Thermae Romae: Movie Notes

[earth_colors]

Here are some notes for the movie, Thermae Romae....

Thermae Romae. An ongoing manga series by Mari Yamazaki, first published in 2008 by Comic Beam. It has won some awards and also published in the US under Yen Press. It was also adapted as an anime series in January 2012. The film adaptation was shot in Italy and Japan and employed 2,000 extras.

(info: wiki; japantimes) (gifs: moi)

Yamazaki Mari. Ueto Aya's character Yamakoshi Mami is inspired by the manga's author, who herself led a colorful life. Yamazaki Mari was born in 1967 into a family of musicians. At age 14, she went traveling in France and Germany. In a Brussels train station she met an old Italian man, the grandfather of the man who would eventually become her husband. In 1984, when she was 17, the old man invited her to Italy. She accepted and studied painting at a Fine Arts university in Florence. After 10 difficult years (including a failed relationship which resulted to a birth of a son), she decided to return to Japan and had a string of jobs: TV presenter of a cooking show, Italian teacher, reporter. She then made her manga debut in a competition because she needed the money. During a stay in Florence, she met her current husband, a university professor, and together they moved to Italy, Portugal, and Syria and finally to the United States. She currently resides in Chicago with her son and her husband.

(partial translation from an interview in manga-sanctuary) (other info: ja.wiki) (pic: mainichi) (official blog: moretsu)

Antinous. Little is known about him, except that he was of Greek descent, and described as young and beautiful. His relationship with Emperor Hadrian is believed to have been sexual. Antinous was said to have drowned in the Nile River but it was also rumored back then, that Hadrian had sacrificed him (or Antinous sacrificed himself) to the gods in exchange for a certain wish. Hadrian had him deified afterwards. His image had been immortalized in many busts, statues, and coins.
(info and pic: wiki)

Strigil. Wiki explains, "A strigil was a small, curved, metal tool used in ancient Greece and Rome to scrape dirt and sweat from the body before effective soaps became available. First perfumed oil was applied to the skin, and then it would be scraped off, along with the dirt. For wealthier people, this process was often done by slaves. Strigils were often used in Roman baths and were made in different sizes for different areas of the body."
(pic: mandy barrow)

Fist of the North Star. "Hokuto no Ken" was a famous '80s manga by Buronson and Hara Tetsuo. The hero Kenshiro is a warrior who fights others who take advantage of the weak during a post-apocalyptic era. His fighting style involves hitting the body's vital points, resulting to a gory explosive death. One villain, Mr. Heart, shouted "Hidebu~!" before dying, which later on became a byword associated with defeat or scream of death. In the movie, Ueto's character is a fan of the manga, evident in her manga attempt, and the Kenshiro action figures and posters displayed in her bedroom.
(info and pic: wiki)

Konsei-sama. Phallic-shaped objects of worship. Phallic festivals are celebrated in several prefectures throughout Japan, and in different ways. These are usually made from wood, metal or stone. Devotees pray for good health, pregnancy, easy childbirth, as well as a bountiful harvest.
(info: ellenquejada; quinlanfaris, ja.wiki)

Ondol. It's originally a Korean word for "underfloor heating." In traditional ondol, a stove or firebox is used to heat the floor.
(info: wiki)

Hadrian's Villa. It is found in modern-day Tivoli, now an archaeological site. Designed by Hadrian, it served as his favorite retreat. It was said that he preferred to live there than in the palace in Rome. The complex is reported to include palaces, several thermae, theater, temples, libraries, state rooms and quarters for attendants and and slaves. For more on Hadrian's Villa, click on a lecture by Prof. Diana Kleiner.
(info and pic: wiki)

Kerorin Buckets. Primarily conceived as advertisements for pain-killer medication, "Kerorin" in 1963. Now, there is said to be 2 million of these buckets still being used inside sento (public bathhouses), spas, and golf courses throughout Japan. It is said that seeing these buckets would make a Japanese feel nostalgic.
(info and pic: mintworks; youvegotafriendinjapan)

Filming Location (Rome). The Roman scenes were filmed in Cinecitta, in Rome, Italy. The film's director, Takeuchi Hideki says in an interview, "On this basis, I decided to shoot in Cinecittà and use the set of HBO TV series 'Rome'. We took advantage from all the tools and the costumes that were already there, thus getting the best out of Cinecittà. It was really stimulating for me to shoot on the same location where directors such as Fellini and Visconti had worked.."
(interview: fareastfilmfestival) (gif: moi)

Some of the Filming Locations (Japan):
Atagawa Tropical and Alligator Garden (Hikashiizu, Shizuoka). It has greenhouses featuring tropical flowers and fruit-bearing plants. It also has a zoo containing many species of reptiles, including alligators and crocodiles. They have also acquired red pandas as part of their zoo collection. (1st Pic: tokyo-radio)
Amagiso Onsen (Kamo, Shizuoka). The open-style bath in the movie. It also has cave baths. (2nd Pic: secret-japan)
Ishidan-gai, Ikaho-machi (Kamo, Gunma). Where Lucius went after a monkey. "After walking up 360 stone steps, through a number of inns and souvenir shops, you can find Ikaho-jinja Shrine..." In that same scene, Lucius and Mami are seen dipping their feet in water which comes from a spring with high amounts of sulfate and carbonic acid, turning it into brownish-red. (3rd Pic: jnto)

Nanatsudo Park (Mito, Ibaraki). Several scenes were shot here including the green field where Lucius fell in a well (actually that scene was filmed in a studio with a green screen background). According to bonryu.com, Nanatsudo Park is "an English landscape garden located at the north west part of Mito city. The park itself is rather new, which was designed by an English gardening company and opened in 1999." (4th Pic: mito-park)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Always love your notes! Thank you so much!