Tony Takitani

There were two moments in Tony Takitani that can best be understood if we look at Bonnie Wade’s Music in Japan.

The first moment occurred at the start of the film at 5:40.  The narrator was speaking of Tony’s father and how he spent many days in prison after being in the war playing jazz on his trombone.  Wade supports how “Japan is home to an important and highly profitable market for jazz, boasting numerous clubs, some of the best jazz magazines in the world, and a steady core of avid fans.”  (Wade, 139).  During Shazboro’s (Tony’s father) time in prison, I found it interesting how the music was juxtaposed.  One could hear the solemn, lonely music with a steady beat resembling life in the prison at the same time as the swung, flowing melody of a jazz tune.  Life seemed relentless because of how lonely he was feeling, yet at the same time he used jazz as an outlet. 

The lonely music continued throughout the movie while relating the same lonely life Tony led.  This music seemed to suggest that he was living in a prison, like his father did, because of how truly alone he was throughout his early life. However, in 26:33, the music changed to a piano playing at a freer rhythm then the steady beats played before.  Before it was a static, lonely motif that reoccurred over and over and when he met and married Ekei, his life turned upside down and he began to feel free.  He noted that he was in terror which lasted for three months of being lonely again and while describing this, the static, hollow motif juxtaposed the freer beat of the piano melody.  Japanese music as stated in Wade’s Music in Japan, had many influences from Europe.  This can be seen in the free piano music played.

 

Wade, Bonnie C. Music in Japan. New York: Oxford, 2005.