The Cats of Mirikitani

The Cats of Mirikitani

The film "The Cats of Mirikitani" is a film about a lovable Asian-American grand master artist and how a woman's kindness uncovers a great historical tale of what is was like to be Japanese during WWII. I absolutely loved this film, he was an interesting man, because we had no clue about him at the start of the film but by the end I felt as if I had a connection to him and know about him much better and more about a history that I wasn't told despite having over 15 years of education.
Jimmy is constantly working on art throughout the whole film, he always seemed at peace when he was drawing. Art was his life it was so important to him, more important than his well being; the scene where 9/11 is happening, there is soot, smoke, ash and fire going on and Jimmy is paying attention to it he is consumed by  his art. I kind of felt there was no reason for him to really care, he knew war too well and the destruction that comes with it.Jimmy's story comes from his art, he is constantly drawing times from when he was imprisoned and of the bombings. Jimmy's life was his art, even during his imprisonment he wrote the government a letter saying how he needs to be released so he can teach art. That's all he wants to do, and I felt awful to know that there were times where he couldn't do art. But I'd like to hope when he left the camps when he bounced around looking for work and such he was ale to continue to make beautiful art. His art reveals and aspect about himself his inner feelings, that's how I believe hew as able to express his frustration, the sorrow of his life. I believe if he didn't have art or gave it up, he would be consumed by everything in his life. Spirituality is very important in this film, Jimmy is a very spiritual man from what I saw. He seems as if he is very against worldly things and materialistic items, all I see he ever really wants is pens, pencils, crayons for his art and the occasion Samurai movie. Of course I knew that being homeless is a horrible experience but from what I saw of Jimmy he didn't really mind, he only really cared for his art.

Internment camps were a really significant aspect of Jimmy's life, he spent three years there and this is the only film I saw that ever mentioned how bad it really was. I did know from personal research that it was pretty bad and as a human being I cannot imagine how horrible it must have been for the world just to be stopped for these people and thrown away in camps because of where they came from. That is why when I read David Muras work I was confused his fathers memories were so positive, he played baseball, got malts and watched movies but somehow I knew that wasn't the whole truth. All the death Jimmy describes, how there was no healthcare for people in these camps and no one seemed to care babies were dying, people were even killing themselves because they couldn't fathom just being taken out from the world then thrown back in; just imagine the racism and prejudice that the Japanese people were going through after the war.  
I liked how in this film how a historical even such as 9/11 and the backlash after that was shown as a comparison to what has happened before. The racism and hate crimes towards Muslims who were in no way involved in the twin towers. They are much like the Japanese during WWII, and Americans seems think it was okay to be fearful of people of a certain race and it is in no way justified; it is racism as simple as that, it is hate and I think it was absolutely disgusting how Americans treat people who aren't white. Since being white is what is to be American and is the only way to be safe even though I believe a lot whites are the real terrorists in America. I appreciated this contrast because it made people realize that what happened to Jimmy was horrible and was a long time ago but it could still happen and it is still happening now. We have to speak up and make sure that these unconstitutional crimes are not occurring to people.

I enjoyed how this film unveils the hypocrisy in America, how the the land of the free was able to illegally imprison people of Japanese descent. The war we were fighting against Germany and Japan, how the Jewish people and more were imprinted to concentration camps to die; I don't feel as if what America was doing was any different. The Japanese people were not treated like people during this time, when Jimmy was a young man and that completely altered how he feels about America. He can't trust America, that is why I believe he was so hesitant to do anything with social security. I also feel hos bad Jimmy must have felt, he was American born in Sacramento, California which he states several times and to be betrayed by his own country. And the fact his mothers family was completely obliterated by the nuclear bomb detonated in Hiroshima, is so horrible. Jimmy's home was destroyed and he didn't feel as if America was his home even though it was his birth right; where does he belong. Jimmy's resentment towards America is justified completely but I liked how his resentment didn't consume who he was as a person. He was a very sweet man, even after the fact he was forced to renounce his citizenship then be unjustly imprisoned for 3 and a half years is simply tragic;he was separated from his family and separated from society for no logical reason. Jimmy is constantly saying how he wants peace, no more war instead more love for all no matter where you come from. I feel so bad for Jimmy, I even cried during the film because this man has went through so much but he is so positive, he didn't let any of this stop him he is a grand master artist spending his time doing what he loves. At the end when he revisits the Lake Tule camp again with others, and when he said the only reason he went back was to pray for his friend that loved art and cats like him. I think also that is Jimmy draws cats a lot, so the boy can live though him. I think it was so beautiful jimmy never forgot him, that was I thin over 50yrs ago; I believe that is also why the boy visited him that night and said goodbye.

The title of the film, I did a lot of thinking about at first I thought it was just about all the cats he drew but then I think it was more than that. I believe that Jimmy was much like a stray cat, he was wandering doing whatever he wanted and the woman who decides to take him in . The woman is very kind, she not only takes Jimmy in but records his life because she feels as if he has a story worth telling. That is amazing because how many countless homeless people do we just pass by in our lifetime and we don't even stop or even make eye contact. It is amazing this woman was able to find him through his invisibility, so he can tell a story that isn't told as much as it needs to be. And to take him in, into her house and to take care of him without getting anything in return just shows how kind people can be. This woman tries countlessly to help him figure out things about his life that he doesn't even know, like where is his family are they ok? and about his citizenship. Without her I don't think Jimmy would be where he was at the end of the film, it was her kindness and curiosity that sparked this film, Jimmy himself was a mystery but without the lens of her camera we wouldn't have been able unravel his secret. Back to the cats aspect, that's why I thought the end when he states how he always takes in stray cats is so beautiful, he knows what it is like or them and now he is in the situation to give back and he does.