Norwegian Wood is the 2010 film adaptation of the 1987 novel by Haruki Murakami. It was directed by Tran Anh Hung and stars Kenichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi, and Kiko Mizuhara as Toru Watanabe, Naoko, and Midori, respectively.
This film provides examples of...
- Adaptation Distillation: One of the biggest complaints about the movie is that it cuts out of a chunk of the novel including the scene with Stormtrooper and Watanabe on the roof with the firefly.
- Age Lift: While the actress playing Midori was 20 at the time of the film, the actors playing Watanabe and Naoko were in their mid to late 20s.
- Character Narrator: Watanabe narrates throughout the film.
- Couldn't Find a Pen: Watanabe uses some of his blood to write a letter to Naoko.
- Impaled Palm: Watanabe cuts his hand on the job.
- Instant Bandages: He is shown with a bandage wrapped around his palm in the next scene.
- Race Lift: The actress playing Midori is half white, half Korean rather than Japanese.
- Sad-Times Montage: Happens after Naoko dies.
- Starts with a Suicide: Like in the book, the film starts with a scene of Kizuki's suicide.
- Tragic One-Shot Character: Kizuki is seen only at the beginning of the film.
