Ghost of a flea: Yamakasi

August 27, 2004

Yamakasi

Contrary to popular belief, the word, "Yamakasi," isn't Japanese in origin, but comes from the language of Lingala, mostly used in Zaire and Congo. The translation of it would be "strong body, strong spirit, strong man." This basically, would be the underlining theme throughout "Yamakasi."

I have been watching parkour (street climbing) footage again. This time with the benefit of proper cinematography and Luc Besson direction. I am left with the sense these guys would be irritating to hang out with. Always leaping out the window instead of taking the stairs. Yamakasi has a thin plot but so do most Robin Hood stories. This is more than made up for by astonishing daring do and athleticism some of which was clearly cribbed by the second Matrix film. Except in Yamasaki the people actually are running along the face of walls, climbing 27 story buildings and so forth. Finally, there are stunning views of Paris, a city that, inspite of my repeated criticism of the French government, remains one of my favourite places in the world.

They are an urban ninja group known as the "Yamakasi," a clan of seven modern day samurais who scale and climb buildings in order to get closer to the skies and be free. Their discipline and ritual practices of the art of motion are hindered when a young boy, in an attempt to mimic his "Yamakasi" heroes, falls from a tree and gets badly injured from a poor heart. Feeling responsible for the accident, the Yamakasi begins a Robin Hood like adventure where they start to steal from the rich in order to raise the large sum of money for the boy to receive his operation.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at August 27, 2004 08:55 AM

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