thank you so much for the really valuable stories and for sincerely facing me even though it was a question and answer session.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers and Natsuko Toda for realizing such a wonderful project, including the promotion. I am also very happy that I was able to talk to you, albeit in a question and answer session, while writing the article on [The Sound of Music], which is one of the five nominated works that won the Academy Award.

And above all, to those who have read this on note so far. To those who have reacted. I was able to take action and [go to the lecture] because there was this place. Furthermore, because there was this place, I was able to get a mission from Natsuko Toda, who will be 90 years old next year, even by clinging to her (exaggerated (laughs)).

I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in the operation of note, everyone who has ever been involved in my note, and everyone who has been involved [even indirectly].

I would be happy if you would come back to read it again.

Bonus

Quote

The first time my article was quoted on note, there was no sharing of my name or link, but it was a loving article. And the other day, I was so happy that I jumped up when I received a link and my article was quoted for the first time. While I was writing this article, I switched the screen and saw a notification that [your article is a hot topic].

I read the article [Interstellar], which mainly wrote about my deceased father, and recommended [Contact]. She always reads my articles like this and recommends movies that are perfect for me.

The moment Jodie Foster from the previously written article [The Silence of the Lambs] was shown on the screen, I shouted [I did it!] in my heart.

I fell asleep in the middle, so I watched the last scene after waking up in the morning before going to work. The phenomenon that I couldn't go to work like [War of the Worlds] didn't happen, but I spent a dreamy day for some reason. It was a very wonderful movie, and it was a wonderful movie that fully affirmed [me in the past] and [me now], saying that it's okay to keep believing and keep thinking even if you feel that [people think you're weird].

While I was writing [The Sound of Music], I was thinking, "How would Naoto, who is knowledgeable about music, see this movie?" and it became my support in writing it. Thank you for your comments as always.

Comment

I received a comment on the previous article.

After prefacing with [This is not the place to write this...], she wrote her thoughts. And when I read the article that said she would fade out due to the word count limit, I cried a lot at the counter of my favorite diner. After reading the comment many times, I was able to have the余裕 to think, "That person, who seems to be familiar with IT and has more life experience than me... [Interstellar] must have looked different."I had no way of crying [Jay Kelly] and the musical of [Anne of Green Gables], but I was too surprised and cried. At the end of [Anne of Green Gables], this lyric flows in the same phrase as if to overwhelm.

Words Words Words I can't find words when I want to talk... Ah I can't tell that child anything about this feeling I can't find words

My dear daughter Anne I want you to be as you are Even if time passes, I want you to continue to shine without changing forever

-Shiki Theatre Company [Anne of Green Gables] from the song and pamphlet- When I looked at the imprint of the pamphlet, which is one of the occupational diseases of the bookstore and publishing industries, I was surprised that the organizer of Natsuko Toda's lecture and the co-organizer of Anne of Green Gables were the same organization.

[Anne of Green Gables] had a standing ovation on the day before the final performance, and the curtain call happened so many times that the cast members started laughing... I was the only one who was crying so much that I was holding back my tears like in [Interstellar].

It was really good that I desperately wrote the [events that should not be able to be put into words] into an article. It was good that I had the courage to upload it to the internet...

The previous [Interstellar] had many parts that I [was worried about whether to write or not], so I posted it with courage. However, when I read that comment, I really thought it was good that I wrote it. It was good that it reached the person who should have received it...

[Greatest Hits]

After reading your comment, I decided to write about this movie. You may not be able to watch it because it may be painful. It's okay if you haven't seen it yet, or if you don't watch it at all. Even so, I can't help but share the fact that [I remembered this movie] after reading the comment.

I think it was a comment that you made up your mind... Thank you so much. I look forward to working with you in the future.

The End.

I hope this is helpful! It was a long one, but I think it's all there now. Good luck with your writing!