LINDA LINDA LINDA by Nobuhiro Yamashita
The climactic scene from Nobuhiro Yamashita’s extraordinary 2005 film, an amazing underrated gem. After hearing about it from Chris Wells a few years ago I managed to find the soundtrack which included some amazing atmospheric instrumental pieces by James Iha as well a few tracks from Paran Maum (the band the girls form in the film) which so blew me away I decided I had to see the film immediately.
LINDA, LINDA, LINDA might be a fairly conventional coming of age film in other hands; girls start a band, can they come together in time to play the talent show? However, under Nobuhiro Yamashita’s direction it’s surprisingly thoughtful, sensitive, and moving. The film patiently earns your investment in the girls. So successful is he that even today watching this scene, in which they finally step on stage to play a cover of ‘Linda, Linda’ by the Japanese punk band The Blue Hearts, entirely out of context I still found it heart stopping and exhilarating.
