Perfect Days: Philosophical Analysis
Summary
TLDRIn 'Perfect Days' by Vim Venders, the film explores the meditative life of a Japanese toilet cleaner, challenging traditional notions of heroism. The protagonist's noble dedication to his unappreciated work and his monk-like existence reflect a deeper spiritual energy invested in everyday tasks. The movie delves into themes of class, reality creation, and the joy of analog culture, advocating for presence and appreciation of the moment. It's a poignant portrayal of life's repetitiveness and the pursuit of happiness, suggesting that embracing our 'symptom'βthe daily tasks that define usβcan lead to a sense of fulfillment and contentment.
Takeaways
- π¬ 'Perfect Days' by Vim Venders is a film that explores the philosophical depth of everyday life through the eyes of a Japanese toilet cleaner.
- π The film suggests that each day is a new beginning, offering opportunities for joy and fulfillment, akin to Schopenhauer's concept of daily rebirth.
- π§Ή The protagonist, a toilet cleaner, is portrayed as a noble figure due to his dedication and commitment to his undervalued work.
- π The character's invisibility in society reflects on class differences and the different spheres of existence within the same world.
- π The film emphasizes the importance of minimalism and the joy found in analog culture, such as listening to music on cassettes and reading physical books.
- π The protagonist's meticulous care for his living space and himself is depicted as a spiritual practice, paralleling the life of a monk or saint.
- π° The public toilets, commissioned for the Olympics, are portrayed as temples, symbolizing the sacredness of everyday spaces and acts.
- π· The film does not advocate for analog culture over digital media but highlights the value of paying attention to and experiencing the world around us.
- π΄ββοΈ The mantra 'now is now, and next time is next time' from the film underscores the importance of living in the present moment.
- π The concept of 'surplus enjoyment' is introduced, where the joy in life comes from repetitive actions and attention to detail.
- π The film concludes with an optimistic view of life, suggesting that embracing our daily 'symptoms' or routines can lead to happiness and a sense of perfection in ordinary days.
Q & A
What is the central theme of the film 'Perfect Days' by Vim Venders?
-The central theme of 'Perfect Days' is the idea that every day represents a little birth and an opportunity to experience joy, as well as a little death when we sleep, reflecting on the concept of eternal recurrence and the pursuit of a full and rich existence.
How does the film depict the main character's occupation?
-The main character is a Japanese toilet cleaner, portrayed in a noble and monk-like manner, despite his occupation being considered lowly. His dedication to his work, which goes largely unappreciated, is highlighted as a key participatory mechanism of public life.
What philosophical concept does the film reflect on regarding the character's daily routine?
-The film reflects on the concept of 'eternal recurrence', suggesting that every day is an opportunity to live a full and rich existence, and the idea of 'surplus enjoyment', which is the enjoyment derived from repetitive actions and attention to detail.
How does the film explore the idea of different worlds within the same society?
-The film explores the idea of different worlds within society through the character's interactions with a homeless person who appears to be in his own fantasy world, and through the character's dialogue that suggests people exist in different spheres of participation and existence.
What is the significance of the character's relationship with his sister in the film?
-The character's relationship with his wealthy sister serves as a reflection on class differences and the inability to communicate across these differences, symbolized by their failed attempts to connect and understand each other's worlds.
How does the film approach the topic of analog culture versus digital media?
-The film does not suggest that analog culture is inherently better than digital media. Instead, it shows both as means of accessing and experiencing the world in a deeper way, emphasizing the importance of attention and presence in the moment.
What is the role of the public toilets in the film's narrative?
-The public toilets, particularly those commissioned for the Olympics, serve as a central location in the film. They are depicted as a kind of temple and a sacred site, symbolizing the character's commitment to his work and his role in facilitating public life.
What is the significance of the character's meticulous care for his living space?
-The character's meticulous care for his living space, including cleaning and tending to plants, reflects his monk-like or saint-like existence and his commitment to living a life of perfect habit and repetition.
How does the film depict the character's relationship with time?
-The film depicts the character's relationship with time as a repetitive blur, where he exists outside of time and his life becomes a series of repetitive actions. This is highlighted by the mantra 'now is now and next time is next time', emphasizing the importance of being in the present.
What is the philosophical undercurrent regarding happiness in the film?
-The philosophical undercurrent regarding happiness in the film is that it comes from identifying with and embracing one's 'symptom', which is the thing one is bound to do each day. Happiness is found in the realization that every day, despite its challenges, can be perfect in its own way.
How does the film end, and what does it suggest about the character's journey?
-The film ends on an optimistic note, with the character riding into the sunset like a hero in a Western, contemplating the futility of existence but also the joy and childlike happiness that comes from the realization that every day is, in some way, perfect.
Outlines
π¨ The Art of Daily Existence: A Philosophical Perspective
This paragraph discusses 'Perfect Days,' a film by Vim vendors, which follows the life of a Japanese toilet cleaner, exploring themes of daily life's beauty and the philosophical concept of eternal recurrence. The protagonist's noble dedication to his undervalued work and his invisible yet essential role in society are highlighted. The film contrasts his saint-like existence with the social outcasts he encounters, suggesting a shared experience of being present yet ignored. It also delves into the minimalistic joys of analog culture, such as listening to music on cassettes and the tactile pleasure of reading physical books, emphasizing the spiritual connection one can have with these activities. The character's meticulous care for his living space and the public toilets he maintains is portrayed as a form of spiritual practice, drawing parallels between his work and the sacredness of temples. The narrative reflects on the idea that attention to detail and persistence in one's actions can lead to a fulfilling life, despite the character's personal failures and isolation.
πΈ Embracing the Present: The Power of Mindful Living
The second paragraph continues the analysis of 'Perfect Days,' focusing on the concept of living in the present moment and the idea of surplus enjoyment derived from repetitive actions and habits. It contrasts digital and analog methods of capturing memories, suggesting that both can deepen one's connection to the world. The paragraph highlights a pivotal moment where the protagonist and his niece share a moment of capturing a tree with different technologies, symbolizing the coexistence of old and new ways of experiencing life. The film's mantra of 'now is now, and next time is next time' is emphasized, advocating for appreciation of the present. The character's repetitive lifestyle is examined, suggesting a state of being outside of time, which leads to a melancholic undertone of existential loss. The film concludes with an optimistic note, proposing that happiness can be found in embracing one's 'symptom,' or the daily rituals that define us, and that every day, despite its imperfections, can be perfect in its own way.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Eternal Recurrence
π‘Irony
π‘Minimalism
π‘Surplus Enjoyment
π‘Participation
π‘Analog Culture
π‘Spiritual Energy
π‘Existential Experience
π‘The Symptom
π‘Present Moment
Highlights
The film 'Perfect Days' by Vim vendors is a philosophical exploration of everyday life through the story of a Japanese toilet cleaner.
The movie suggests that every day represents a 'little birth' and an opportunity to experience joy, aligning with Schopenhauer's philosophy of eternal recurrence.
The protagonist, a toilet cleaner, is portrayed as a noble character despite his lowly job, reflecting on the value of unrecognized work.
The film explores the idea of different 'worlds' of existence and participation, highlighting class differences and personal realities.
The character's minimalist lifestyle and participation in analog culture is contrasted with the joys of modern digital media.
Attention to detail and the act of cleaning are depicted as spiritual practices, akin to the habits of a monk or saint.
The character's life is shown as a series of perfect habits and repetitions, emphasizing the beauty of routine.
Despite his noble actions, the protagonist is unable to solve all problems or find a meaningful relationship, suggesting a life outside of the ordinary.
The public toilets, designed for the Olympics, are portrayed as temples, reflecting on the sacredness of everyday spaces.
The film does not advocate for analog culture over digital media but rather the deep experience that both can offer.
The concept of 'surplus enjoyment' is introduced, discussing the joy derived from habits and attention to detail beyond mere consumption.
The character's reading and contemplation are presented as profound moments, slowing down time and immersing the audience in his world.
The film's melancholic undertone suggests that despite our efforts, we may still feel lost or unfulfilled in our existential experience.
The idea of embracing one's 'symptom' or daily struggle as a path to happiness is explored, drawing parallels to Sisyphus pushing his boulder.
The movie concludes on an optimistic note, celebrating the futility of existence and the joy found in recognizing the perfection in each day.
Transcripts
perfect days is the film by Vim vendors
that depicts a Japanese toilet cleaner
and it's an incredible movie it's
wonderfully meditative and wise and in
this short video I would like to attempt
a brief philosophical analysis of this
film in fact the first thing that came
to mind for me was a quote from
schopenhauer where he writes each and
every day represents a little birth and
every day a new youth every evening a
new coming of age and every sleep a
little death and that might as well be
the argument of this film that every day
is a little birth every day is an
opportunity to experience joy and that
in a sense every time you go to sleep it
is also a little death it's about
eternal recurrence as it were how each
and every day represents an opportunity
to live a full and Rich existence and
yet there's a certain irony but perhaps
a philosophically poignant one that the
character who is the hero of the story
is not a hero in any traditional sense
of the word instead he is a mere
supposedly mere toilet cleaner and yet
there's something very Noble indeed in
the manner in which he does this lowest
of work the way in which he commits
himself completely to doing something
that goes unappreciated by others and
that neveress facilitates one of the key
participatory mechanisms of public life
namely access to a bathroom therefore
there is something saint-like indeed
monk likee about his habits about his
attention to detail and the manner in
which he works in a way that makes him
invisible people don't even see him or
recognize him in fact one of the key
recurring sequences in this film is that
he sees a homeless person who appears to
be stuck in a fantasy world of his own
creation he's essentially a
schizophrenic and one imagines that the
toilet cleaner looking at him sees a
sense of recollection in fact he smiles
to himself there's a kinship between the
two men who somehow stand outside of
social life they are both seen and yet
ignored they are there but also not in
fact the film makes the argument through
the character's dialogue later that
people exist in different worlds that
even though we live in one world there
can be different spheres of
participation and existence on the one
hand this is a reflection on class
differences the character has a wealthy
sister but it's also reflection on the
fact that we create a reality of our own
making that we can choose to be happy
that we can choose to be fulfilled as it
were now this movie also reflects on the
minimalism of participating in analog
culture in other words we have a
frequent focus on the joy of listening
with attention to music on cassettes
instead of streaming it on Spotify
there's also an emphasis on the joy of
discovering books and reading them on
the physical quality that comes with
these objects which is therefore uh a
form of love if you will how we are able
to focus on things that therefore become
a meaningful part of our lives in fact
there's something very spiritual about
the way in which the character is
depicted not only cleansing himself at
the Onsen public bath after working in
the public toilets but also the way in
which he meticulously takes care of his
own living space how he cleans the
floors how he sprays the little plants
in the morning essentially he lives a
perfect life a life of perfect habit and
repetition once again there is something
monk-like or saint-like about his
existence which is not to say that his
life is perfect
and said in some ways he is indeed a
failure he is not able to confront his
father who was in the hospital who is
ailing he's not able to solve other
people's problems or save them from
Death he's not able to find a partner or
meaningful relationship himself he
exists outside of life in his own little
world he is a spectator he is almost a
kind of Flur which is to say that he
goes through life seeing others and he
himself simply is passing through and
there's something very beautiful and
meditative about how public life is
constantly taking place around this
character the public toilets and the
remarkable architecture of these toilets
that were commissioned for the Olympics
therefore stand as a kind of Temple
there's a certain irony to the way in
which Vim venders films the public
toilet as a sacred site and there are
certain sequences in the movie in which
he goes from the public toilet to an
actual Temple which isn't to say that
room vendors is trying to suggest that
toilets are are like temples but he is
trying to suggest that the manner in
which we pay attention to the things
around us to the things that we might
take for granted and the energy that we
invest within our work and our life
takes on a kind of spiritual energy as
well and one of the things that I really
loved about this movie was that it
didn't suggest that analog culture is
somehow better than contemporary digital
media it wasn't trying to send a message
about that I think one of the key
sequences is when his niece sits with
him and he takes out a camera and she
has her phone and they both take a
picture of the tree above them this
means that one of them is using digital
technology and the other one an older
technology and fundamentally these are
both means of access to experiencing the
world around you in a more deep way it's
like when you write it down in your
Journal it's not that you've necessarily
recorded anything meaningful it's that
you've paid attention to your
surroundings and therefore feel more
present in the moment indeed he is
confounded when he she then takes out a
camera which he gifted her her
sensibility for photography is therefore
being nurtured by him in a way that he
didn't even realize and one of the most
philosophical moments in this movie is
when they're bicycling over a bridge and
the niece says that she would like to go
to the beach and he says that's for next
time essentially what he's arguing is
that now is now and next time is next
time this becomes a mantra slogan that
they say to each other over and over
again it's about being in the present
about it's about appreciating the
present moment as it were but
fundamentally this also means that this
character exists outside of time it
means that his life becomes a repetitive
blur he does each and everything over
and over again you could say that this
is a movie about the Surplus enjoyment
of habit of repetitive actions there's
nothing remarkable or heroic about what
is do about what he is doing save the
save for the persistence with which he
does it and surplus enjoyment is a
psychoanalytic concept that talks about
the enjoyment that we experience above
and beyond the mere consumption of a
thing
instead we can derive Surplus enjoyment
from a habit we can derive Surplus
enjoyment from attention to detail it's
like in the same way how within the
Christian faith but also within the
Buddhist lens attention to detail is a
form of love and therefore a form of
Grace the manner in which we therefore
cultivate our environments reflect back
onto ourselves this means that one of
the most profound moments in this movie
is precisely when the character is
simply reading when he's simply taking
in a book or ideas this is because
everything slows down the passage of
time in this movie is wonderfully
depicted it's like we go through each
and every day with the character and the
slows down the film and brings us into
the frame into the space of the film as
if we too were experiencing the
day-to-day motions of this habit becomes
a very soothing movie indeed it's
similar to Hay miyazaki's use of time in
his own movies which he depicts as
realists namely often the characters are
sitting doing nothing against a
supposedly neutral backdrop or against a
backdrop filled with the motion of
others and once again we see how the
toilet cleaner is himself in his own
world he's watching the world go by
around him and therefore on the one hand
he is a heroic figure you could say that
this is an Epic movie of very small
proportions but at the same time one
wonders if perhaps he is lacking the
courage to participate in social life as
such we don't know anything about his
background has he been hurt does he
suffer is there something that he cannot
forget or cannot forgo this means that
fundamentally the movie is not
sentimental but there is a certain
Melancholy to the manner in which he
commits himself to the futile task of
doing something which will go
unrecognized by others indeed in a key
sequence he encounters his sister who is
much more Rich than he is at least when
it comes to monetary terms and she
essentially tries to not look down upon
him and he hugs her and we see him
crying afterwards perhaps this is the
crying of the failed communication of
Two Worlds that simply cannot reach each
other anymore therefore this is a movie
that on the one hand posits the idea of
spiritual enlightenment through
repetitive acts of commitment and
through attention to detail and Grace
but at the same time I would say that
the movie contains an undertone of the
human existential experience which that
no matter what world we live in we end
up feeling lost we end up feeling like
it's not enough each and every day all
we can do is try over and over again
this means that fundament L this is a
film about what Lon called the symptom
the symptom is that which you are bound
to do each and every day it's like cisus
pushing that boulder up the hill doomed
and Faded to do it over and over again
and yet somehow happy our symptom is
that thing which we carry with us which
we cannot overcome and fundamentally
happiness therefore comes when we
identify with our symptom when we
embrace it in fact the movie ends on an
optimistic note when the character
riding into the sunset like a hero in a
Western essentially contemplates the
futility of existence but also the joy
and childlike happiness that can come
with the realization that every day is
indeed in some way perfect that is
perfect Days by viin vendors please
don't forget to become a patron
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