Pusher 3

Written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Pusher 3: I’m the Angel of Death is the story of a Serbian drug lord who struggles to maintain his sobriety as he faces many challenges in the wake of his daughter’s upcoming birthday. The third and final film of the Pusher trilogy, the film explores the character of Milo who had been in the previous films as he is played by Zlatko Buric. Also starring Kurt Nielsen, Slavko Labovic, Levino Jensen, and Ilyas Agac reprising their roles from the previous films. The cast also includes Marinela Dekic, Vasilije Bojicic, and Kujtim Loki. Pusher 3 is a ominous yet hypnotic film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Milo’s daughter Milena (Marinela Dekic) is about to celebrate her 25th birthday at a lavish party in a Copenhagen dining hall as Milo is trying to handle all of the festivities. After learning that Milena is dating a drug dealer named Mike (Levino Jensen), Milo is struggling to maintain his business as well as his newfound sobriety as he’s been going to meetings for recovering addicts. Still wanting to maintain his role as a drug lord, a shipment he was supposed to receive from an Albanian supplier named Luan (Kujtim Loki) revealed to be ecstasy rather than heroin as Milo has no idea what to do with it. Luan’s partner Rexho (Ramadan Hyseni) suggests that Milo should sell it so he can get a new shipment of heroin in return.

When one of Milo’s associates in Muhammad (Ilyas Agac) arrives with his daily take, he tells Milo about the ecstasy as he decides to help Milo sell it as he asks for a bigger cut in return. Milo agrees as he’s trying to prepare food and gather things for Milena’s party as his henchmen become ill with food poisoning forcing Milo to do things himself. At the party, Milo becomes worried about the food as he tries to order fish to replace some of the food he cooked. Instead, an encounter with a dealer in Kurt the Cunt (Kurt Nielsen) adds to trouble while Rexho and his Polish arrive at Milo’s home base with a young hooker forcing Milo to do things as Muhammad hasn’t returned with the money.

With Rexho ordering Milo around to remind him of the huge debt he has, things get worse after a bad deal between Rexho’s Polish friend and a brothel madam named Jeanette (Linse Christansen) over the young hooker. Milo decides to take matters into his own hands where he turns to his old friend Radovan (Slavko Labovic) for help.

The film is about the day in the life of a drug lord who finds himself becoming irrelevant as he’s dealing with his daughter’s birthday, younger drug dealers, and trying to be sober. All of it is told from Milo who was seen in the past two films as a powerful yet friendly drug lord who carries an air of respect. In this film, Milo is a shell of his former self due to these changing times while he is forced to cater to these newer, younger drug dealers who feel like they are more powerful than he is. It’s all part of the world that Nicolas Winding Refn creates to explore this man’s fall as he tries to do what he does while being a good father to his daughter who at times can be a bit selfish towards him. Even as she knows about her father’s business and wants in so her boyfriend can do better.

The screenplay is really a character study of sorts where it follows Milo doing all sorts of activities while going to these addict meetings where he reveals his struggle and such. In the course of the day, things escalate as he has to deal with his daughter, her ambitious boyfriend, all these new dealers, an old one, and everything else where things eventually escalate in the third act. Since the film revolves around a man dealing with these new dealers where he gets screwed in the process. It leads to this third act where an old character from the first film in Radovan is re-introduced but as a very different man who still has his old skills.

Refn’s direction is definitely more engaging in the way he explores the day in the life of this man as it begins with Milo in an addicts anonymous meeting where he reveals he’s been sober for five days. With a lot of hand-held cameras including a scene around the party at a dining hall where the camera is always wandering the table. The direction is very potent to establish the fall of a once powerful drug lord who is struggling to get through an entire day. Particularly as it features scenes of Milo inside a room all by himself where he’s just smoking a cigarette just to get through the day. Even as the film is progressed where Milo would smoke something that is laced with some drugs.

The film eventually gets darker where Refn’s camera becomes much tighter and more in control with these compositions where it’s shown from Milo’s perspective as he’s looking at what is happening around him. Notably the scene involving Rexho, Rexho’s Polish friend, and a brothel madam discussing about the transfer where it’s a simple scene where nothing drastic happens but some of it is shown from Milo’s perspective where he is later seen in the background. The film’s third act is really the most intense moment due to the violence that eventually occurs where there is a newfound brutality that Refn does present as it features the return of an old character from the first film. Overall, Refn creates a truly mesmerizing and chilling film that serves as an intriguing study in the day of a man's life.

Cinematographer Morten Soborg does amazing work with the film‘s stylish photography from the moody interiors created for the party scenes and exterior nighttime shots to the more brighter but crisp look of Milo‘s home base at night. Editor Miriam Norgaard and Anne Osterud do great work in the editing by creating stylish jump cuts to play around with Milo‘s state of mind as well as slower more methodical cutting sequences to help enhance his troubled mood. Production designer Rasmus Thjellesen does nice work with the set pieces such as the place that Milo runs to the dining hall where Milena is having her party with its balloons and such.

Costume designer Jane Whittaker does terrific work with the costumes from the suit that Milo wears to more stylish clothing that the younger dealers were to contrast the different worlds the characters live in. Sound designer Jens Bonding does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the birthday parties to the sparse sounds of some of the locations that Milo is at. The film’s score by Peter Peter is a wonderful mixture of driving rock and ambient music to set a mood for Milo’s troubled journey in a tense day of his life as it is easily the best score of the trilogy.

The casting by Pernille Lembecke is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable small performances from Linse Christiansen as a brothel madam, Vasilije Bojicic as Milo’s henchman Branko, Levino Jensen as a low-level drug dealer/Milena’s boyfriend Mike, Kurt Nielsen as the troublemaking drug dealer Kurt the Cunt, Kujtim Loki as an Albanian supplier named Luan, and Slavko Labovic as Milo’s old friend Radovan who steals the show as a hood who turned straight. Ramadan Hyseni is very good as a sleazy gangster in Rexho who serves as Luan’s translator while Ilyas Agac is excellent as a young dealer named Muhammad who tries to help Milo with a deal only for something to go wrong.

Marinela Dekic is wonderful as Milo’s daughter Milena who is trying to have a lavish birthday party while wanting to ensure about her financial future as she’s a character who is quite complicated where Dekic allows her to not be a completely un-likeable person. Finally, there’s Zlatko Buric in a marvelous performance as the Serb drug lord Milo. Buric’s performance is very different from the performances he gave in the previous film where he allows himself to show humility as well as a man on the edge as he tries to deal with a tense day. It’s definitely the best thing Buric has done as he creates a truly exhilarating performance as Milo.

Pusher 3 is an incredible film from Nicolas Winding Refn that is highlighted by Zlatko Buric’s brooding performance. While it may not have some of the more intense, exciting moments of the previous films of the trilogy. It is still a very interesting film for the way it highlighted a day in the life of a character losing control. In the end, Pusher 3 is a phenomenal film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher II - Bronson - Valhalla Rising - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Neon Demon - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn

© thevoid99 2012

The Bad Sleep Well

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/20/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on William Shakespeare's play version of Hamlet, The Bad Sleep Well is the story of a young executive who seeks revenge for the death of his father to expose corruption in the place that he works at. Directed by Akira Kurosaw and screenplay by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Eijiro Hisaita, Ryzuo Kikushima, and Hideo Oguni, the film is set in a modern period to explore the world of post-war Japan's rise in the world of business. Starring Kurosawa regulars Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, Seiji Miyaguchi, Susumu Fujita, Masayuki Mori, and Kyoko Kagawa.The Bad Sleep Well is a provocative, harrowing, and engaging film from Akira Kurosawa.

A wedding celebration between Koichi Nishi (Toshiro Mifune) and Keiko (Kyoko Kagawa), the daughter of Public Corporation Vice President Iwabuchi (Masayuki Mori), is already underway. Yet, the company that also includes Administrative Officer Moriyama (Takashi Shimura) and Shirai (Ko Nishimura) as they're all celebrating this wonderful celebration. Yet, a detective (Susumu Fujita) appears as they arrest two corporate associates named Miura (Gen Shimizu) and Wada (Kamatari Fujiwara) for the possible link to the murder of a man named Fukura. When both men refuse to confess, prosecutors Nonaka (Chishu Ryu) and Okakura (Seiji Miyaguchi) decide to use embezzlement charges on the two as Miura commits suicide while Wada tries to do the same until he is saved by Nishi.

When word got out over Wada's suicide, Iwabuchi holds a press conference over the suicide while trying to hide some public scandal that's been going on for months. Yet, Wada is hiding at Nishi's old auto shop as he now works as a personal secretary for Iwabuchi. With help from Itakura (Takeshi Kato), Nishi makes a plan to help uncover the scandal as well as his father's death. At home, Nishi doesn't do much as he often has conversations with his playboy brother-in-law Tatsuo (Tatsuya Mihashi) while often tending to his handicapped wife whom he's starting to fall for. Targeting Shirai with help from Wada, the two men succeed in creating a sense of paranoia as he's starting to get into trouble with Moriyama and Iwabuchi over unaccounted money and other things. Realizing that Shirai has become a liability with claims that he saw the ghost of Wada, they decide to take care of the problem. Instead, Nishi thwarts that attempt to confront Shirai as he reveals to be the illegitimate son of Fukura.

With Shirai gone insane, Moriyama decides to investigate the motivation to these strange events in relation to Fukura's murder that also included the wedding cake of the building with a rose stuck out on a room in the seventh floor. Yet, Nishi realizes that his thirst for vengeance is complicated by his feelings for Keiko as Itakura and Wada try and help him. When Moriyama visits Fukura's widow (Natsuko Kahara), he makes a shocking discovery that reveals the motives for these strange events. When Nishi is exposed, he escapes and later kidnaps Moriyama in order to make him confess. Yet as they wait, Iwabuchi figures out what to do while Wada makes an unexpected move for Nishi that would finally make him question on what he would do. When a breakthrough emerges from Moriyama, there's hope for Nishi and his associates while Iwabuchi makes his own move that would prove to be catastrophic.

Taking a lot of cues from Hamlet, the film is about vengeance on a thematic level but it's also about loss. The film is about a man wanting to take vengeance on the man who took away the father he barely got to know just after a meeting with him that proved to be powerful. The next day, his father was gone through suicide as he vowed vengeance with the money he was given. Five years later, Nishi's plan to destroy the lives of the men who destroyed his father is getting closer but there's an irony to Nishi's plan along with the help of Itakura. When he gains Wada, he unexpectedly gets a conscience as he struggles to contend with his thirst for revenge and his sudden feelings for Keiko. When Iwabuchi suddenly is hit with all of these events and everything that's going on, he makes a move of his own that would not only be tragic but reveals some huge losses with twists reveal that makes the ending more tragic.

While the script Kurosawa and his writers create definitely draws a lot of influence from Hamlet, the direction is truly mesmerizing. While the film starts off a bit slowly with its wedding sequence, once it reaches into its tone of suspense. It starts to pick up as Kurosawa let things unravel piece by piece with its suspense and aura of mystery. Notably the scene where Shirai is spooked in his neighborhood in what he believes is the ghost of Wada. Yet, Kurosawa creates the film as if it's a modern-day tale with the intimacy and staging of a play with its interior settings. Along with his stylish yet smooth editing style with frame wipes and cuts to add a rhythm to its suspense. Kurosawa creates an intriguing film that is filled with a lot of theatricality and commentary about vengeance and identity.

Cinematographer Yuzuru Aizawa does great work with the film's black-and-white photography with its intimate shots in the film's interior settings while the bunker scenes are well lit with little lights as it has an exquisite yet haunting feel. Aizawa's best work is in the film's famous exterior street scene at night with its shade of night lights and darkness to convey the film's eerie tone and suspense. Production designer Yoshiro Muraki also does great work in the traditional/modern housing look of the Iwabuchi home as well as modern offices, Itakura's apartment, and the decayed look of the bunker where Moriyama is taken prisoner. Costume designer Shoji Kurihara does excellent work in the look of the suits the male actors wear while giving Kyoko Kagawa a great look with traditional Japanese garb, most notably her wedding dress.

Sound recordist Fumio Yanoguchi and effects editor Ichiro Minawa do brilliant work with the film's sound to convey the suspenseful atmosphere of several sequences while creating a sense of intimacy in the film's interior sequences. Composer Masaru Sato does fantastic work with the film's score for a more orchestral approach with flutes and strings to convey the film's sense of suspense and drama along with a few light-hearted pieces. While Sato also incorporates traditional Japanese music in the wedding scene along with a few other scenes, it's his orchestral flair that shines throughout the entire film.

The casting is truly phenomenal with small appearances from Kin Sugai and Toshiko Higuchi in their respective roles of Wada's wife and daughter, Natsuko Kahara as Fukura's widow, Gen Shimizu as Miura, Susumu Fujita as a detective at the wedding, and in the role of the prosecutors, Chishu Ryu and Seiji Miyaguchi as two men who suspect the events are in relation to the murders of Fukura. Tatsuya Mihashi is excellent as Iwabuchi's playboy son Tatsuo who is concerned about his sister's happiness while wondering where Nishi had been going as he also questions about the kind of person his father is. Takeshi Kato is really good as Itakura, Nishi's assistant who provides a lot ideas and counsel to Nishi while being the more cynical of the two men who help as his motives reveal to be something much bigger in relation to who he is. Ko Nishimura is great as Shirai, a corporate officer who becomes a target as his paranoia and troubles lead him into madness.

Kyoko Kagawa is great in the role as Keiko, the wife of Nishi with a bad leg as she wonders about her husband's sporadic appearances while learning the truth that causes conflict in her loyalty to her father and her husband. Takashi Shimura is also great as Moriyama, Iwabuchi's partner who takes matters into his own hands for the investigation where he makes a discovery and is later captured where he would reveal what happened to Fukura. The film's best supporting performance easily goes to Kamatari Fujiwara as Wada, a cowardice officer who later becomes the film's conscience as he tries to get Nishi to see reason about vengeance as he proves to be a powerful voice while angry over how he got himself into this position without seeing his own family.

Masayuki Mori is brilliant as Iwabuchi, the film's antagonist who plans and figures out how to make his moves about the scandal that would destroy him. Yet when he learns about Nishi, he would do things that would prove to be very horrible no matter who he hurts as he's a man that is about power. Even he has to fool the people who are closest to him as Mori is definitely amazing. Toshiro Mifune is superb as Nishi, the film's protagonist who seeks revenge for the death of the father he barely knew. Mifune's performance is wonderfully restrained in comparison to his more famous work as samurai characters where he gets to put on a suit, look normal, and even be a bit of a romantic. It's a very complex and subtle performance from the actor proving that there's more to the legendary actor than playing a badass.

The Bad Sleep Well is a brilliant film from Akira Kurosawa. Thanks to a great cast led by Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, and Kamatari Fujiwara, it's a film that features great acting and a theatricality that is fascinating to watch. Notably for the way Kurosawa takes his time to explore a man's thirst for revenge and the eventual outcome that it would unveil. In the end, The Bad Sleep Well is a compelling drama from the legendary 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 - Yojimbo - Sanjuro - High and Low - Red Beard - Dodesukaden - Dersu Uzala - Kagemusha - Ran - Dreams (1990 film) - (Rhapsody in August) - (Madadayo)

© thevoid99 2012

Terri

Directed by Azazel Jacobs and screenplay by Patrick DeWitt from a story by Jacobs and DeWitt, Terri is the story of 15-year old overweight freshman whose odd behavior annoys students and teachers as he befriends an assistant principal. The film is an exploration into the world of high school outsiders who don’t fit in to a particular clique where they do whatever to stand out. Starring Jacob Wysocki, Creed Bratton, Bridger Zadina, Olivia Crocicchia, and John C. Reilly. Terri is a heartwarming film from Azazel Jacobs.

Living alone with his uncle James (Creed Bratton), Terri (Jacob Wysocki) is a 15-year old freshman who often arrives at school very late as he is overweight and wears pajamas. Teased at school and annoyed by teachers, Terri is often seen as an outcast as he gets the attention of the school’s assistant principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly). Fitzgerald decides to see Terri every Monday where he and Terri would have conversations about Terri’s failing grades and why he wears pajamas where they eventually become friends. Though Terri learns he’s part of a small group of misfits who sees Mr. Fitzgerald including a kid named Chad (Bridger Zadina). He learns why Mr. Fitzgerald is trying to connect with them learning that he was a kid who had been teased as well.

After an incident in which a young popular girl named Heather (Olivia Crocicchia) got in trouble for an incident she took part in. Terri pleads to Mr. Fitzgerald to not have her transferred as he saw the actual incident. Though Terri was able to save Heather, Heather had become a social pariah as she starts to connect with Terri over their own dysfunction. Following a meeting with Mr. Fitzgerald who is going through his own issues, Terri and Chad join Mr. Fitzgerald for a day just to make Chad feel included. Later that day when Heather decides to visit Terri to see his home, Chad makes an unexpected visit where the night turns into a strange one as Terri ponders about what is happening and its aftermath.

The film is essentially the story of a depressed 15-year old overweight kid who is alienated by the world of high school as the only friend he has is an assistant principal who tries to figure out what is going on. It’s a film that explores the high school misfit who doesn’t seem to fit in as he likes to wear pajamas because it makes him feel comfortable. Patrick DeWitt’s screenplay is told very loosely in order to explore this young boy’s life where he lives with an uncle who is very ill and often on medication. Notably as he is just someone trying to get through high school but is ridiculed for his appearance and the fact that he’s kind of naïve.

The only person that is there for him is this assistant principal who understands the world of misfits as the kids he talks to are misfits. While he might be seem to be the kind of authority figure that will shout at people, he is really more of someone who just wants to figure these kids including Terri. He eventually becomes Terri’s true friend since he does reveal bits about his own life while Terri does eventually gain a couple of more friends in misfits who are just as troubled as they connect with Terri. While Chad nor Heather aren’t as complex as Terri or Mr. Fitzgerald, they are interesting enough to help Terri come out of his flesh more although it would present challenges to someone who hasn’t had a lot of experience with parties and such.

Azazel Jacob’s direction is very straightforward in terms of its compositions and the way he frames the actors. Still, it is engaging enough for the way he captures the drama without going overboard while finding a lot of humor in the story and performances. Notably as the humor is more light-hearted and improvisational where it would create moments for the film to break out some of its melancholic tone. Some of that melancholia is in moments where Terri is often walking around the woods on his way to school as he looks towards the Californian landscape as well as the dead mice he had trapped to feed a big bird. Overall, Jacob creates a very solid and engrossing film about a young boy coming of age in high school in his exploration to find himself.

Cinematographer Tobias Datum does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful and sunny cinematography for many of the film‘s exteriors while utilizing stylish shadings for its interiors including the nighttime party scene between Terri, Chad, and Heather. Editor Darrin Navarro does nice work with the editing in utilizing a few jump cuts for some of the written conversations between Terri and Heather while the rest of the film emphasizes on a more straightforward approach. Production designer Matt Luem, with set decorator Lori Schneider and art director Nicolas Kelly, does superb work with the set pieces such as the home that Terri and Uncle James live in that is filled with appliances scattered around the house.

Costume designer Diaz does wonderful work with the costumes from the pajamas that Terri wears to the more grungy look of Chad. Sound designer Julia Shirar does terrific work with the sound to capture the calm atmosphere of the school to the sparse sounds of the exterior locations that Terri surrounds himself with. The film’s score by Mandy Hoffman is incredible for its melodic-driven score ranging folk-style guitars to somber piano themes to play out the film‘s melancholia.

The casting by Nicole Arbusto and Joy Dickson is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it includes some memorable small performances from comedian Tim Heidecker as a gym teacher, Justin Prentice as the high school douche bag Dirty Jack, Jenna Gavigan as a young receptionist, Mary Anne McGarry as Mr. Fitzgerald’s old receptionist, Tara Karsian as Terri’s homeroom teacher, and Melanie Abramoff as a home economics classmate of Terri and Heather. Olivia Crocicchia is very good as the popular girl turned social outcast Heather who befriends Terri following an incident as she seeks someone who makes her feel wanted. Bridger Zadina is superb as the hair-pulling Chad who likes to cause trouble and see what pushes Terri’s buttons.

Creed Bratton is excellent as Terri’s uncle James who is dealing with being on medication as well as being the only family that Terri has where it’s a very mesmerizing performance for the actor. John C. Reilly is great as the sympathetic assistant principal Mr. Fitzgerald who tries to understand Terri while revealing to be an outcast himself as it’s a very heartwarming performance for Reilly where he gets to be funny but also dramatic. Finally there’s newcomer Jacob Wysocki in a phenomenal performance as the titular character where he displays a naturalistic quality to his performance in the way he reacts to certain things while brooding upon his appearance and such as it’s a very broad performance from the newcomer.

Terri is a marvelous film from Azazel Jacob that features top-notch performances from newcomer Jacob Wysocki and John C. Reilly. The film is among one of the more intriguing coming of age films in recent years as well as very realistic portrayal into the world of high school life. It’s also a film that young teens who don’t feel like they’re part of any kind of social circle to see as it’s a film that could say something about them. In the end, Terri is a mesmerizing film from Azazel Jacob.

© thevoid99 2012

Pusher II

Written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands is the sequel to the 1996 film Pusher that focuses on the drug culture on Copenhagen. In the second film, the film explores a drug-dealer’s former sidekick as he deals with new challenges in the world of crime and drugs as well as becoming a father for the very first time. The film features two characters from the previous film as its focus is on Tonny who is played by Mads Mikkelsen as the drug lord Milo, played by Zlatko Buric, also returns. Also starring Leif Sylvester, Anne Sorensen, Oyvind Hagen-Traberg, and Kurt Nielsen. Pusher II is a compelling yet visually-hypnotic film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

After being released from prison, Tonny returns to Copenhagen to work at a chop shop run by his criminal father known as the Duke (Leif Sylvester) who isn’t happy to see Tonny. Wanting to prove to himself to his father, Tonny decides to steal a car following a bad night with hookers where he ends up getting a stern lecture from his father. With his friend O (Oyvind Hagen-Traberg) trying to help him out, Tonny learns from O’s girlfriend Gry (Maria Erwolter) that her friend Charlotte (Anne Sorensen) has his baby. Tonny is surprised by the news unsure how to cope as the Duke’s partner Kurt the Cunt (Kurt Nielsen) has Tonny do things where things would often go wrong as Tonny would get the blame.

During a deal with Tonny’s old friend Milo that Kurt wants to do, things go bad as Kurt blames Tonny as he asks Tonny to shoot him in the arm and blame it on Arabs so the Duke wouldn‘t get upset. With the pressure of clearing a debt for his father and Charlotte wanting money for their unnamed child, Tonny gets some devastating news that leaves him becoming more concerned for his child. At a wedding party for O and Gry, Tonny’s concern for his child has him confronting Charlotte for her drug use as he ends up getting into trouble. When Kurt wants Tonny to aid him in something to help make things easy with the Duke. Tonny realizes that something isn’t right while his father wants him to do something that relates to a custody battle he’s having forcing Tonny to make a decision about his life.

The film is about a former drug dealer who returns from prison hoping to do good for his criminal father only to find himself getting into more trouble while learning he has a child that he’s grown to care for. It’s a film that in some ways is about redemption for a man who is an admitted fuck-up but with a good heart despite some of his bad deeds that includes rampant drug use. The film opens with a prologue where Tonny is being lectured by an inmate in prison about conquering his fear that would set up the main narrative as Tonny is a man driven by fear as he’s constantly berated by the people around him.

The screenplay explores Tonny as a man who is very flawed but also one who earns pity due to the fact that he was unloved by his father while having to do deeds where he’s also treated with indifference and little respect in his father’s criminal deeds. Making things worse is the fact that the woman he impregnated is a drug-addled whore who just wants money and really doesn’t care for the baby that he just found out. Though he’s wary at first about the baby, he would eventually come to care for him despite his uncertainty if he can care for the baby. Still, Nicolas Winding Refn would find ways for Tonny to eventually come to his senses where it would take a series of events that would push him to redemption and conquering his fear.

Refn’s direction is definitely entrancing for the way he opens the film with a simple scene of Tonny inside a cell talking to an inmate where it is followed by a scene of Tonny beating up someone and then being chased. It’s part of a setup of what Tonny is doing as Refn does reuse a lot of the techniques he had done with the first film. Yet, it’s more refined due to the fact that Refn wanted to focus on this man’s attempt to earn respect as that word is tattooed on the back of his head. Refn always has the camera in the back of Tonny’s head although the situations that Tonny is in doesn’t give him what he needs.

Since the film is shot on location in Copenhagen with hand-held cameras, it allows Refn to create a world that Tonny is in where he feels completely out of place by the people he’s with. Scenes such has the wedding party shows a world where everyone is celebrating but Tonny, who is berated by his father’s speech for being someone that is never going to amount to anything, has the camera fixed on Tonny who is watching everything around him. It’s a chilling scene where Refn is waiting for the moment for Tonny to snap. Overall, Refn creates a truly haunting film that explores a man’s attempt to gain respect in the world of drugs.

Cinematographer Morten Soborg does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the stylish lighting colors for the scenes in the wedding party and the brothels that Tonny is in to more entrancing grainy camera work for some of the nighttime exteriors in the Copenhagen locations. Editors Anne Osterud and Janus Billeskov Jansen do excellent work with the editing by utilizing a few jump cuts to play out some of the film‘s action while keeping things straightforward for the non-suspenseful moments of the film. Production designer Rasmus Thjellesen does fantastic work with the set pieces such as the Duke’s chop shop as well as the home of Gry and Charlotte to emphasize the world where Tonny is unwanted.

Costume designer Jane Whittaker does terrific work with the costumes from the suits that the Duke wears to the sweat clothes that Tonny wears to contrast the level of respect they have. Sound designer Jens Bonding does brilliant work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations such as the sparseness of the chop shop to the raucous wedding party scene. The film’s score by Peter Peter and Keli Hlodversson is superb for its mixture of ambient to pulsating electronic music to play up the world that Tonny is surrounded by as it features music by several underground Danish acts compiled by music supervisor Lol Hammond.

The film’s cast is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes memorable small roles from Ilyas Agac as a gun dealer, Maria Erwolter as O’s girlfriend Gry, Karsten Schroder as the Duke’s brother Red, and Zlatko Buric as Tonny’s old friend in Serbian drug lord Milo. Oyvind-Hagen Traberg is very good as Tonny’s sole friend O who reveals to him about the baby while trying to get him not to mess things up. Kurt Nielsen is great as the dangerous Kurt the Cunt who gets Tonny into a lot of trouble and make him do things that are questionable. Anne Sorensen is wonderful as the drug-addled hooker Charlotte who verbally abuses Tonny for what he did to her as she treats him like shit.

Leif Sylvester is great as Tonny’s crime lord father the Duke who berates Tonny for his incompetence while publicly humiliating him as he would force Tonny to do something that is immoral as it’s a very chilling performance. Finally there’s Mads Mikkelsen in a phenomenal performance as Tonny. It’s a role where Mikkelsen displays bits of humor that he had previously played in the first film but has him become a much more confused man who couldn’t seem to do anything right while yearning to win his father’s respect. It’s an entrancing performance from Mikkelsen who makes Tonny a very endearing character despite his flaws and the uncertainty that he has.

Pusher II is a remarkable film from Nicolas Winding Refn that features an amazing performance from Mads Mikkelsen. While it may not have the more enthralling tone of the previous film in terms of its violence and energy. It is still an intriguing sequel for the way Refn explores the life a man who feels on the outs with the world he was once a part of. In the end, Pusher II is an extraordinary film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher 3 - Bronson - Valhalla Rising - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Neon Demon - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn

© thevoid99 2012

The 10 Essential Performances of Arnold Schwarzenegger

If there’s one name that is synonymous with the term “bad-ass”, Arnold Schwarzenegger definitely fit’s the bill. In his hey-day in the 1980s and the 1990s, there was no one who was as big and as tough as Arnold. Just as he is set to return to the big screen for the 2010 sequel to The Expendables that would include a huge crop of action movie stars like Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren. Having his name with these men just adds to the idea of what action film fans want in a movie. Yet, there’s more to Arnold than just an action guy as he’s also someone who can also do comedy and is a better actor than some people give him credit for. Here are the 10 Essential Performances of Arnold Schwarzenegger:

1. The Terminator/Terminator 2: Judgment Day-The Terminator-The Terminator

They wanted O.J. Simpson for the role originally but if it had happen. Arnold wouldn’t be the superstar that the whole world knows him and love. While Arnold doesn’t have a lot of lines in the first film, it is still a very engaging performance that is chilling to watch. How he says those words… “I’ll be back”. Come on, how can anyone think that isn’t cool. He may be the bad guy in the first film but it’s still a cool-ass bad guy. Arnold would top that with a more well-rounded performance in the 2nd film where he faces off a new Terminator to save someone where there’s a bit more of the same but also a sense of humor and sensitivity that is unexpected in the way he interacts with John Connor. Arnold’s performance in the third film isn’t anything memorable though at least it’s tolerable in comparison to the awful CGI-face cameo of his in that other film that came out recently.

2. Twins-Julius Benedict

While guys love to see Arnold kicking ass and pumping iron but Arnold also has something that women can enjoy in the way he can be sensitive and funny. While Arnold gets to do both in this film, he manages to make it more of being the straight man of sorts to Danny Devito while also finding ways to keep people laughing. Particularly in the scenes with Devito where Devito’s Vincent character teaches Julius how to dance or the scene where Julius drives a car sideways. Credit should go to Ivan Reitman for finding ways to make Arnold more accessible as this is definitely a great start to an amazing collaboration with the two.

3. Total Recall-Douglas Quaid

This is definitely a film where Arnold gets to be the badass but also has him taking the chance to show some range as a man who realizes that he is a cuckold for something bigger. It’s truly one of the great sci-fi action films of its time as it begs the question into why there’s a need to do a remake of this when it’s already a film people still watch. Largely because Arnold was able to make Douglas Quaid into a character that audiences care about as he’s being duped only to realize what he must do to realize who he really is. It’s also a performance that allows Arnold to take hits and actually be human despite his size.

4. True Lies-Harry Trasker

Arnold’s third collaboration with James Cameron following the two Terminator films is an indication that the Schwarzenegger-Cameron collaboration is one of the best actor-director collaborations in cinema. Largely because Cameron knows how to work with Arnold in not just being a bad ass but also a guy who can show humility, be sensitive, and be the guy to root for. It also has Arnold taking some risks in some amazing action scenes that requires lots of stunts such as the scene on the Florida bridges where Arnold has to save Jamie Lee Curtis. It’s really the last great thing Arnold has done as there hasn’t been anyone who can understand Arnold’s talents as an actor better than James Cameron.

5. Kindergarten Cop-John Kimble

I still wish the Criterion Collection would decide to release this even though it was just an April Fool’s joke. Yet, the cover they decided to create and the numerous special features just made me wish it was true. After all, this is definitely the best collaboration Arnold did with Ivan Reitman because it balances not just Arnold’s ability to be the bad ass but also the comedy and romantic side. The best scenes in the film has Arnold’s John Kimble character interact with the kids such as his monologue about what he’s going to do where he just commands every word he says as if he means business. The stuff where he’s teaching them is really inspiring including the scene where he’s reading a story to them. The pecs and the poetry indeed. Come on Criterion! Release this and think of all the money you’ll make!

6. Commando-John Matrix

Commando is definitely an idea of what an action film should be as Arnold definitely plays John Matrix. He’s a guy that can kick some ass, do what it takes to fight off anything and anyone who gets in his way. It should be also added that the Matrix character is a guy to root for since all he wants to do is get his daughter back from a dictator and a former Special Forces captain. While it’s a film that has Arnold also showing a bit of a funny side, he maintains the sense of a man just hell-bent on getting his daughter back as there’s a great complexity he brings to a character that is well-defined in his motivations.

7. Last Action Hero-Jack Slater

Though it was considered one of the great box office disappointments of the early 1990s despite all the hype it had. It’s a film that has managed to find its audience in the years since as it’s one of the more underrated films that Arnold has been in. Largely because he’s playing off all of the action heroes he had done before with an offbeat sense of humor while it also has Arnold playing a version of himself where he seems to enjoy playing the idiot. Yet, the Jack Slater character is one that is interesting because it has Arnold taking a piss at the action hero but also become aware of his flaws as a character and such.

8. Predator-Major Alan “Dutch” Schaffer

Easily one of the essential films of the action genre, it has Arnold playing with an ensemble cast where Arnold may be the lead but he is willing to share the screen. As the commander of a task force to uncover a mysterious alien lurking in the jungle, it’s up to Dutch to lead a team where they’re facing an unknown creature as the stakes for survival forces Dutch to do whatever he can to protect whatever he has left including an unarmed woman. There’s a lot of moments where Arnold shows his range as an actor by finding ways to figure out how to face off this mysterious creature where Arnold gets his moment in the climatic face-off.

9. Conan the Barbarian-Conan

The film that made Arnold the star that everyone knows and love. Who else could play this character? While it’s a role where Arnold was still trying to find his way as an actor, it’s a performance that is truly unforgettable where he has this larger-than-life presence that makes him tailor-made for the role. While Arnold’s performance is limited due to the lack of dialogue he gets, he makes up for it with the way he allows his character to be this cunning warrior that is seeking vengeance. The shot of him wielding his sword on a beach against a blue sky is truly one of the most iconic images of 80s action films.

10. The Running Man-Ben Richards

His performance as Ben Richards in The Running Man is really one of his most underrated films. Not only is it because he’s playing a character that is on the run and has to play a treacherous game. Not only does Arnold get a chance to be the badass and kill a few bad guys along the way including the primary antagonist played by the late Richard Dawson. Arnold also gets the chance to display some hilarious one-liners that just adds a charisma that only he can bring.

Honorable Mentions:

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in a lot of films dating back to the early 70s though it’s obvious that his reign from the early 80s to the mid-1990s is pretty much incomparable to today’s film stars. For anyone that loves Arnold, there’s movies that they’ll mention that should get a mention. Whether it’s films like Red Heat and Raw Deal show he can play a cop that is intimidating but also trying to be good. There’s something about those performances where Arnold adds extra power to these roles as he can rise above something that could be shoddy material. Another action film that features Schwarzenegger at his best is Eraser where although it’s not a great movie but certainly enjoyable as Arnold does a role that’s typical of him but manages to make it memorable enough.

It’s obvious that Schwarzenegger is an actor with limited range sometimes that can work is the project and material is right. One film that certainly divides fans is his third and final collaboration with Ivan Reitman in Junior. OK, it’s a comedy where Arnold is a doctor who does an experiment where he gets himself pregnant. Yet, it’s a role where Arnold somehow makes the character so enjoyable and so real where he’s not afraid to be sensitive and funny where at times, it’s over the top when he plays a woman in disguise. Yet, the guy should get some credit for actually trying to create a performance that is endearing as it’s one that should be seen again to see if there’s more to Schwarzenegger than playing the badass role.

Lesser films like Conan the Destroyer and Red Sonja do have their fans as they’re decent action films where Schwarzenegger doesn’t get much to do. Still, a lesser actor in the roles that Arnold is playing wouldn’t work as Arnold manages to create performances that are memorable. One film that is kind of mixed bag to watch though it does feature an enjoyable performance from Schwarzenegger is Jingle All the Way where it does have this great climatic scene where Schwarzenegger’s character gets to play the hero his son wants. There’s a glee to the way he expresses the role of playing a hero for his son.

The Worst

With the exception of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines which is a decent film, Schwarzenegger’s film work from 1997 to 2004 isn’t really good. OK, there’s probably been some performances Schwarzenegger hasn’t been proud of that he did in the early 70s though he was just starting out and trying to find his footing. It’s just that films he’s been in from 1997 to 2004, with the exception of Terminator 3, are just terrible.

Batman & Robin-Mr. Freeze

The blame really should go to both director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman for making Batman & Robin as one of the worst films ever made. Schumacher and Goldsman should also take blame for making Schwarzenegger’s performance as Mr. Freeze into a complete caricature rather than a memorable villain. Saddled with awful one-liners, a mawkish storyline about his motivations, and moments where Arnold seems to be talking as if he has a lisp. Truly a horrific performance.

Collateral Damage-Gordy Brewer

Another terrible film that Schwarzenegger is in that has him pretty much not doing anything new. It’s a performance that is pretty uninspiring while the film itself is practically unmemorable as a whole except for a twist near the end that makes it more ridiculous. While the role is simply having Arnold play a fireman that is seeking revenge, the idea of him as a fireman makes more unbelievable than it actually is. Even as his journey into Columbia and back to the U.S. just doesn’t really give Arnold anything that is up to par with everything he’s done before.

The 6th Day-Adam Gibson

A film that has Arnold in another sci-fi premise where he also has a clone but it’s definitely a film that is very mediocre. While he gets to work with the likes of Robert Duvall and Tony Goldwyn, it’s a film that tries too hard to be compelling and suspenseful while the small bits of humor is forced. Arnold’s performance doesn’t really have him do anything new as if he’s in Total Recall but with a bad script.

Around the World in 80 Days-Prince Hapi

Though it’s really an extended cameo among a sea of actors who make cameos for this 2004 remake. It’s a performance where Arnold just ends up looking very ridiculous with bad hair and wearing some kind of mini-skirt. It’s a performance that is just atrocious to watch where Arnold tries to be funny but nothing is working and the last moment of the film is hearing his voice crying over his destroyed statue. There’s a lot of things people would see from Arnold but a crybaby Arnold is not one of them.

Well, that is it. While there’s a slate of new films coming from Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s uncertain whether or not they can live up to the hey-day that he had in the 1980s and 1990s. Still, he is someone that can get someone to see a film expecting him to take names and kick ass. So in order to close this piece on Mr. Schwarzenegger. Let’s have the man have his say through his memorable moments.

© thevoid99 2012

Higher Ground

Based on Carolyn Briggs’ memoir This Dark World: A Story of Faith Found and Lost, Higher Ground is the story of a woman whose life goes through various changes when she becomes religious at 18 only to question her beliefs as a married adult. Directed and starring Vera Farmiga with a screenplay by Carolyn Briggs and Tim Metcalfe, the film explores the world of faith and doubt in the eyes of a woman in the course of her life. Also starring John Hawkes, Taissa Farmiga, Donna Murphy, Dagmara Dominczyk, Joshua Leonard, and Bill Irwin. Higher Ground is a compelling drama from Vera Farmiga.

Following a period where her mother Kathleen (Donna Murphy) had a miscarriage that would ruin the marriage between her mother and father CW (John Hawkes), a young girl named Corinne (McKenzie Turner) is dealing with a troubled aftermath as she attends church with her young sister Wendy (Taylor Schwenke). At the church, Pastor Bud (Bill Irwin) has a sermon where Corinne accepts Jesus into her heart where she watches her parents’ marriage disintegrate. Years later as an 18-year old (Taissa Farmiga), Corinne meets a young rock singer named Ethan (Boyd Holbrook) where they have a relationship that would lead to Corinne getting married and having a baby. The marriage nearly crumbles following an accident when Ethan’s band goes on the road where he and Corinne decide to give their life towards God.

Time has passed as Corinne (Vera Farmiga) is now an adult with two kids another on the way while she and Ethan (Joshua Leonard) are part of a community of followers that includes Corinne’s friend Annika (Dagmara Dominczyk). A visit from Wendy (Nina Arianda) starts off well until Wendy’s lifestyle starts to get to Ethan while Corinne becomes fascinated by Wendy’s views on God and faith. Though Corinne loves the community, she starts to feel slighted by its restrictions over what to wear and such where it starts to overwhelm her after getting her third child. When Annika starts to feel ill leaving Corinne worried, the result would have an impact on Corinne’s views as it would lead to her marriage to finally unravel. Notably as she starts to have doubts about the way God works leading to Corinne to wonder if she had taken the right path to righteousness.

The film is about a life of a woman spanning through four different decades of her life where she encounters the world of Jesus Christ and faith only to find herself questioning about God’s will. It’s a compelling story that is about faith and doubt in the eyes of a woman who starts off going through tragedy only to find solace in God but later becomes doubtful following the restrictions of her community and various incidents that would impact her doubts. Carolyn Briggs and Tim Metcalfe’s screenplay does an excellent job in exploring Corinne’s life in the world of God and such. When it comes to the film’s third act, it gets a bit drawn out because the story starts to drag a bit as Corinne starts to break away from her old life to try and find something new. There’s nothing bad about it but it just takes a lot of out of what the first 2 acts had done in terms of dramatic execution.

Vera Farmiga’s direction is quite engaging and stylish for the way she opened the film with a baptism and then cuts to the narrative to follow this woman’s life. Shot on location in upstate New York, the film has gorgeous images of the fields and cliffs to play out the world that Corrine and her community live in. Farmiga also knows how to set up dramatic moments with her framing and having the actors be placed to create dramatic tension. A lot of it is very interesting despite the flaws in the third act where it loses a bit of steam. While the film is a dramatic take on a woman’s life, Farmiga isn’t afraid to put in some humor including a strange fantasy scene to play out what Corinne might be feeling. Overall, Farmiga does a solid job in creating an insightful film about a woman’s exploration towards faith.

Cinematographer Michael McDonough does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the lush look of the interiors for the scenes in the 60s and 70s to a more naturalistic look for the scenes in the 80s and 90s with some gorgeous exterior shots of the locations. Editor Colleen Sharp does nice work with the editing to create something that is straightforward without a lot of style while maintaining a leisured pace for the film. Production designer Sharon Lomofsky, with art directors Shawn Carroll and Lisa Meyers and set decorator Diana Bregman, does fantastic work with the set pieces such as the homes that Corinne lives in to the churches that she attends.

Costume designer Amela Baksic does wonderful work with the clothes that Corrine wears to explore her evolution and personality through the dresses she wears in the 70s and 80s to a more casual look in the 90s. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound from the intimacy of the churches to the way music is performed in a lot of those scenes. The film’s score by Alec Puro is superb for its folk-driven sound while its soundtrack that is assembled by music supervisor Levon Broussalian features a lot of folk-based religious music.

The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small roles from Ebon-Moss Bachrach as community member Luke, Norbert Leo Butz as community leader Pastor Bill, Barbara Tuttle as Bill’s wife, Sean Mahon as the Irish mail carrier that Corinne befriends late in the film, Jack Gilpin as a therapist Corinne meets, Michael Chernus as Annika’s husband Ned, and Bill Irwin as the inspiring Pastor Bud. In the roles of Corrine and Ethan’s children, there’s Flynn Hawkey, Luella Roche, and Sarah Little as the eldest daughter Abigail, Sarah Banks and Zoe Allegra as Lily, and Matthew Biltonen as the young child Gabe.

Boyd Holbrook is excellent as the young Ethan with his energetic performance while Kaitlyn Rae King is very good as the teenage Wendy with Taylor Schwenke who is also good as the younger Wendy. McKenzie Turner is wonderful as the young Corinne while Taissa Farmiga is amazing as the teenage Corinne who feels lost in her world as she falls for the young Ethan. Donna Murphy is brilliant as Corinne’s outgoing mother Kathleen while John Hawkes is terrific as Corinne’s troubled yet laconic father CW as the two have a great moment in a scene in the third act. Nina Arianda is superb as Corinne’s troubled sister Wendy who tries to figure out her sister’s world while admitting she is troubled. Dagmara Dominczyk is great as Corinne’s best friend Annika whose view on faith would shape Corinne’s view later on.

Joshua Leonard is fantastic as Corinne’s husband Ethan who tries to maintain his musical side while becoming confused by his wife’s behavior as he tries to hold on to his faith. Finally, there’s Vera Farmiga as Corinne where Farmiga’s performance is entrancing in the way she tries to deal with God and religion only to become confused by her world and its restrictions as it’s one of Farmiga’s essential performances.

Higher Ground is a stellar and fascinating film from Vera Farmiga as it features a terrific ensemble cast that includes Joshua Leonard, Dagmara Dominiczyk, Taissa Farmiga, Donna Murphy, and John Hawkes. For audiences that is interested in the world of religious communities and faith will definitely find the film intriguing despite the flaws it carries in its third act. In the end, Higher Ground is a film worth seeing from its star and director Vera Farmiga.

© thevoid99 2012

The Hidden Fortress

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/17/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Akira Kurosawa with a script he co-wrote with Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, and Hideo Oguni. The Hidden Fortress tells the story of a battle's aftermath where two escaped peasant workers run into a general as they reluctantly help him transport a large amount of gold with help from a farmer's daughter in hopes to revive a princess' throne. Starring Kurosawa regulars Toshiro Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, and Kichijiro Ueda along with Misa Uehara, Susumu Fujita, and Toshiko Higuchi. The Hidden Fortress is an adventurous, humorous, and powerful film from Akira Kurosawa and company.

After escaping the Yamana clan fortress, two peasants in Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matakishi (Kamatari Fujiwara) flee to the mountains hoping to go to the guarded Akizuki land for safety.  After finding two pieces of gold in the woods, they encounter General  Rokurota Makabe (Toshiro Mifune) who aids them as he's trying to find Princess Yuki (Misa Uehara) to protect her from the Yamana clan who offer 10 pieces of ryo for her capture.  Though Tahei and Matakishi are suspicious about Makabe, it wasn't until they meet a young woman in a watering hole as it's revealed to be Princess Yuki as Makabe revealed he got the 10 pieces of ryo by using his sister as a decoy.  Hiding out at a hidden fortress, Makabe confers with his old general (Takashi Shimura) and the princess' lady-in-waiting (Eiko Miyoshi) about what to do next.

With Tahei and Matakishi, Makabe decide to go the border with the princess pretending to be a mute girl to secretly transport 200 pieces of gold inside wood branches only for things to go wrong due to Tahei and Matakishi's greed.  Trapped and the fortress covered in smoke, Makabe makes a move to keep things going where they save an abused farmer's daughter (Toshiko Higuchi) by buying her from a slave trader (Kichijiro Ueda) much to Makabe's reluctance.  After an counter with some of Yamana's soldiers where Makabe would fight more as he enters a base that is run by General Hyoe Tadokoro (Susumu Fujita) who knows Makabe.  After a honorable duel that leaves both men alive, Makabe, the princess, and their entourage continue to hide only for Tahei and Matakashi to nearly get them in trouble once again.  With Yamana's men still trying to find them as all hope seems lost, it would take an unlikely ally and the princess' grace and dignity that would save Makabe and its entourage.

While the film's plot about a general using two greedy peasants to transport gold and accompany a princess into treacherous land from their hidden fortress is a simple story. Yet, what makes this film interesting on storytelling level is its emphasis to get the perspective of various characters and their situation. There's four central characters in the film that really are the focal point of the story. A determined general who is trying to protect the princess and gold in hopes to reclaim the princess' status to help win the war against feuding factions. A princess who has lived her life in a castle for most of her life pondering about the big role that she has to play now where she finally gets a closer look at the people she's supposed to rule over.

Then, we have the greedy peasants who are simply motivated by greed as they serve as a comical device while often getting Makabe and the princess into trouble at times. The film later introduces a farmer's daughter whose freedom is given because of the princess and a rival general who has a deep amount of respect for Makabe despite the fact that they're in different war factions.

The script is wonderfully told in its mix of adventure, humor, and drama while Kurosawa's direction is truly engrossing. The first Kurosawa film presented in a widescreen format, Kurosawa is given more to do in his vision and create scenes with a wide depth of field. One notable sequence where Kurosawa uses the new cinematic format to great heights is a duel between Makabe and Tadokoro. In its presentation, Kurosawa reveals the idea of respect and honor in a duel as it's about the duel and all of Tadokoro's soldiers watching. The movement and how Kurosawa captures that sequence is truly amazing where he also takes his time in letting the drama of the duel unfold. What happens in the end is about honor and respect where despite the fact that Makabe and Tadokoro are in different sides, there's a level of respect between those two.

Kurosawa's approach to humor is done wonderfully as it's all about how Tahei and Matakishi and their greed. Yet, the way Kurosawa sets up situations is to reveal their impatience in their characters and at times, the two often quarrel with each other over greed or how dumb they are. The visual approach that Kurosawa creates is more epic with images of Mt. Surabachi and its locations as a real inspiration while some of the shots in the forest has this dream-like quality. Kurosawa's editing with the use of frame-wipe transitions and rhythmic cutting for some of film's action sequences are very stylized yet has a great presentation and pacing that doesn't move too slow but rather leisurely. Overall, Kurosawa's vision of a big, epic story is heightened thanks to the use of the widescreen format that gives him more room as he creates a truly memorable and complex film.

Cinematographer Kazuo Yamasaki does great work with the film's black-and-white photography, notably in the use of sunlight shining against the forest that creates one of the film's most gorgeous sequences. Yamasaki's exterior work whether its day or night is wonderfully lit where in the night scenes, there's a suspenseful tone while in the day. It's more comical and adventurous with a gray look for other scenes as Yamasaki's camera work is truly phenomenal. Production designer Yoshiro Muraki does excellent work in the look of the houses inside of the fortress along with the cave and other homes that have a traditional look. Costume designer Masahiro Kato does great work in the downtrodden looks of the peasants along with Makabe while the princess wears shorts and a shirt to make herself look like common folk. Sound recordist Fumio Yanoguchi does excellent work in capturing the intensity of the duel along with the sounds of gunshots and breaking wood.

Composer Masaru Sato, a longtime collaborator of Kurosawa, does great work in proving an amazing, suspenseful film score with numerous themes to accompany each character. Sato provides a comical, swift, and melodic score for the theme of Tahei and Matakishi while a more serene, flute-driven score for the princess. The rest filled with traditional Japanese percussions and drums along with orchestral arrangements is truly phenomenal for the film's sense of adventure and suspense.

The cast is phenomenal with small appearances from Eiko Miyoshi as an old lady-in-waiting who helps Makabe in planning the transport the princess to safety along with Kurosawa regular Takashi Shimura as an old general who Makabe turns to for advice. Kichijiro Ueda is funny as a slave trader while Toshiko Higuchi is very good as a farmer's daughter who is aware of who the people are she's traveling with while playing an unlikely protector to the princess. Susumu Fujita is brilliant as General Tadokoro, a rivaling general who has great respect for Makabe as the aftermath of battle has him dealing with his own confusion about honor as Fujita is truly phenomenal. Kurosawa regulars Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara in their respective roles of Tahei and Matakishi are wonderful to watch. The two men bring a great chemistry to their performances with Tahei as the smarter of the two and Matakishi as the more risk-taker. Yet, they both bring a great sense of humor and complexity to their greedy characters as they add a nice balance to the film.

Misa Uehara is brilliant as Princess Yuki, a stubborn yet graceful princess who feels overwhelmed and trapped in her new royal position as she has to act mute and observe all that's going on. What happens is a transformation of her character who becomes aware of what role she has to play while providing wonderful insight into her journey. Uehara's performance is phenomenal and a rare moment where a female character takes charge in a positive light in a film by Kurosawa. Finally, there's Toshiro Mifune in an amazing performance as General Rokurota Makabe. Mifune's tough yet intelligence performance reveals a man who has a great mind for strategy while knowing he can't take too many risks. Even with people around him that he has to take care of. While he's a man of honor, he is also dealing with loss that he knew has to deal with while it's only because he's doing it for the princess. Mifune's performance is definitely brilliant in its complexity as he carries the film with such power and also a bit of humor.

The Hidden Fortress is a brilliant and adventurous film from Akira Kurosawa and company. With great performances from Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, and Kamatari Fujiwara and amazing sequences, notably the duel scene. It's definitely a film that fans of Kurosawa will no doubt enjoy as it's regarded as one of his great works. Fans of the Star Wars franchise should check this film out to see where George Lucas got all of the ideas for the film and see where Lucas made references towards this film. In the end, The Hidden Fortress is a fascinating yet entertaining film from 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 Bad Sleep Well - Yojimbo - Sanjuro - High and Low - Red Beard - Dodesukaden - Dersu Uzala - Kagemusha - Ran - Dreams (1990 film) - (Rhapsody in August) - (Madadayo)

© thevoid99 2012