I recently went to the cinema to see the film Blue Giant, and what a surprise! As a fan of jazz and animation, I was eager to discover this adaptation of Shinichi Ishizuka's cult manga.
The story follows 18-year-old Dai Miyamoto, a tenor saxophonist who has been passionate about jazz since childhood. Originally from Sendai, he leaves his hometown to pursue his dream of becoming the world's best saxophonist in Tokyo.
There, he met the talented pianist Yukinori Tanabe and convinced his childhood friend Shunji Tamada to take up the drums. Together, they form the JASS trio and tackle the unforgiving demands of the jazz world.
The film shows us Dai's trials and triumphs, his quest for perfection and his desire to share his passion with the world.
From the very first notes, I was drawn into the film's vibrant universe. The omnipresent jazz brings the characters and their emotions to life. The fluid, dynamic direction captures the raw energy of this music, immersing us totally in this fascinating universe.
What particularly impressed me was the originality of treating jazz in a cartoon. The film manages to convey the complexity and richness of this music with rare accuracy and sensitivity. The characters' improvisations, especially those of saxophonist Dai Miyamoto, are particularly impressive.
I was also impressed by the film's soundtrack, composed by renowned Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara, who won a Grammy Award in 2011. She performs her compositions alongside tenor saxophonist and Syos artist Tomoaki Baba and drummer Shun Ishiwaka. The music is sublime and perfectly suited to the different scenes.
I'm really proud that Tomoaki Baba recorded this soundtrack with his Syos signature mouthpiece! Music is omnipresent in this film, and the live music scenes last for over fifteen minutes of the two-hour film.
Blue Giant is a unique film that touched me deeply. It's an ode to passion and perseverance, a film that inspires us to pursue our dreams, against all odds. I highly recommend it to all lovers of jazz, animation and simply cinema.
