BIG IN JAPAN
Australia, 2017, 95 minutes, Colour.
David Elliott- Jones.
Directed by Lachlan Mc Leod.
Watching this film provided a biblical moment, watching a somewhat (actually more than a somewhat) quest for fame and celebrity: a different translation for the beginning of the old Testament book of Ecclesiastes: Inanity of Inanities, all is Inanity.
There is a lot going for this documentary. It is very entertaining. It is often very funny. But, underlying the whole enterprise, and sometimes more explicitly, there are serious observations about fame and celebrity.
The basic premise is this. Dave Elliott- Jones and his colleagues, director Lachlan Mc Leod and his cinematographer (as well as their girlfriends who are not to the forefront in the film except that they agree that it is best to come home at the end – they must be very long-suffering) decide to explore what it is to be famous. They also want to know why people want to be famous, what drives them. And, in order to find out what they do to be famous, Dave agrees that he is prepared to do anything to achieve celebrity, fame, being seen and noticed, having hits and likes on social media.
With all respect to Dave, there is a reference to the nerdish culture during the film and, at least in appearance, Dave fits the bill, rather skinny, glasses, short back and sides. However, as the film goes on, we see that underlying this nerdish exterior is someone who is really and truly prepared to do anything. The word “exhibitionism “does not occur in the film, but one wonders about it.
The trouble is that Dave and his friends come from Melbourne, not the epicentre of celebrity – or at least compared with celebrity in Japan. So, off they go to Japan and actually spend two years there in this quest for fame.
The unlikely-looking Dave does some auditions, creates a character Mr Jonesu for some rather silly Japanese commercials. His big bid for celebrity is based on the Japanese food, Inigo, and he makes an absurd hat/mask in the form of black and white Inigo to sit on his head, something like an empty television screen. He also strips, wearing only a red loincloth. Actually, this does not raise too many eyebrows even in the most public places in Japan. He does get photographed – but we knew that the Japanese were incessant photo-takers and, with smart phones, there is no inhibition in time or place for the quick snap or the quick selfie. Fair enough, the emphasis is on self, and oneself with the celebrity.
Interestingly, Dave and his friends choose three celebrities to meet in Japan, visualising their performances, but also having very frank talks with them about their origins, their aims, what the celebrity means to them personally.
The first is a huge and burley African-American? wrestler who had minimum career back at home but who has hit the Japanese sensibility and media, wrestling and calling himself The Beast. Lots of photos, lots of interviews – but he has sensed that the Japanese love the cute side of celebrities. So he is a master also of posing as cute as well as brutal. His name is Bob Sapp and we see quite a few glimpses of his success – as well as some later reflections about how it will all turn out.
The second is a Canadian girl, Kelsey Parnigoni who wants to be a celebrity singer, not quite possible at home in Canada, much more successful with self-promotion in Japan, forming a group of singing girls, on tour, but the group collapsing and her going solo. Since she is in mid-or-beginning-career, her point of view is forward-thinking and hopeful.
The third person certainly raises eyebrows and curiosity. This is a man from Adelaide who, he says, was bullied at school because he was fat. He lacked self-confidence. He also began an interest in cross-dressing. And, in Hong Kong, while wrestling, he combined his long haired and bearded look, his wrestling ability, and his capacity for wearing all kinds of dresses. And the name? Ladybeard. In six months he had a huge following, continually posing for photos, mainly for women fans rather than men, all kinds of costumes and dresses and an expert at the provocative as well as the cute. But, as with the others, he also has a very frank talk with Dave about his life.
In a way, there is a certain disbelief watching the Japanese and their cults of celebrity, and more than a certain disbelief that individuals would, in a sense, sacrifice themselves on the altar of fame.
It does get all too much for Dave when he is dared to stand under a freezing waterfall and he and his team and the girlfriends pack up and come home to make films in Melbourne – not without inserting some moralising about celebrity and fame.
Actually, this film could make Dave quite famous in itself!
1. An entertaining documentary? Dave’s story? And his story in Japan? And the quest for being famous?
2. The serious aspects of the documentary? The quest for fame, contemporary means to achieve fame, social media? Japan and its culture as a way and place for celebrity? International celebrity? The value of this kind of fame? The inanity of most of it?
3. The personal story, the introduction to Dave, his appearance, slight build, spectacles, the touch of the nerd? His relationship with his director and the director’s comments to camera? The glimpses of the photographer? The mention of the girls sharing the life in Japan? The decision, the issue of fame, giving years of his life to the quest? The Japanese choice?
4. The choice of Japan, going there, the cult of celebrity, foreign celebrities, their eccentricities, outlandish behaviour? Television, photographs? Fans, groupies? The cult celebrities, cute and tough? And the predominance of women fans?
5. Dave, his attempts? Willing, to do anything? The interviews with him being filmed and his talking to camera? The response of his director? Going public, the bit parts, the auditions? The commercials with Mr Jonesu and their stupidity? The Inigo, his becoming the Inigo man, the mask on his head, naked except the loincloth? Going out into public places? Accosting people? People’s responses, photographs, curiosity? The importance of social media responses, setting up quotas for Facebook, hits? His offer to remove the loincloth, with the dare, standing under the waterfall, freezing, cold, too much and his coming out? The effect on his morale?
6. The sequences with The Beast, Bob Sapp? Wrestler, tough? Big? African- American? His career at home, not successful? Going to Japan, the wrestling, his image, the fans? Friendly, with the touch of the cute? The board of discussions with Dave? His performance, the fall, the possibility of giving up?
7. Kelsey Parnigoni, from Canada, her hopes, singing, forming the group, on tour, the records, the fans? Success, falling out? Her going solo? Her explanation of her motivations?
8. Ladybeard, from Adelaide, cross-dresser? Character, considered fat at school, his low self-esteem? Going to Hong Kong, wrestling? Going to Japan, the huge Twitter following in six months, his hair, big beard, tough? The range of clothes and dresses? Photos, posing with fans, the touch of the cute? Mainly women fans? His frank talking with Dave about himself, his growing up, securities and insecurities? Response to fans?
9. The reality of being famous or not? The Facebook community? The nerd culture? The role of Facebook and Twitter?
10. Dave and his decision to pack up, the group coming home? Making films?
11. Dave, his friends and their conclusions about fame and the quest, two years of their life? Audience response to the themes of fame and the value of fame, quests? And the significance of this documentary to help understanding?
