The Face of Another

Based on the novel by Kobo Abe, Tanin no kao (The Face of Another) is the story of an engineer whose face is burnt due to an accident at work as he is given a new face that would become troubling. Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara and written by Abe, the film is an exploration of identity where a man is given a new face but would deal with what happened to him and the new face he’s given. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Machiko Kyo, and Kyoko Kishida. Tanin no kao is a chilling yet rapturous film from Hiroshi Teshigahara.

The film follows a man who is given a new face following an accident that left his face burned at work where he deals with the surgery and the changes his new mask gives him. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it is more about a man dealing with what happened to him and a chance to re-enter society only to feel more of an outcast. Kobo Abe’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it’s more of a character study on its protagonist Okuyama (Tatsuya Nakadai) who spends much of the first act either at his home with his wife (Machiko Kyo) or talking to Dr. Hira (Mikijiro Hira) who has been experimenting with creating new skin as he believes he could help Okuyama but is concerned about the Okuyama’s state of mind. The film’s second act would be about the mask based on another man’s face that Okuyama would wear but also recollections of a film he saw that is about a scarred girl (Miki Irie) who works with World War II veterans and is concerned about the idea of another war emerging. That subplot would also play into Okuyama’s concerns about his look when he was covered in bandages as he would go into a slow descent of intrigue and deceit into its third act.

Hiroshi Teshigahara’s direction does bear elements of style in its visuals yet much of the compositions that he creates are straightforward. Shot largely in Tokyo, Teshigahara’s direction play into this air of intrigue throughout the drama as it relates to Okuyama’s visits with Dr. Hira as he works in a room that is surreal in its surroundings as if the man himself is offbeat. The scenes in that film are either presented in a wide shot or in a medium shot with some striking compositions to play into Okuyama trying to get himself back in the world. Notably as he would walk around Tokyo in his bandaged state and later wearing the new face that he’s given where much of Teshigahara’s direction is straightforward yet showcases this air of detachment that would occur in Okuyama’s mind. The element of surrealism doesn’t just play into the office and rooms of Dr. Hira but also in the film that Okuyama saw about the scarred girl and her own journey that included her time with her brother (Kakuya Saeki) that would include close-ups of her face.

Teshigahara also maintains a low-key approach to the suspense during its second act as it relates to Okuyama living in an apartment where the superintendent’s daughter (Etsuko Ichihara) believes there is something weird about him. Even as Okuyama starts to go into places in his new mask that he has to wear for 12 hours as he ponders if those who know him recognize him or know anything about him. Its third act would play into Okuyama taking advantage of his new identity but also play into his descent into the air of immorality that would parallel with the journey of the scarred girl feeling lost over her own place in the world. Even as the film would have Teshigahara use surrealism to play into this dark world that Okuyama and Dr. Hira would create as the latter becomes concerned over what he created while the former would relish in his new discovery of immorality. Overall, Teshigahara crafts a haunting yet engrossing film about a man who gets a new face that would later shape his identity and state of mind.

Cinematographer Hiroshi Segawa does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its usage of natural lighting for scenes in the day as well as some vibrant and eerie textures in the lighting courtesy of Mitsuo Kume. Editor Yoshi Sughihara does excellent work with the editing as it has some unique rhythmic cuts including a few jump-cuts to play into the drama and surrealist moments of the film. Art directors Masao Yamazaki and Arata Isozaki, with set decorator Kenichiro Yamamoto, do amazing work with the look of the apartments that Okuyama lived in as well as the place that Dr. Hira works at.

Costume designer Tamiko Moriya does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with the clothes the characters wear. The makeup work of Tachiro Akiyama does fantastic work with the look of the mask and its design as well as the scar on the girl in the story within the film. The sound work of Junosuke Okuyama is superb for its low-key approach to sound as well as capture sound in its natural settings. The film’s music by Toru Takemitsu is incredible for its mixture of dense and low-sounding percussive textures to play into the mystery and drama along with a more traditional orchestral-based score for the story within the film.

The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles and performances from Eiko Muramatsu as a secretary at the place where Okuyama worked at, Eiji Okada as Okuyama’s boss, Hisashi Igawa as a man with the mole on his face who is paid money to have his face used as the prototype for the mask that Okuyama wears, Kunie Tanaka as a mental hospital patient, Minoru Chiaki as the building superintendent who gives Okuyama an apartment to live in, Etsuko Ichihara as the superintendent’s daughter who likes to play with yo-yos, Kakuya Saeki as the scarred girl’s brother, and Miki Irie in a terrific performance as the scarred girl who deals with her deformity and worries about the world believing that Japan is going to war again. Kyoko Kishida is fantastic as the nurse who aids Dr. Hira in the surgery as she is sort of the film’s conscience as she raises concern about what Dr. Hira is doing as well as being aware that his mysterious wife is watching them.

Machiko Kyo is excellent as Okuyama’s wife who would take care of him for much of the first act as she is concerned with what is happening to him as she doesn’t appear for the second act only to re-emerge later in the third where she would encounter her husband in his new identity. Mikijiro Hira is brilliant as Dr. Hira as a surgeon who performs the surgery as he is also a psychologist as he tries to help Okuyama with his new identity but also deal with his own actions as he becomes conflicted in his accomplishments and the drawbacks it might bring. Finally, there’s Tatsuya Nakadai in a phenomenal performance as Okuyama as an engineer whose face is burned by an accident at his job as he would get a new mask as it’s an eerie performance from Nakadai when he’s covered in bandages while the mask he would put on would add a layer of discomfort into his performance as someone that starts to descend into madness.

Tanin no kao is a spectacular film from Hiroshi Teshigahara that features an incredible leading performance from Tatsuya Nakadai. Along with its ravishing visuals, top-notch ensemble cast, Toru Takemitsu’s intoxicating music score, and study of identity, it’s a film that explore a man trying to get a new face only to lose aspects of himself while delving into surreal moments that play into his descent into madness. In the end, Tanin no kao is a sensational film from Hiroshi Teshigahara.

Hiroshi Teshigahara Films: Pitfall - Woman in the Dunes - (The Man Without a Map) – (Summer Soldiers) – Antonio Gaudi - (Rikyu) – (Princess Goh)

© thevoid99 2019

Immortal Love

Written and directed by Keisuke Kinoshita, Immortal Love is the story of a woman is part of a loveless marriage that goes on for three decades as she is in love with another man. The film is a look into a marriage that would later create a family but a family that would become dysfunctional. Starring Hideko Takamine, Keiji Sada, Tatsuya Nakadai, and Nobuko Otowa. Immortal Love is a riveting yet intoxicating film from Keisuke Kinoshita.

The film follows 29 years in the life of a couple who are part of a loveless marriage in which the woman is forced into it after her father had been coerced by a landowner into having his daughter marry the landowner’s son. Though she loves another man, she wouldn’t see him for very much due to this marriage that would spawn three children yet the family life would be just as tumultuous as the marriage leading to tragedy and other revelations. Keisuke Kinoshita’s screenplay is told in five different chapters as it begins in 1932 and ends in 1961 as each chapter focuses on a different point in this chaotic marriage between Sadako (Hideko Takamine) and Heibei (Tatsuya Nakadai). The film would capture five key moments in time such as the fact in Heibei returning home in 1932 as a war hero with a limp as he would pursue Sadako and force himself upon her much to the dismay of her lover Takashi (Keiji Sada).

Takashi would suggest to Sadako to run away on the latter’s wedding day but the former doesn’t show up at the site they were supposed to meet leaving Sadako to a fate of chaos. Even as Sadako’s married life would be fraught with difficulties including news about Takashi becoming ill and meeting his wife Tomoko (Nobuko Otowa) that would just cause trouble. Sadako’s life as a mother is also complicated as she and her eldest son Eiichi (Masakasu Tamura) would often fight with Eiichi often going to Heibei for support. It just adds to a lot of complication that would continue throughout this unhappy marriage that would go on for nearly 30 years.

Kinoshita’s direction is entrancing for the way it plays into the life of a farmer’s daughter who is forced into the marriage of a landowner’s son. Shot on rural locations near mountains and farmland areas in Japan, Kinoshita would use a lot of wide shots of not just the locations but also in some of the intimate compositions to show how disconnected Sadako and Heibei are in their marriage. There are also some medium shots and close-ups to play into the intimate aspects of the family life as well as compositions where Kinoshita would have the camera placed at a certain position towards the door of Heibei’s home. The direction also has some intense moments as it play into a tragic event that would cause a brief reunion between Sadako and Takashi as it play into their longing but also where they’re at in this point in their lives. 

The final two episodes set in 1960 and 1961 isn’t just about these revelations into this loveless marriage but also a decision that Sadako and Heibei’s daughter Naoko (Yukiko Fuji) would make that would raise more tension between the parents as well as revelations about Sadako’s own feelings for Takashi who copes with his own health issues as his own scars from the war would return. All of which play into this tense and tumultuous marriage and puzzlement of what could’ve been if these two had never gotten married. Overall, Kinoshita crafts a compelling yet haunting film about a woman who is forced into a loveless marriage that eventually becomes torture both man and wife.

Cinematographer Hiroshi Kusuda does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography to play into the sunny look of the exterior locations along with its usage of low-key lights for the scenes at night. Editor Yoshi Sugihara does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in terms of its lack of style in order to capture the intensity of the drama in some of the long shots in the film. Art director Chiyoo Umeda and set decorator Hachiro Soda do fantastic work with the look of the house Heibei’s family owns as well as the rooms and the more modest home of Takashi upon his return. The sound work of Hisao Ono is superb for capturing the atmosphere of the home as well as the locations to play into the changing times in the world outside of the country. The film’s music by Chuji Kinoshita is phenomenal for its flamenco-based score as its usage of acoustic guitars and songs that are played between chapters add a sense of dramatic urgency and foreshadowing that would occur as it’s a highlight of the film.

The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from Eijiro Tono as a policeman in third act of the film, Kiyoshi Nonomura as Takashi’s brother who would tell Sadako news about him, Yasushi Nagata as Heibei’s father, Akira Ishihama as Takashi’s son Yutaka, Yukiko Fuji as Sadako and Heibei’s daughter Naoko, Masakazu Tamura as Heibei and Sadako’s eldest son Eiichi, Yoshi Kato as Sadako’s father who bears regrets over putting his daughter into a terrible marriage, and Masaya Totsuka as Sadako and Heibei’s middle son Morito who appears late in the film with revelations about the truth of what his father and his father’s family had done forcing him to take on a path of his own. Nobuko Otowa is fantastic as Takashi’s wife Tomoko who is in a similar situation as Sadako in her marriage to Takashi yet would endure a worse fate as she coped with being raped by Heibei that lead to her own descent.

Keiji Sada is excellent as Takashi as Sadako’s lover who is angry over what Heibei did yet makes a decision that would impact everything as he copes with the choices he makes as well as dealing with an illness that he would carry for much of his life. Tatsuya Nakadai is brilliant as Heibei as a farm owner’s son and revered military officer who would force himself on Sadako and marry her only to become tormented by the marriage as well as being extremely needy. Finally, there’s Hideko Takamine in an amazing performance as Sadako as the daughter of a farmer who is forced into a loveless marriage as she deals with the chaos of being a wife of a man she hates as well as the loss of her own chance at true love where she also deals with family chaos and tragedy as it is a riveting performance in the film.

Immortal Love is a phenomenal film from Keisuke Kinoshita. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, an eerie score, and a gripping story about a tumultuous marriage, it’s a film that showcases the idea of a forced marriage and the impact it would have on many including two people who hate each other. In the end, Immortal Love is a sensational film from Keisuke Kinoshita.

Keisuke Kinoshita Films: (Port of Flowers) - (The Living Magoroku) – Army - (Jubilation Street) - (Morning for the Osone Family) – (Carmen Comes Home) - (A Japanese Tragedy) - (Twenty-Four Eyes) - (She Was like a Wild Chrysanthemum) - (Yorokobi mo kanashimi mo ikutoshitsuki) - The Ballad of Narayama (1958 film) - (The River Fuefuki)

© thevoid99 2018

2107 Cannes Marathon: Harakiri

(Co-Winner of the Special Jury Prize w/ The Cassandra Cat at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on a story by Yasuhiko Takiguchi, Harakiri is the story of a ronin samurai who wants to commit seppuku at the home of a warlord where he is confronted by members of the lord’s clan. Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and screenplay by Shinobu Hashimoto, the film is an exploration of a man trying to maintain his sense of honor and beliefs during a time of change in 17th Century Japan during the Edo era. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentaro Mikuni, Shima Iwashita, Akira Ishihama, and Yoshio Inaba. Harakiri is a gripping yet eerie film from Masaki Kobayashi.

Set in 1630 Edo, the film follows a ronin warrior who goes to the home of a revered warlord and asks the house if he can commit hara-kiri in their home as he recounts his story. It’s a film with a simple premise as it relates to the subject of suicide and honor yet it is told in a complex manner as it challenges these ideas during a time of peace in 17th Century Japan after years of feuding warlords. Especially as it is about dying with a sense of honor at a time where ronin samurai warriors are dealing with not having work and poverty as they have no one to work for as they can either get work for a lord or nothing all but death. Much of Shinobu Hashimoto’s screenplay is told in a reflective manner as the ronin samurai warrior Tsugumo Hanshiro (Tatsuya Nakadai) would arrive at the house of the Ii clan where he would meet with its head counselor Saito Kageyu (Rentaro Mikuni) about doing hara-kiri at the estate of this warlord.

Yet, Kageyu has some reservations as it relates to men claiming to be ronin samurais who come in hoping for money as he tells Hanshiro about a young man named Chijiiwa Motome (Akira Ishihama) who is suspected of being part of an extortion scheme. The film’s screenplay has a unique structure that would play into the flashback as the first act is about Motome’s story while the second act is about Hanshiro’s own story that would lead to his reason for wanting to commit seppuku. It would lead to this very intense third act as it would play into the idea of honor and the samurai code as it is revealed to be flawed as it goes into the present story as Hanshiro is eager to perform seppuku but he has ideas of how he wants it done.

Masaki Kobayashi’s direction is definitely entrancing in the way he captures the world of 17th Century Japan at a time of peace where everything seems to go well but it is just an illusion as Kobayashi would slowly peel the layers to reveal something that isn’t everything as it seems. Much of the direction has Kobayashi use a lot of wide shots to capture the scope of the house as well as some of the exteriors in the rural locations in Japan. The scenes inside the house including the courtyard where the seppuku ritual is performed has Kobayashi use not just some wide shots but also low angles, slanted camera angles, medium shots, and close-ups to play into some of the tension and suspense that looms throughout. Even in the way Kobayashi puts his actors into a frame for the compositions as it showcases how much a seppuku ceremony means something where there’s a man in the corner that is to be a samurai’s second with many others watching over him.

The direction of Kobayashi also display some intimacy in the flashbacks as it relates to Hanshiro’s story as well as the things that led to the third act. Notably the three men that Hanshiro asks for to be his second during the seppuku ceremony as his choices where Kobayashi goes inside the house where Kageyu and some of his senior members of the clan try to find the three men Hanshiro has requested. Much of the film throughout is very restrained until the third act where it’s not just about the seppuku ritual but also the code of the samurai and its flaws. Especially as Hanshiro would divulge some information that would create a sense of chaos in the Ii clan as its climax isn’t just violent but also unsettling considering the façade that these warlords wanted to present in peace time Japan during the 17th Century. Overall, Kobayashi creates a visceral and intense film about a man wanting to commit hara-kiri at the home of a warlord.

Cinematographer Yoshio Miyajima does amazing work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography as it help play into some of the tension in the film as well as its usage of lights for some of the scenes at night and in some of the interior settings. Editor Hisashi Sagara does excellent work with the editing as it straightforward with the exception of some jump-cuts that help play into some of the dramatic tension and action. Art directors Junichi Ozumi and Shigemasa Toda, with set decorator Zenichi Taijiri, do brilliant work with the look of the estate in its interiors and exteriors as well as the home of Hanshiro in the flashbacks.

Costume designer Mitsuzo Ueda does nice work with the costumes where it showcases the look of the robes as well as what one has to wear for a seppuku ceremony. The sound work of Hideo Nishizaki is fantastic for some of the sound effects that is created and captured to help play into the dramatic suspense as well as some of the action. The film’s music by Toru Takemitsu is incredible for its unsettling and eerie score filled with disconcerting string music and some hollow percussions as it help set a dark mood for a scene as it is a highlight of the film.

The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Yoshio Inaba as an old friend of Hanshiro in Jinai in the flashbacks, the trio of Tetsuo Tamba, Ichiro Nakatani, and Yoshiro Aoki as the three senior members of the clan whom Hanshiro asks for to be his second, and Shima Iwashita as Hanshiro’s daughter Miho whom Hanshiro loved and cared for in the film’s flashbacks. Akira Ishihama is excellent as Chijiiwa Motome as a young man claiming to be a samurai as he would be part of a story that would raise suspicions for Hanshiro’s own claims. Rentaro Mikuni is brilliant as Saito Kageyu as a clan counselor who is watching over everything and see if Hanshiro is worthy to commit seppuku as well as be someone who is very intent on maintaining some kind of code of what samurais should do. Finally, there’s Tatsuya Nakadai in a phenomenal performance as Tsugumo Hanshiro as a ronin samurai warrior who wants to end his life at the home of a warlord as he would state his own reasons and his own story as it is a performance filled with some humility and gravitas that is later more complex as it adds to the film’s chilling climax.

Harakiri is a tremendous film from Masaki Kobayashi that features a sensational performance from Tatsuya Nakadai. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and an eerie film score, it’s that explores some of the fallacies of the samurai code as well an exploration of 17th Century Japanese culture and some of its drawbacks. In the end, Harakiri is a spectacular film from Masaki Kobayashi.

Masaki Kobayashi Films: (Black River) - The Human Condition Trilogy - Kwaidan - Samurai Rebellion - (Hymn to a Tired Man) - (The Fossil) - (Tokyo Trial)

© thevoid99 2017

Samurai Rebellion

Based on the novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi, Samurai Rebellion is the story of a samurai’s son who is forced to marry a clan lord’s mistress where things don’t go as planned prompting the clan lord to change his mind leading a showdown between the lord and an aging samurai. Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and screenplay by Shinobu Hashimoto, the film is an exploration into a man being pulled into a world that he doesn’t want to as an act to protect his family. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Go Kato, Yoko Tsukasa, Shigeru Koyama, Masao Mishima, Isao Yamagata, Tatsuyoshi Ehara, Tatsuo Matsumara, and Tatsuya Nakadai. Samurai Rebellion is a gripping yet evocative film from Masaki Kobayashi.

Set in 1725 during the Edo period of Japan, the film revolves around the request of a clan lord who asks for a family to take in one of his mistresses as the son of a samurai warrior marries the mistress. Yet, the marriage ends up being very fruitful and loving until an incident involving the lord’s family changes things and wants the mistress back in the castle forcing her husband to refuse the request and his father to prepare for battle against the lord and his entire clan. It’s a film that explores not just rules of working for a clan but also try to balance that and devote time to family as the samurai warrior Isaburo Sasahara (Toshiro Mifune) is considered the best. The only equal he has in terms of swordsmanship is his best friend Tatewaki Asano (Tatsuya Nakadai) who is the clan’s gatekeeper as he is a man of formality and honor. Sasahara is also a man of honor but the request he’s given to take in a lord’s mistress weighs heavily on him as he is in a loveless marriage and doesn’t want his eldest son Yogoro (Go Kato) to be in one.

Yet, the mistress in Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa) turns out to be a very gracious and kind woman who was forced into being a mistress because her father worked in the lord’s castle. She would tell Yogoro everything including how she was kicked out of the castle after bearing him a son who would be an heir to the lord’s throne. Still, Yogoro and Isaburo accepts him to the family much to the chagrin of Isaburo’s wife Kenmotsu (Takamaru Sasaki) who is aghast into how Ichi was kicked out of the lord’s castle. The film’s script doesn’t just play into this conflict of two people wanting a happy life but also how there are those who just want to use people for power as Isaburo realizes that the clan lord he’s been serving for has become dishonorable and selfish. Many would try to get Ichi back to the castle including Yogoro’s younger brother Bunzo (Tatsuyoshi Ehara) who would trick her but both Isaburo and Yogoro are aware that it’s being handled without them or Ichi having a say in the matter.

That is something Asano would notice as he would be asked by clan leaders to kill Isaburo but he refuses because he of some details which prove that he’s a man of rules. Yet, he and Isaburo become more aware that rules are changing to fit into a new world that doesn’t care for things such as honor. It would force Isaburo and his son to expect the worst as it’s all about getting Ichi back to her family. Especially where the lord’s regime would carry out weapons and such that would represent this idea of a new and darker world that Isaburo isn’t a part of.

Masaki Kobayashi’s direction is definitely entrancing as it has these gorgeous framing devices as well as a great depth of field to get a look from above inside the Sasahara home. The usage of the wide shots would play into the location including scenes early in the film where Isaburo and Asano would go to clan leaders and demonstrate their skills as they would walk home discussing the future. Kobayashi would also use some medium shots and close-ups for the intimate moments inside the Sasahara home along with some wide shots for a sequence where Ichi tells Yogoro her story of how she was picked to become the lord’s mistress. The sequence where Ichi recalls the moment she realized her role for this lord and seeing his new mistress is presented in still shots when she attacks her. It’s a moment in the film where Kobayashi would present something that is very stylized yet prefers to create something that is striking in where he would put his actors into a frame.

Kobayashi also maintains something that is theatrical in his framing as it would emphasize more on strategy and drama rather than action which is often common with samurai movies. By placing the moment of samurai duels in the third act, Kobayashi is more focused on building up the tension between the Sasahara family and the clan lord as the former would even write a petition to free Ichi and return her home. To the lord’s clan leaders, they see this as an act of insolence where the showdown between a steward and Isaburo would come to ahead but it’s all about strategy and who moves first. Yet, there is also an anguish into its outcome as it play into loss and this cruelty emerging into the new world that Isaburo and Asano aren’t a part of. Overall, Kobayashi creates a rapturous yet eerie film about a man trying to defend his family against the wishes of a cruel clan lord.

Cinematographer Kazuo Yamada does amazing work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its emphasis on natural lighting and shadows where there is so much detail shown including some interior scenes involving candles and oil lanterns and how it can set a tone for the scene. Editor Hisashi Sagara does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward with very few stylish cuts in order to play up the intensity of the drama. Production designer Yoshio Muraki does brilliant work with the look of the homes of some of the characters including the Sasahara house with such detail including its sand pits. The sound work of Shigenosuke Okuyama does fantastic work with the sound as it help play into some of the suspense and drama including in some of the sword play and action. The film’s music by Toru Takemitsu is incredible for its usage of traditional string instruments and percussions to add an atmospheric tone to some of the scenes as it is a highlight of the film.

The film’s superb cast include some notable small roles from Masao Mishima as a chamberlain, Tatsuo Matsumara as the clan lord Masakata Matsudaira who rules Edo and its province, Etsuko Ichihara as the wet nurse for Ichi and Yogoro’s baby, Tatsuyoshi Ehara as Yogoro’s younger brother Bunzo, Takamaru Sasaki as Yogoro and Bunzo’s mother/Isaburo’s wife Kenmotsu, Isao Yamagata as a relative of Ichi who tries to get her back to the castle, and Shigeru Koyama as the steward Geki Takahashi who starts off as an ally only to side with his master and try to attack Isaburo. Go Kato is excellent as Yogoro as a young samurai who is made head of his family a year after his marriage to Ichi as he copes with the new request to return his wife to the castle as he refuses in hoping to save his family and provide a future for his newborn daughter.

Yoko Tsukasa is fantastic as Ichi as a young woman who is sent to the Sasahara family to marry Yogoro as punishment for her actions towards a clan lord where she feels accepted in her new family only to become a pawn in a lord’s selfish act. Tatsuya Nakadai is brilliant as Tatewaki Asano as a gatekeeper who is Isaburo’s best friend that is a man who is about rules and formalities as he copes with the situation Isaburo was in as he tries to make sense of everything but also maintain his own honor. Finally, there’s Toshiro Mifune in an incredible performance as Isaburo Sasahara as a samurai warrior who finds himself trying to defend his family’s honor after a lord wants his mistress back as Mifune plays a man trying to do what is right for his son and daughter-in-law as well as defy whoever stood in his way as it’s one of Mifune’s finest performances.

Samurai Rebellion is a phenomenal film from Masaki Kobayashi that feature great performances from Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai. It’s a film that explores the world of the samurai as well as a man trying to defend what is right for his family against the cruel and selfish acts of a clan lord. In the end, Samurai Rebellion is a tremendous film from Masaki Kobayashi.

Masaki Kobayashi Films: (Black River) - The Human Condition Trilogy - Harakiri - Kwaidan - (Hymn to a Tired Man) - (The Fossil) - (Tokyo Trial)

© thevoid99 2017

2015 Blind Spot Series: The Human Condition Trilogy

Based on the novel series by Junpei Gomikawa, The Human Condition is a film trilogy that explores the life of a young man with socialist and pacifist views of the world who endures oppression and terror during the era of World War II Japan. Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and screenplay by Kobayahi and Zenzo Matsuyama, the film is set into three parts that plays into the journey of a young man who goes from labor camp supervisor to serving as part of the Imperial army in World War II and becoming a POW for the Soviet Union as he questions the journey of his life. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Iseko Ariama, Chikage Awashima, Keiji Sada, Taketoshi Naito, Minoru Chiaki, Yusuke Kawazu, Tamao Nakamura, Chishu Ryu, and Hideko Takamine. The Human Condition is an astonishing and tremendous study of humanity in the era of war from Masaki Kobayashi.

The film is a three-part story told in the span of nearly three years from 1943 Japan to early 1946 as a man named Kaji (Tatsuya Nakadai) would endure a series of events and moments that would shape his view of humanity as he tries to hold on to his views of socialism and pacifism thinking that there’s some good in the world of war. Since it is a three-part movie with a total running time of 574-minutes (nine-hours and forty-seven minutes without intermission), it is a film that plays into Kaji’s view on the world from trying to change things and then be pushed to the edge over how the world works. In the first film, he starts out serving as labor camp supervisor in Japanese-occupied Manchuria in China where he is challenged by corrupt men who want to punish and rule over the Chinese. Due to his actions in trying to maintain some peace and civility, he would be punished into becoming a soldier in the second film where he endures brutality in his training and later tension with soldiers as he tries to train older recruits.

The third film would have Kaji trying to survive once his platoon has been overwhelmed where he is eventually captured by Soviet forces as he contends with everything he endures and encounters. The screenplays by Masaki Kobayashi and Zenzo Matsuyama explore not just Kaji’s evolution as a man trying to find some kind of hope and humanity during a horrific period of war. In the first film, Kaji starts out as a man of great intelligence as he is exempted from military service where he would take a job in Manchuria as a labor camp supervisor where he brings his new bride Michiko (Michiyo Aratama) as she tries to understand the work that Kaji is trying to do in his work where he has to deal with corrupt officials despite the support of a camp officer in Okishima (So Yamamura) and a young Chinese officer in Chen (Akira Ishihama). While he tries to appease prisoners including a few troublesome Chinese prisoners like Kao (Shinji Nanbara) as well as offering prostitutes to ease their troubles.

Things don’t go right because of the way the Japanese wants to control things and to ensure the increase production in ore as trouble would ensue where Kaji’s actions into helping the Chinese and ensure that they’re treated humanly would lead to his path in the second film. By being forced to serve in the military as punishment where there are those watching over him, Kaji would survive training though he longs to be with his wife. Yet, some of the tactics of veteran soldiers and such would create trouble and tragedy where Kaji tries to make things right as his actions would get the attention of his old friend Kageyama (Keiji Sada) who would have Kaji train older recruits during the final moments of war. Yet, his attempts to make things easier and deal with things behind the scenes only trouble him as Soviet forces would arrive. The third film would be about Kaji’s attempt to survive with the few allies he has left as he would encounter a group of lost refugees, soldiers without leaders, and eventual capture by the Soviets. All of which leads to him trying to comprehend the idea of war and what it means to live.

It’s not just the development of Kaji that is important but also in the environment and people he encounter in his journey from being this idealist pacifist with socialist views on the world to a soldier who saw a world that is very troubled and dark in the days of war. In some ways, it is an anti-war film that is being told but one that plays into a man trying to hold into the idea that there is good in the world of war as he ponders if the enemy are just as humane as he is. While there are those who are baffled by his idealism and determination, they would admire him for sticking to his beliefs as he would be tested. Even in moments where Kaji would be forced to see people who are good be harmed either by their own selfishness or by some event as it add to Kaji questioning his own ideals as his capture by the Soviet would only create more confusion from within.

Kobayashi’s direction is nothing short of grand in terms of its visuals as well as the length to tell the story with such ambition. For the first film entitled No Greater Love and its subsequent films, Kobayashi does maintain compositions and images that do play into Kaji’s struggle with the world that often include slanted camera angles as if Kaji is either walking up or down a hill or a mountain. Shot on location in northern Japan (due to strained Chinese-Japanese relations at the time), Kobayashi’s usage of mountains and barren landscapes play into the world of the labor camps where the Chinese are imprisoned along with these intricate usage of tracking shots that would become a prominent factor for much of trilogy. Notably for scenes in the second film Road to Eternity where Kobayashi would use these intricate tracking shots to play into the sense of tension that emerges in the training camps and at the barracks where soldiers sleep as it makes things uneasy.

The direction also Kobayashi maintain a sense of intimacy through his usage of close-ups and medium shots for scenes at the camp and brothels in No Greater Love and at the camps in Road to Eternity. Much of it would play into not just Kaji’s sense of longing but also his struggle to hold on to his beliefs and the semblance of humanity around him. The close-ups wouldn’t just play into Kaji’s own state of mind but also in the characters who would become attached to him as the final days of the war is emerging. In the second half of Road to Eternity where Kaji and his platoon would have to battle it out with the Soviets. It does become a very different film where Kaji is in the middle of a battlefield knowing that he might die but manages to survive but its aftermath would play into a growing sense of disillusionment. It then leads to the third and final film of the trilogy in A Soldier’s Prayer where Kaji and a few soldiers he had befriend are fighting to survive where they would encounter refugees and others on their way back to Manchuria. The third film does become much broader in terms of its visuals and in its suspense as well as the sense of drama where Kaji is trying to maintain some dignity despite the fact that he knows that Japan has been defeated.

Kaji’s encounter with different types of refugees would play into his own resolve where Kobayashi’s direction is quite vast in its compositions that include some very wide shots of the farmland where Chinese militia farmers are taking watch. By the time the film moves into the Soviet camps, it does become more grim where Kaji would endure labor work as punishment but also a sense of disillusionment in the way he sees the Soviet as who they really are from their view of socialism. It’s in these moments where Kobayashi would definitely heighten the tension and drama for an ending where Kaji and everything he had encountered would force him to make a decision for what is right in the world. Overall, Kobayashi creates what is truly an astronomical and gripping trilogy of films about a humanist dealing with war and inhumanity during one of the most horrific periods in world history.

Cinematographer Yoshio Miyajima does brilliant work with the black-and-white cinematography for all three films where he infuses a lot of unique images and lighting schemes with Takaskhi Kato providing some harsh lights for a rainy scene in the first film while Akira Aomatsu does some of the lights for scenes at night and in the interiors for the second and third film as well as some naturalistic images for the latter for scenes set in the woods as the photography is among one of the film‘s highlights. Editor Keiichi Uraoka does amazing work with the editing in not just creating rhythmic cuts for some of the dramatic and active moments in the film but also some dissolves and stylish cuts to play into the drama including the usage of flashbacks and freeze-frames for the third film.

Production designer Kazue Hirakata, with set designers Yoji Maru (for the first film) and Takamasi Kobayashi (for the second and third films) and set decorators Kyoji Sasaki (for the first film) and Seiji Ishikawa (for the second and third films), does fantastic work with the set design from the look of the Manchurian villages where Kaji and Michiko would live to the labor camps, training camps, and other places that Kaji would encounter throughout his journey. Sound recorder Hideo Nishizaki does excellent work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the labor camps and ore mines in the first film as well as the scenes set in the training camps, battlefields, and at the Soviet prison to play into the world that Kaji is at. The film’s music by Chuji Kinoshita is great as it features an array of compositions from somber string arrangements to play into the drama to bombastic orchestral numbers that add to the tone of war as well as cadence drum arrangements to play into that world of the military.

The casting for all three films are incredible as it is a large yet well-crafted ensemble in the many roles that were assembled for the film. From No Greater Love, there’s notable small roles from Nobuo Nakamura as labor camp manager, Akitake Kono as a camp captain, Eitaro Ozawa as a brutish camp official in Okazaki, Masao Mishima as the camp manager Kuroki, Seiji Mizoguchi as the prisoner Wang Heng Li, Shinji Nanbara as the prisoner Kao, Koji Mitsui as the abusive camp officer Furya, Ineko Arima as the prostitute Yang Chun Lan who falls for Kao, Akira Ishihama as the Chinese officer Chen, So Yamamura as the sympathetic officer Okimshima, and Chikage Awashima as the brothel madam Jin Tung Fu whom Chen would fall for.

From Road to Eternity, there’s small roles from Kokini Katsura and Jun Tatara as a couple of first-class privates, Michio Minami as the abusive private first-class Yoshida, Fumio Watanabe and Shoji Yasui as a couple of officers at the camp, and Susumu Fujita as an older recruit Kaji is training. From A Soldier’s Prayer, there’s noteworthy small roles from Tamao Nakamura as a refugee Kaji and his fellow soldiers encounter, Ed Keene and Ronald Self as a couple of Soviet officers, Koji Kiyoumura and Keijiro Morozumi as a couple of soldiers, Kyoko Kishida as a prostitute refugee that Koji meets, Reiko Hitomi as a young woman who joins the soldiers on a journey, Hideko Takamine as a woman in a refugee camp, and Chishu Ryu as an old man in the refugee camp.

From the second film, Kei Sato is terrific as the veteran recruit Shinjo who would make a drastic attempt to escape the military while Kunie Tanaka is superb as the poor-sighted and cowardly Obara who would endure horrific abuse in the hands of supervisors. Keiji Sada is excellent as Kaji’s old friend Kageyama who appears in the first and second film where he becomes a lieutenant in the latter who would appoint Kaji to train a group of older officers. Taketoshi Naito and Yusuke Kawazu are brilliant in their respective roles as the soldiers Tange and Terada who both admire Kaji for his determination with the former being the cynic and the latter being a young man. Nobuo Kaneko is fantastic as the corrupt officer Kirihara who would also be captured by the Soviets where he is able to sway things in their favor much to Kaji’s disgust.

Michiyo Aratama is amazing as Kaji’s wife Michiyo who copes with her husband’s activities and his absences as she would visit him during his training as a soldier while becoming an object of determination in the third film where she would appear as an apparition of other women to remind him what he needs to return to. Finally, there’s Tatsuya Nakadai in a performance for the ages as Kaji as an idealistic young man who would endure some of the most horrific events in history. It’s a performance where Nakadai maintains a sense of humility and drive into his performance where he starts off as determined to make a difference in a world that is very cruel only to be pushed and pushed to face the harsher side of reality. Even as he contends with some of the actions he had caused and his attempts to do good during the time of war as it is a very haunting yet exhilarating performance from Nakadai.

The 2009 four-disc Region 1 DVD set from the Criterion Collection presents the films in their 2:35:1 theatrical aspect ratio on an enhanced 16x9 widescreen format with 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono sound as both sound and image are remastered for this release. Three discs contain the three different films in the trilogy as well as a fourth disc of special features. The first is a fourteen-minute excerpt of a rare 1993 interview with Masaki Kobayashi by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda made for the Japanese Director’s Guild. Kobayashi talks about his collaboration with cinematographer Yoshio Miyajima and their methods as well as aspects on the production along with the first film’s initial reception, despite winning an award at the Venice Film Festival, where it wasn’t well-received.

The 18-minute interview Tatsuya Nakadai has the actor talking about the film and his performance where he was just a newcomer who had worked with Kobayashi prior to making the trilogy. Nakadai also talks about the production as it was a tough one that spanned over three years as only he and Kobayashi were the only ones that didn’t get sick throughout the production. Nakadai also talks about how some of his performance was based on Kobayashi’s own experience as a POW which he added into the film as well as talking about seeing the film over the years which he is proud of as he also thinks it’s one of the finest anti-war films ever made.

The 25-minute appreciation video about the film and Kobayashi by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda has the filmmaker discussing a lot of the film’s themes and how it would relate to the films Kobayashi would make throughout his career. Shinoda also talks about Kobayashi’s life as a POW which would reflect on some of the scenes shown on the film where Kobayashi wanted a realistic depiction of what it was like. Shinoda also talks about the novelist of the stories who, like Kobayashi, was also part of the military that refused to serve as an officer where the two both shared their own experiences of war which would play into the film. Shinoda also talks about the romantic elements in the film that he felt was overlooked as he revealed much of the influence of late 1930s French cinema that had an impact on Kobayashi as a filmmaker.

The DVD set includes the trailers for all three films which displays its sense of ambition and importance to the Japanese cinema. The DVD set also includes an essay by film historian Philip Kemp entitled The Prisoner where Kemp talks about Kobayashi’s film career but also the state of Japan during the time the film was made. One of which where Japan was struggling with the actions it caused as well as be in denial about what they did where the film’s release did spark some controversy despite the international acclaim it would receive. Kemp also talks about the film and its narrative along with some of its irony as it concerns Kaji’s socialist views which would add to Kaji’s own downfall and disillusionment. It’s a very compelling essay that serves as a fine accompaniment to a towering trilogy.

The Human Condition trilogy is truly an outstanding achievement from Masaki Kobayashi that features a spectacular performance from Tatsuya Nakadai. While each film do stand out on their own, it is far more powerful and exhilarating as one entire piece thanks to a great ensemble cast and amazing technical work. It is also an intriguing study about humanity at a point in time where human kindness and decency are swayed away by something as senseless as war. In the end, The Human Condition trilogy is a magnificent trilogy of films by Masaki Kobayashi.

Masaki Kobayashi Films: (Black River) - Harakiri - Kwaidan - Samurai Rebellion - (Hymn to a Tired Man) - (The Fossil) - (Tokyo Trial)

© thevoid99 2015

The Sword of Doom

Based on the novel by Kaizan Nakazato, Dai-bosatsu Toge (The Sword of Doom) is the story about a disgraced samurai who works as a hitman for various groups only to be pursued by a man whose brother was killed by this samurai. Directed by Kihachi Okamoto and screenplay by Shinobu Hashimoto, the film is an exploration of a samurai whose lust for violence and competition leads him into a path of destruction where he would descend into madness. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Yuzo Kayama, Michiyo Aratama, and Toshiro Mifune. Dai-bosatsu Toge is a chilling yet mesmerizing film from Kihachi Okamoto.

In the world of the samurai, there are rules that one has to live by while contests are settled with an air of respect. For the film’s protagonist in Ryunosuke Tsukue (Tatsuya Nakadai), he is a very skilled samurai with an unorthodox style but is also amoral and seems to care less at who he kills. After coercing a man’s wife to sleep with him and later kill that man in a duel, he becomes disgraced as he and the woman known as Hama (Michiyo Aratama) live in another town as outcasts while he works for money to kill people for local lords. Yet, he would encounter a revered master in Shimada Toranosuke (Toshiro Mifune) who is aware of Tsukue’s reputation as well as the fact that Tsukue is being pursued by the brother of the man he had killed years before. Eventually, all of Tsukue’s demons would come into place as he loses control of his emotions and the reputation that he’s known for.

Shinobu Hashimoto’s screenplay definitely explores a man who is defined by his sword and skills as a samurai warrior but also someone who is notorious for his actions as he basically kills whoever for no reason. Notably in the film’s beginning as he kills an old man who is praying to Buddha while he later kills another man without remorse. Tsukue is a very complicated individual who respects his role as a samurai but is also one that is very dangerous and not willing to be emotional about anything. Even in the way he gets Hama to sleep with him in order to disgrace her as she ends up marrying him and raising their child as she tries to regain whatever sense of respect she has. Even as she becomes a woman trying to run a business where she gets a young woman into some trouble prompting her uncle to deal with Hama’s carelessness.

While Tsukue seeks money to kill for whoever and find someone who can be a worthy opponent, he is also seeking the brother of the man he had killed the year before. Particularly as he feels that he can kill him with ease but what he doesn’t know is that this young man is being guided by Toranosuke who is this revered and skilled swordsman. Yet, these two men would have an encounter but it would be something where a revelation is unveiled that could allow for one to have the advantage over his opponent. The aftermath of this encounter would leave Tsukue troubled where he would deal with people he’s working for but also those he is unknowingly connected to in the actions that he committed in the span of two years.

Kihachi Okamoto’s direction is very intense in the way he presents not just the duels but also some of the film’s dramatic moments. Notably as Okamoto uses the widescreen format to create these gorgeous compositions of a period in time where things are changing in the world of the samurai. Many of the dramatic moments are often presented in simplistic tones while Okamoto use tracking shots to present some kind of movement or close-ups to intensify the drama. Even as there’s some unique framing devices in the way Okamoto places the actors in a shot and allows that shot to say something about where these characters are. Even in the way Okamoto builds suspense to emphasize something that is about to happen that would advance the story or play to a character’s motivation.

For the duel scenes, Okamoto uses the widescreen format to create these eerie shots of where the actors are placed in the frame. It is all about this slow build-up in the duel to see who will strike first. When it involves group fighting against one, the action is more intense where it is about one trying to fight for his life. What is more startling about the action is the gruesome nature of the violence as there’s blood and body parts being cut off. Even to people who aren’t violent as they become victims of this violence as it gets more intense in the film’s climax in terms of what is presented and the power of it. Notably where it is preceded by this strange sequence that plays to Tsukue’s sins of the past in something that is just surreal but also visceral in what is later presented. Overall, Okamoto creates a truly gripping yet harrowing film about madness and the actions that define the life of a troubled samurai.

Cinematographer Hiroshi Murai does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to capture some of the brooding aspects of the locations along with some entrancing interior settings including the film‘s climax. Editor Yoshitami Kuroiwa does great work with the editing to play out the suspense with slow, methodical cuts while using more rhythmic cuts to establish the cruel nature of the film‘s violence. Art director Takashi Matsuyama does terrific work with the set pieces from the look of the homes and places to re-create the world of the early 1860s. The sound work of Shin Watari is fantastic for the mood it creates in some of the film‘s quieter moments along with the layer of sounds in a very chilling scene where Tsukue is haunted by these demons. The film’s music by Masaru Sato is amazing for its mixture of eerie, percussive-based music and more ominous string pieces to play out the dark mood of the film.

The film’s cast is phenomenal as it features small yet noteworthy performances from Kei Sato as Tsukue’s boss, Ichiro Nakatani as Hama’s first husband Bunnojo whom Tsukue killed in a duel, Yoko Naito as the young woman Omatsu who works for Hama as she is later sold to a lord, and Ko Nishimura as Omatsu’s uncle who is a man with very little fear as he later aids Bunnojo’s brother Hyoma. Yuzo Kayama is excellent as Bunnojo’s younger brother Hyoma who seeks vengeance over Bunnojo’s death while trying to figure out how to defeat Tsukue. Michiyo Aratama is wonderful as the anguished Hama who deals with the mistakes she made to save her husband only to be with Tsukue as she descends further into disgrace while desperate to save whatever grace she had left.

Toshiro Mifune is brilliant in a small yet crucial role as the master swordsman Toranosuke Shimada as a man who knows every technique in the art of sword fighting while guiding Hyoma into how to approach someone like Tsukue as he would later have an encounter with Tsukue about what it takes to be a great samurai. Finally, there’s Tatsuya Nakadai in an incredible performance as Ryunosuke Tsukue where Nakadai displays a haunting performance as an amoral samurai who is all about killing only to realize that he might not be as invincible while facing the demons that are surrounding him.

Dai-bosatsu Toge is a dark yet captivating film from Kihachi Okamoto led by the masterful performances of Tatsuya Nakadai and Toshiro Mifune. The film is definitely among one of the key films of the samurai genre as well as engrossing story about a man’s descent into madness. In the end, Dai-bosatsu Toge is a remarkable film from Kihachi Okamoto.

Kihachi Okamoto Films: (Sengoku Yaro) - (Samurai Assassin) - (Kill!) - (The Human Bullet) - (Red Lion) - (Zaitochi Meets Yojimbo) - (Battle of Okinawa) - (Blue Christmas) - (Rainbow Kids) - (East Meets West)

© thevoid99 2013

Kwaidan

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and written by Yoko Mizuki from an original story by Yakumo Koizumi, Kwaidan is a collection of four chilling stories based on the folk stories of Lafcadio Hearn. The stories revel in the world of ghosts and their encounters with humans in the course of different periods in Japan. Starring Rentaro Mikuni, Keiko Kishi, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Tatsuya Nakadai, and Takashi Shimura. Kwaidan is a mesmerizing yet exotic film from Masaki Kobayashi.

In the first story entitled The Black Hair, a samurai warrior (Rentaro Mikuni) leaves his wife (Michiyo Aratama) in order to gain some sort of social status after being left in poverty by a lord. After marrying a governor’s daughter (Misako Watanabe), the warrior finds himself longing for simpler times as well as his first wife. In The Woman of the Snow, a woodcutter and his young apprentice (Tatsuya Nakadai) deal with a harsh winter where they stay at a hut only to get a visit from a mysterious ghost (Keiko Kishi) who takes the life of the woodcutter as his apprentice watches in horror. After making a vow to the ghost, the apprentice becomes a family man after marrying a beautiful young woman as his peace is shattered by recollections of the mysterious ghost.

In Hoichi the Earless, a young blind monk (Katsuo Nakamura) hears the voice of a mysterious ghost (Tetsuro Tanaba) who takes him to an old tomb so that his masters can hear him sing about a great war between two clans. The monk’s frequent disappearances gets the attention of the head priest (Takashi Shimura) who learns what is happening as he tries to do something to stop the ghosts from retrieving the young monk. The final segment entitled In a Cup of Tea has the film’s narrator (Osamu Takizawa) writing where he tries to finish a story about an encounter between a samurai warrior (Kan’emon Nakamura) and a mysterious ghost (Noburo Nakaya) where paranoia starts to ensue.

The film is essentially a collection of four ghosts stories that reveals man’s encounter with ghosts and the impact that it causes. Through these very intricate tales, the film explores the world of the supernatural as well as the way man deals with these encounters. In The Black Hair, the film explores the world of selfishness and regret where this samurai warrior copes with the decision he’s made. In The Woman of the Snow, a young woodcutter apprentice meets a mysterious ghost of the winter where he makes a vow to not reveal what he saw as he would eventually undo the newfound peace and family life that he had just gained. In Hoichi the Earless, a blind musician is unaware of the visitors he’s singing for which brings the attention of his monastery who do whatever they can to get rid of the ghosts. The fourth and final story In a Cup of Tea is essentially a fragment of an unfinished story the film’s narrator tries to write about a samurai warrior fighting with a ghost.

Each story reveals in a lot of themes that is based on folk lore as they all reveal a lot about man’s fallacy about themselves where they each make strange encounters with not just ghosts but themselves. Notably for some of the protagonists in the story where they would make decisions that would change the course of their life. Some with regret while others would face the unknown like Hoichi who is unaware of the role he’s playing as it raises a lot of fear in his masters. It’s part of the script’s intentions to reveal a world where the supernatural is all around everyone yet they don’t know what these individuals would face.

Masaki Kobayashi’s direction is a real highlight of the film for unique visual presentation that he creates for each segment. Notably in the backdrops that he brings to the film’s scenes where it plays up a world that is expressionistic and surreal as if it’s a world that may not be real yet the situations could be. While segments like The Black Hair and In a Cup of Tea employ a more straightforward presentation. Kobayashi does bring in a lot of interesting images to those segments where it plays up that unique world of the supernatural. Though The Black Hair is more of a drama that explores the world of regret, it’s climax is where the film’s horror is revealed as it shows exactly what the samurai warrior has to cope with.

For segments like The Woman of the Snow and Hoichi the Earless, Kobayashi’s presentation is grand and elaborate in terms of the scenes he creates and the surroundings that the characters inhabit. Notably in the use of the surreal backdrops that adds a sense of fantasy to these segments. In the Hoichi the Earless segment, it’s for this amazing and sprawling recreation of the famous Battle of Dan-no-ura between Emperor Antoku and Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpai War. It’s a moment in the film that is unlike anything where Kobayashi uses lots of a strange framing devices and movements to capture this battle as if it was made in a theater with all of these production staging and such. It’s truly a grand moment that is followed by the more low-key In a Cup of Tea segment that ends the film but with a truly unsettling climax. Overall, Kobayashi creates a marvel of a film that emphasizes strong visuals and universal themes to tell a very dazzling horror story.

Cinematographer Yoshio Miyajima does fantastic work with the film‘s very colorful and stylish photography from the usage of blue and orange lights for The Woman of the Snow segment to the lush coloring schemes of the battle re-creation of the Hoichi the Earless segment. Editor Hisashi Sagara does brilliant work with the editing by employing lots of stylish cuts to play out the suspense as well as slow, methodical rhythms to play out those moments including some of its dramatic scenes. Art director Shigemasa Toda does spectacular work with the set pieces to recreate old Japan with its homes and such along with the expressionistic backdrops and set pieces that really plays to the film‘s majestic beauty.

The sound work of Hideo Nishizaki is incredible for the atmosphere it creates in many of the film‘s segments from the intimacy in the conversations to the chilling moments that involves the ghosts and the surroundings. The film’s music by Toru Takemitsu is amazing for the its very intricate yet unsettling arrangements with string instruments and percussions to create a brooding mood that plays to the horror for all of the segments in the film.

The film’s ensemble cast is excellent for the performances they provide in the different segments of the film. From The Black Hair segment, there’s terrific performances from Rentaro Mikuni as the samurai who deals with his choices, Michiyo Aratama as the kind and loving first wife, and Misako Watanabe as the more spoiled and cruel second wife. From The Woman of the Snow segment, there’s wonderful performances from Tatsuya Nakadai as the woodcutter’s apprentice, Yuko Mochizuki as the apprentice’s mother, and Keiko Kishi in a terrifying performance as the Woman of the Snow.

From the Hoichi the Earless, there’s superb performances from Tetsuro Tanaba as the ghost warrior, Katsuo Nakamura as the blind musician Hoichi, and Takashi Shimura in warm performance as the head priest. In the In a Cup of Tea segment, there’s excellent performances from Kan’emon Nakamura as the disturbed samurai warrior, Noboru Nakaya as the ghost samurai, and Osamu Takizawa in a remarkable performance as the film’s narrator.

Kwaidan is an outstanding film from Masaki Kobayashi. While it’s not a conventional horror film, it is still a visually-entrancing one in terms of its presentation and the stories it tells. Particularly as it features some fascinating stories about the supernatural and the powers it have over humanity. In the end, Kwaidan is a sensational film from Masaki Kobayashi.

Masaki Kobayashi Films: (Black River) - The Human Condition - Harakiri - Samurai Rebellion - (Hymn to a Tired Man) - (The Fossil) - (Tokyo Trial)

© thevoid99 2012

Ran

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/25/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on William Shakespeare's classic play King Lear, Ran tells the story set in the 16th Century about a king who abdicates his throne to his three sons that would lead to tragedy and war as two of his sons betray him while his youngest is banished as the king descends into madness. Directed by Akira Kurosawa with a script he co-wrote with Hideo Oguni and Masato Ide, Ran is Kurosawa's most ambitious and epic film yet with a budget for $12 million. With an all-star cast that included Kurosawa regulars Tatsuya Nakadai, Hisashi Igawa, Masayuki Yui, Daisuke Ryu, Jinpachi Nezu, Akira Terao, and Mieko Harada. Ran is a superbly grand yet phenomenal film from Akira Kurosawa.

After many years of ruling his land, Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) holds a council meeting that consists of his three sons, his general Tango Hirayama (Masayuki Yui), his court jester Kyoami (Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata), and two rival warlords in Seiji Ayabe (Jun Tazaki) and Nobuhiro Fujimaki (Hitoshi Ueki) during a hunt. He decides to abdicate the throne to his eldest son Taro (Akira Terao) while retaining his title and some authority as he also has his three sons run each castle. The youngest Saburo (Daisuke Ryu) doesn't like the news believing that Taro nor his older brother Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu) are trustworthy after disproving a logic that three arrows together can't be broken. Hidetora banishes Saburo for his words while Taro and Jiro claim to be grateful for their father's gifts through Tango admits that Saburo is right as Hidetora banishes him. After the meeting, Saburo and Tango run into Fujimaki who makes an offer to Saburo to marry one of his daughters to ensure a union as Saburo decides to join the warlords while Tango decides to go on his own out of respect for Hidetora.

Returing to the main castle with Hidetora, Taro reveals to his wife Lady Kaede (Mieko Harada) the news about his new role as the celebration becomes brief following an incident involving Koyami has Hidetora kill one of Taro's guards with an arrow. Taro banishes his father as he and Kyoami go to Jiro with their escort including guards and concubines only to be rejected by Jiro despite a meeting with Jiro's Buddhist wife Lady Sue` (Yoshiko Miyazaki) whom he's admitted to some wrongdoing towards her family. When Hidetora runs into Tango with some news about what Taro and Jiro are doing, Hidetora travels to the third castle for shelter while Taro, Jiro, and Jiro's general Kurogene make plans to raid the castle. The raid becomes bloody leaving Hidetora trapped as Tango and Kyoami watch in horror as something terrible happens in the battle leaving Hidetora deranged as he walks out of the castle in a state of shock with Kyoami and Tango later finding him.

With Jiro now in full control with his men including Kurogene, Lady Kaede seduces him into power as he is unaware of her true motives. Seeking shelter at the home of Lady Sue`'s blind brother Tsurumaru (Mansai Nomura), Hidetora, Tango, and Kyoami figure what to do next as Tango suggests to reach out to Saburo for help much to Hidetora's troubled state of mind. Back at the main castle, Kaede plans an assassination on Lady Sue` for Kurogene to carry the order to his reluctance while Tango learns from the banished old generals what Jiro is doing as he leaves to find Saburo. With Kyoami having to take care of the mad Hidetora, Saburo eventually arrives with Ayabe and Fujimaki to battle Jiro while things become more tragic and darker leaving all of those questioning about the way the world works.

The story of a father who gives his three children new properties and such only to be betrayed by two of them with other being banished for being honest is really a study of character and morals from the viewpoint of its original writer, William Shakespeare. Kurosawa, a fan of Shakespeare's work who also adapted Macbeth for his 1957 classic Throne of Blood, found a lot of themes and discussions that Kurosawa seemed to thrive on for King Lear. In the case of Ran, instead of having three daughters like in the original play, he went for three sons. Also using the legend of Mori Motonari, a lord who ruled Japan during the 16th Century, the film is really a study of sin, morality, vengeance, and regrets all centered around this aging warlord. In some respect, there is claim that Ran is also one of Kurosawa's most personal films since there's references to his own life following the latter part of filmmaking career after 1965's Red Beard.

The script by Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, and Masato Ide is about a lord's pride and how it leads to the downfall of his own clan. When his youngest son Saburo reminds him of how he became powerful through means of evil, treachery, and such. He is banished for his honesty while his two elder sons would falsely praise him only to betray him later on. It's the pride of Hidetora that would lead to his own downfall as he realized he is suddenly forced to face his own sins. This includes the killing of families and such of people including Lady Kaede and Lady Sue`. The latter of whom had embraced Buddhism and is willing to forgive her father-in-law for his sins but he couldn't accept her forgiveness. In the former, there is something far more sinister planned as the other character revolving that includes Tango and Kyoami represent the audience and moral conscience of sorts in the film.

The film's ending is suddenly, more about spirituality and existentialism. It's in the view of the two supporting characters of Tango and Kyoami who wonder about the way the world works. Kyoami, angry over the outcome of tragedy while Tango is the one who realizes the cynicism of the world and how something like peace is really just a dream. It's men who is willing to destroy themselves with God forced to watch with amusement that really upsets Kyoami. This reinterpretation of King Lear is truly astounding thanks in large part to a very complex, character-driven, and thematic script that is heightened more by Akira Kurosawa's direction.

Kurosawa's eye-wielding, observant, and eerie direction is really the highlight of the film itself. On location in the plains and mountains of Mount Aso, Mount Fuji, and two real castles, Kurosawa goes for a visual approach that is stimulating to watch in every frame. With shots of clouds and the plains, the film is overall presented in a theatrical style that isn't just similar to Shakespeare but also Noh theater. The film's first sequences in the plains of Mount Aso are colorful and rich but as the film progresses, the film becomes less colorful and more eerie. Kurosawa's approach to staging from the meetings and to the more individual sequences involving Hidetora's madness are done in an intimate, theatrical style.

The battle sequences in the film are nothing short of brilliant but it's more than that. The epic scale of the battle scenes are brilliant to convey the horrors and such in the film's second act while the third is to convey the sense of tragedy. The intensity of the battle scenes that is a wonderful mixture of Kurosawa's staging and editing plus the camera-work, special effects, and use of blood is amazing for its sense of chaos. Yet, there's a sense of nihilism to the violence that's far more aggressive than in Kurosawa’s previous films with no sense of pride and such for these deaths. Instead, with a few exceptions, there's characters who don’t get a chance for atonement but rather die in ways to exemplify God's cruelty on sin.

The direction of Kurosawa is overall brilliant while his work as an editor is as potent as ever. The use of jump-cuts and transitions to convey the film's emotions and Hidetora's madness also works to give the film a pacing that at first, might start off slow. Yet as the story progresses, it is more invested in the situations and characters as they play a part of what is to come in the moments of battle and tragedy. Yet, it all comes down to Kurosawa and his direction as he creates a film that has the intimacy of a play while maintaining its epic, visual style that is very cinematic. The result is truly Kurosawa at the top of his game.

The film's cinematography by Asakazu Nakai, Takao Saito, and Masaharu Ueda is extremely hypnotic from its colorful look to the film's first act to the darker look in the second and third. The camera-work is exquisite with intimate lighting schemes for some of the film's interior sequences in the two castles to lovely exterior shots including Hidetora's meeting with Lady Sue`. The use of colors and black sand for several of the exterior scenes is brilliantly shot as its trio of cinematographers capture a look and feel into the mind of Hidetora.

Production designers Shinobu Muraki and Yoshiro Muraki do amazing work with the film's color schemes from the black-yellow banner of the film's opening scene to the traditional look of Japanese palaces along with the decayed look of castles to show the world of Hidetora through his madness. Costume designer Emi Wada does amazing work to the film's costumes from the differing colors for the three sons, Taro in yellow, Jiro in red, and Saburo in blue. Wada's costumes are exquisite for the period with Lady Kaeda's shiny-white look is wonderful to convey her icy persona as Wada's Oscar-winning work is worth noting.

The sound work of Fumio Yanoguchi and Shotaro Yoshida is brilliant for its design and momentum, notably the battle scene as if it sounds like the real thing. The gunshots sound like hammers as it represents the full chaos and nihilism of these battle scenes. The location shots are also wonderfully recorded to convey the deteriorating mind of Hidetora. The music of Toru Takemitsu that is inspired by Gustav Mahler is a wonderful mix of traditional, Japanese percussion music and huge, orchestral pieces that captures both the sense of chaos and tragedy of the battle scenes with the Japanese percussion to heighten the film’s drama. The use of a flute in the scenes with Tsurumaru is also brilliant for its drama as it would only bring horror to Hidetora. The music overall is brilliant and truly one of the film's highlights.

The film's cast is overall brilliant for its many varied performances from every actor involved. In the role of Saburo's general Mondo Naganuma, Toshiya Ito is great as the loyal general and strategist who manages to outwit Jiro with help from Ayabe and Fujimaki. In the respective roles of warlords Ayabe and Fujimaki, Jun Tazaki and Hitoshi Ueki are excellent as the two men who respect Hidetora while finding a much larger respect for Saburo as they help him in this chaotic conflict. Hisashi Igawa is also excellent as Jiro's general Kurogene who finds his loyalty to Jiro shaky when Lady Kaede is involved that includes the attempted murder of Lady Sue`. Kazuo Kato and Norio Matsui in the respective roles of Ikoma and Ogura, are superb as the two generals of Hidetora who unwittingly betray him only to pay the price for their betrayal.

Mansai Nomura is great as the blind Tsurumaru, the younger brother of Lady Sue` who is still grieving over the loss of his parents and sight with contempt towards Hidetora. Yoshiko Miyazaki is radiant as Lady Sue`, the wife of Jiro who is trying to find some peace through spirituality as she represents the rare sense of good through a film that is very cynical. Mieko Harada is brilliant as the conniving, vengeful Lady Kaede, a woman who hopes to gain power and more by seducing Jiro into power and is the epitome of evil as she plays part in the downfall of a clan.

In the role of Taro, Akira Terao is great as the eldest son who hopes to have his own moment of glory and power as he would end up blinded by his own cruelty. Jinpachi Nezu is also great as the scheming Jiro, the middle son who wants power all of his own and with Saburo out of the way, his planning works only to find himself falling for the conniving Kaede. Daisuke Ryu is even greater as the more honesty, loving Saburo, the son who may be disrespectful but also opinionated but is the one who really loved his father is trying to do what a great son must do as Ryu's performance is amazing.

Shinnosuke "Peter" Ikehata is phenomenal as the court jester/fool Kyoami, the comic relief in the film who is a cross dresser as he tries to figure out his master's madness and the way the world works. Ikehata's performance is brilliant as he kind of represents the Greek chorus who voices the concerns and frustrations about Hidetora's state of mind. The film's best supporting performance easily goes to Masayuki Yui as the loyal general Tango, who is also the film's moral conscience of sorts. Here's a general who has a loyalty to his lord while trying to tell him what is right and wrong as does all he can to help him while in the film's ending, he's the one who reveals about the way the world works in all of his cruelty. His performance is noteworthy for being the voice of cynicism that is a reflection of the world itself.

Finally, there's Tatsuya Nakadai in what has to be the performance of his career as Hidetora. Putting on make-up and a presence that is in the tradition of Noh theater, Nakadai's performance is just nothing short of brilliant and superb as he channels all of the complex behaviors of Hidetora from his ignorant sense of pride to his own fall into madness as a man who's become broken only to seek redemption. Nakadai's performance following the fall of the third castle in the way he walks is just filled with a sense of command that is very regal as he just owns the film in every way. This is truly one of the greatest performances captured on film from one of Kurosawa's great actors.

Ran is a brilliant yet provocative film from Akira Kurosawa and company helmed by Tatsuya Nakadai's theatrical performance. Fans of war films, epic films, period films, or any kind of film should see this movie while it isn't just one of Kurosawa's great masterpieces but also one of the best films ever made. Fans of Shakespeare will no doubt enjoy Kurosawa's reinterpretation of King Lear as it's a film that even those studying Shakespeare will enjoy. The film overall has great morals and a great message though its cynicism might be hard to take. Yet, in the end, Ran is a must-see for anyone who loves a great movie and who better to come from than the Emperor himself, Akira Kurosawa.

Akira Kurosawa Films: (Sanshiro Sugata) - (The Most Beautiful) - (Sanshiro Sugata Part II) - (The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail) - No Regrets on Our Youth - (One Wonderful Sunday) - Drunken Angel - (The Quiet Duel) - Stray Dog - Scandal (1950 film) - Rashomon - The Idiot (1951 film) - Ikiru - The Seven Samurai - (I Live in Fear) - Throne of Blood - (The Lower Depths (1957 film)) - The Hidden Fortress - The Bad Sleep Well - Yojimbo - Sanjuro - High and Low - Red Beard - Dodesukaden - Dersu Uzala - Kagemusha - Dreams (1990 film) - (Rhapsody in August) - (Madadayo)

© thevoid99 2012