Synopsis
A young couple go on a picnic in the forest, where the woman reveals that she is pregnant.
Thursday
1961 ‘木曜日’ Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi
Director
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Cinematography
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Alternative Titles
Mokuyoubi, Mokuyōbi
Genre
Releases by Date
Theatrical
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Japan
Releases by Country
Japan
24 Jun 1961
- Theatrical
Popular reviews
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Journeys in Space and Time: Nobuhiko Ōbayashi
Experimental shorts series
Thursday. The last film in my bunch of Ōbayashi's intriguing short films. Here the director portrays a normal Thursday, just like any other day, but a life-changing one for this certain couple in the forest. As always, many of Ōbayashi's usual themes can be found from the film (changes brought by time, the uncertain future), seen from the couple's perspective. There are few especially nice moments, but really nothing new under the sun. A simple and lovely short, with some experimental elements most likely brought in by Ōba just for the heck of it.
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This was cool but I also felt like it needed to have a separate window open playing subway surfers and then another screen playing family guy funny moments compilation and then another screen with tik toks of people making slime.
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52/100
Jeez is it clear that Obayashi knows what he wants to make movies about(a very good thing). This didn't land like The Girl in the Picture did, but it's still filled with well-done imagery and young love, so I like it!
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Obayashi's shorts are always fascinating to watch. It's easy to see snippets of what would come visually and thematically later in his career. Here, Obayashi's style is distilled to an experimental, frantic and lawless eighteen minutes. Mokuyobi is a constant face-slap to the senses. The camera constantly moving, trying to find the right shot among the beautiful tree-peppered landscape. It doesn't always work, but there are certainly pockets of beauty and brilliance. Definitely worth a spin for fans of his work.
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When I discovered this earlier in the week, I knew I had to watch this on a Thursday to get the optimal experience.
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Thursday is considerably more experimental than Obayashi’s previous shorts, with hectic editing and a focus on imagery above all else.
The classical score and the grainy 8mm photography are gorgeous, but it all felt a little empty, like a trial run for later, better films.
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Mysterious little short by Nobuhiko Ōbayashi, who really is one hell of a cool director.
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This is easily the earliest thing by Nobuhiko Ôbayashi I’ve seen, and it’s cool to see some of his trademarks already taking shape in something he made long before the films he’s best known for. It follows two people having a picnic in the woods, only of course it gets much more insane really quickly, and escalates quite satisfyingly over the course of about 20 minutes. The turns it takes and kind of psychedelic moments it features prove odd and exciting, as expected.
It’s also all silent, but there’s thankfully more than enough flash when it comes to the editing and the visuals to keep things engaging.
It’s rough around the edges of course, and you sort of get the…
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The Lot's director of the month: N.Obayashi
A silent film wich 3xpresses itself more through its classic music pieces than anything else.
Score: 6/10
Enjoyment: 3/5 -
Obayashi and the depths of human contradiction on full display here. It's a bit experimental and maybe esoteric but it becomes clear enough in the run.
Order of Merit: not eligible
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Really good staccato editing and image overlay stuff in this! Not quite as dazzling as The Girl in the Picture and not quite as melancholy as Dandanko, but still a nice little showcase of Obayashi starting to finesse his singular formal toolkit. Love the second-long POV shot of an apple being thrown!