Cherry and Silk(PART 1 OF 3)
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Kato, do you like cherry and silk, don't you?
Yes, I do. How about you, Diane?
I like both. Actually, I love a cheesecake with cherry topping.
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Oh, do you? ... me, too.
And I like to wear my favorite silk dress.
Yes, yes, yes..., I know, I know.
Then how come you've brought up cherry and silk today?
Look at the following picture again.
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Take a close look at the above picture! Now, what comes up in your mind?
Well ... a geisha girl standing by the cherry trees, isn't she?
Is that all you've come up with?
Tell me, Kato, what else you expect me to come up with?
"The Cherry Orchard"
The cherry orchard...? Where is it? In Stanley Park? Which orchard are you talking about?
I'm talking about a play called "The Cherry Orchard," which was written in 1903 by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.
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Diane, have you ever seen the above play?
No, I don't think so.
Well ... I've pasted the video clip here for you. Why don't you take a look at this trailer.
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Kato, this play is too old. It was written in 1903, wasn't it?
Yes, it was, but it is still quite famous. Besides, this play gave a big influence to Eugene O'Neill, George Bernard Shaw and Arthur Miller.
Oh, did it? I didn't know that. In any case, people nowadays don't talk much about the above play any more, do they?
I guess not.
Then how come you've brought up the above play?
Well ... the title of the play reminds me of the following picture.
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Are you saying that a geisha girl shows up in the above play?
No, I'm not. As far as I know, a Japanese geisha doesn't show up in the play.
But the above picture shows a Japenese geisha girl, doesn't it?
Yes, it does. Actually, Anton Chekhov was once impressed profoundly by a certain Japanese girl.
Are you sure, Kato? I've never heard that Anton Chekhov went to Japan.
No, he never went to Japan.
Then what makes you think that Chekhov was once impressed by a certain Japanese girl?
Anton Chekhov recalled a certain Japanese woman at his death bed.
How do you know?
... 'Cause I was at his death bed in my dream.
Don't be foolish, Kato! I'm quite serious. By the way, what brought up Anton Chekhov in the first place?
Good question! The other day, I borrowed the following DVD from Vancouver Public Library.
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■"Actual Catalogue Page"
So, you viewed the above DVD on May 8, and then jotted down the long comment, didn't you?
Yes, I did. It is an amazing and fascinating movie.
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This is a 2007 film directed by François Girard, a French-Canadian director, based on the novel written by Alessandro Baricco, an Italian author.
It is a story of a French silkworm merchant-turned-smuggler named Hervé Joncour in 19th century France who travels to Japan for his town's supply of silkworms after a disease wipes out their African supply.
Before the journey, he gets married to Hélène, a teacher and keen gardener.
He loves her so much.
During his stay in Japan, however, he becomes obsessed with the concubine (played by Sei Ashina: 芦名 星) of a local baron.
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On his first visit to the secluded village in the Northern part of Japanese mainland, she handed him a note, which reads in Japanese: "Come back or I shall die."
She appears misteriously attractive. Hervé Joncour never knows her name.
The concubine seems attracted to this silkworm smuggler, yet she introduces a girl to him one night, instead of sleeping with him herself.
(To be followed)