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As one of the most controversial (or notorious) contemporary directors, Catherine Breillat seems to push her cinematic expression to further extremity in her every new works. However, it must be noticed she was actually preaching the same theme sexual battle in all these movies, only the stories become more and more simplified, instead of which explicit images play the role of supplements to abstract lecturing. Anatomie de L'enfer is unexceptionally the latest development of her filmic experiment to challenge the traditional ideology both on screen and off screen. The movie was mainly shoot in a room, where the actor and the actress talked about sex (and things related) as well as having sex. Through their conversation and the monologue of the director's voice in the background, again the audiences find the same elements from Catherine Breillat¡¯s previous movies¡ªthe contempt, the hatred, the desire to conquer each other between the two sexes¡ªthough this time she set up a even more extreme scenario to prove her theory, that regardless the chronic anti-woman complex, even his own sense of superiority over women, the man in the movie fell into the fascination of female body (sex)¡on the other hand, overwhelmed by his animal instinct¡ªduring watching the woman exhibiting herself. Moreover the man's self-abasement and self-deceit at the end of the movie emphasized his failure, and more importantly, his sense of failure. Thus Catherine Breillat reveals her perception about the puzzle of sexual relationship¡ªmen are after all capricious children (hinted in the scene of children playing doctor and patient game), who mask their greed to what they are eager for, and turn to hate it if unable to have it. Naturally such desperate view won¡¯t be appreciated by the majority, which makes her a heathen among the believers of ethical love. Then again, her brilliancy lies in her metaphysical research on the topic, even it might be stray or biased. The real stupidity is judging her by the keep-it-simple-stupid rule, as in most occasions how the conservatives treat the pioneers, and the implicit treat the thoughtful.

It's so hard for Hollywood movies to describe other cultures without bending the truth more or less.However,the Last Samurai did a very good job to present us the Japanese culture faithfully.The miracles of Japan in the last century which surprised generations of westerners were actually the result of the spirit illustrated in this movie,Duty and Conscience.Let along the magnificent battle-field scenes and great performance by the cast,the cultural depth in the movie made it one of the best epic movies in recent years.

As far as I know about Japanese history,the story is not exactly a real one,especially the parts concerning the emperor and his ministers.Like other historic events in movies,e.g.political conspiracy in Gladiator,characters in this one were grouped typically as good or bad guys,the event was dramatized beyond the truth(Can you believe the last scene in the palace?).Probably good for the box-office,but it simplified the meaning and undermined the seriousness of history.