Summer Vacation 1999

It's touching to read the reviews for this very special movie. I actually watched it only because I found a VHS copy selling for $1 at a thrift store and it is certainly one of my all time favorites. And this film provides a strange speculative "answer" to so many films out there about... being in a romantic quagmire. I think RW Fassbinder would have adored this movie and I bet Wong Kar Wai did and many others....

It looks as though there is no DVD of this film available but at the moment used copies of the VHS are available starting at 2 bucks on amazon... and you you and YOU should get one!

I have to add more lines: I got mine!

Summer Vacation: 1999 is a dreamlike coming-of-age story set in a Japanese high school all but deserted for the holidays. The only boys left on campus are orphans, They keep up the daily routine and, on the side, learn about love.

It's not quite that simple, though -- for us. The narrative is set up so that each section is a dream sequence of the section that came before it -- like a Japanese Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie without the black humor. It's a boy's school, but the majority of the four boys is played by girls (probably to accentuate the homoerotic subtext of the film). And for some reason that remains obscure, it's set in 1999, with the students using weirdly anachronistic tech gadgets that would almost seem amusing if the film had any room for humor.

When a boy, Yu, commits suicide, their small group never quite gets over it. But when a boy named Kaoru -- the virtual image of Yu -- appears at their doorstep as a new student, no one's certain if it's a sham or some fantastic coincidence. He's certainly more aggressive than meek Kaoru, and his presence awakens romantic stirrings in the boys that will lead to conflict and even violence.

The setting is pretty, the photography is pretty -- even the boys (rather, girls) are pretty. They talk about feelings and deep emotional things that are off-territory even for most girls. It's not surprising that somehow the film itself comes off as false.

Hauntingly beautiful, in the tradition of "Why Has Bodhidharma Left for the East?", and "Gattaca" this is a small work of art with an excellent, though slow-moving plot, exploring the themes of loneliness, sexual repression, jealousy, tenderness, and violence. It's surreal, in a completely inconspicuous and beguiling way; no adults are ever seen, the kids constantly wear ties, the school and dormitory is unbelievably stark, parts of the story (but which?)are dreams, and the older boys are played by girls!

It works to excellent effect. It may be the best film on gay themes besides the Canadian gem "Lilies."

I watched the movie for more than 10 times, every time I watched it, I treated it as a new movie. The movie has no time-frame, no sex and no where. It was said to be happened in 1999, but the feel was old. The actors were said to be boys, but actually they are girls. The school should be in Japan but it was more like a western school. So there can be many combinations:

1 boy + 3 girls + western school + future 3 boys + 1 girl + Japanese school + past 2 boys + 2 girls + western school + future

. . .

There were many ingredients too, friendship, love, scenery, music, family, parents (yes), city and rural, education and even IT . . .

I like this film because it reminds me of my earlier years. The confusion, innocence, love and emotions come very close to me regardless of age and nationality. These feelings distinct in adolescence are universal which have repeated many times in my life.

I love the idea of having 4 teens abandoned in a beautiful surrounding. The piano music score is enchanting.