It's an interesting movie that shows the fall of the samurai culture.
The so much worshipped "honor" turns out to be mostly fake in the house. The samurai turn out to be liars pretending to be ill to avoid committing suicide. The young guy who is portrayed as dishonored and humiliated in the beginning actually turns out to be a brave one. And the fact that the father was able to fight a dozen of well-trained and well-fed samurais at the end really shows that the concept was not as authentic and romantic as we might perceive it nowadays.
Overall, it's a good movie but I felt it was a bit too long.
If it wasn't for the immaculate beauty of Kurosawa's Kagemusha, this black and white masterpiece would be the most beautiful movie ever caught on camera. There are scenes upon scenes of astonishing beauty. The only thing I hoped from the God-awful remake (avoid plz) was some color to the iconic scenes, but when I got my wish, I realized what a fool I'd been, it's the very absence of color that complements every scene perfectly.
The cast is absoutely sublime. Nakadai is in top form as always, and even though I enjoyed his character in Sword of Doom more, the character Kobayashi crafted for him for this movie is nevertheless perfect. The supporting cast deserves some praise too, it even has a child character I actually cared about. RIP Kingo.
The movie is masterfully crafted. Simply put, it's a story within a story, but there's so much more. There are very subtle nuances in scenes that you might miss, unless you are well versed in the history of Sengoku Jidai. Also the the build up of the movie is brilliant, it makes you wonder about the motives of its characters.
And what about that swordplay? Perfect, absolutely perfect. The duel scene is fantastic, everyone agrees to that, it's the very embodiment of why Jidaigeki movies are such great journeys. But it's the desperate sword fight in the end that I love the most, the emotions run high as Nakadai's character desperately fights off his foes and finally succumbs to his fate, and then we get the ending shot which is the very same which greeted us at the start, just... Perfect.
quote:
After all, this thing we call samurai honor is ultimately nothing but a facade.
Upon first viewing, this classic B&W film directed by Masaki Kobayashi has instantly leapt onto my "50 Favorites" list.
The title, of course, refers to the Japanese practice of "ritual suicide by disembowelment." It came about as part of bushido, the honor code of the samurai warrior class. By the 17th century, peace had come to Japan and warriors were no longer needed. Thousands of them became masterless ronin as the samurai system collapsed. This story describes the tale of one such ronin, who comes to the residence of a local lord to ask permission to commit harakiri in the estate's courtyard.
There's a story within the story, a bit of mystery and some wonderful swordplay in the course of the film. One scene is particularly impressive - a duel fought beyond a graveyard on a windswept hillock that beats any Western showdown I've ever seen. Some might complain that the pacing is slow, but I found it to be absolutely perfect. Pregnant pauses and lingering shots create an atmosphere far better than any score could. Silence builds tension and adds to the suspense.
The final reckoning is a bit over-choreographed, and there are some lighting errors regarding shadows if one wants to pick nits. On the whole, however, this is yet another testament to the greatness of Japanese film-making as well as the universality of themes like duty, honor, compassion and resolve. When folks say, "They don't make movies like they used to," this is the "used to" they are referring to.
This is the only film I've seen that is actually perfect. There's no bullshit. No fluff. You're engaged within minutes and will be for the next two and a half hours.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 24
Emiam
8+/10Cineasterna
A really good film, good script, well directed and well acted.
goldan
It's an interesting movie that shows the fall of the samurai culture.Overall, it's a good movie but I felt it was a bit too long.
Limbesdautomne
Big fail when cut is your pigtail. Your honor it is. Preserving your honor, you should.Read more in French on La Saveur des goûts amers.
BigDaddy616
Decent from any point of view.der Zorn Gottes
If it wasn't for the immaculate beauty of Kurosawa's Kagemusha, this black and white masterpiece would be the most beautiful movie ever caught on camera. There are scenes upon scenes of astonishing beauty. The only thing I hoped from the God-awful remake (avoid plz) was some color to the iconic scenes, but when I got my wish, I realized what a fool I'd been, it's the very absence of color that complements every scene perfectly.The cast is absoutely sublime. Nakadai is in top form as always, and even though I enjoyed his character in Sword of Doom more, the character Kobayashi crafted for him for this movie is nevertheless perfect. The supporting cast deserves some praise too, it even has a child character I actually cared about. RIP Kingo.
The movie is masterfully crafted. Simply put, it's a story within a story, but there's so much more. There are very subtle nuances in scenes that you might miss, unless you are well versed in the history of Sengoku Jidai. Also the the build up of the movie is brilliant, it makes you wonder about the motives of its characters.
And what about that swordplay? Perfect, absolutely perfect. The duel scene is fantastic, everyone agrees to that, it's the very embodiment of why Jidaigeki movies are such great journeys. But it's the desperate sword fight in the end that I love the most, the emotions run high as Nakadai's character desperately fights off his foes and finally succumbs to his fate, and then we get the ending shot which is the very same which greeted us at the start, just... Perfect.
Tiago Costa
Upon first viewing, this classic B&W film directed by Masaki Kobayashi has instantly leapt onto my "50 Favorites" list.The title, of course, refers to the Japanese practice of "ritual suicide by disembowelment." It came about as part of bushido, the honor code of the samurai warrior class. By the 17th century, peace had come to Japan and warriors were no longer needed. Thousands of them became masterless ronin as the samurai system collapsed. This story describes the tale of one such ronin, who comes to the residence of a local lord to ask permission to commit harakiri in the estate's courtyard.
There's a story within the story, a bit of mystery and some wonderful swordplay in the course of the film. One scene is particularly impressive - a duel fought beyond a graveyard on a windswept hillock that beats any Western showdown I've ever seen. Some might complain that the pacing is slow, but I found it to be absolutely perfect. Pregnant pauses and lingering shots create an atmosphere far better than any score could. Silence builds tension and adds to the suspense.
The final reckoning is a bit over-choreographed, and there are some lighting errors regarding shadows if one wants to pick nits. On the whole, however, this is yet another testament to the greatness of Japanese film-making as well as the universality of themes like duty, honor, compassion and resolve. When folks say, "They don't make movies like they used to," this is the "used to" they are referring to.
chestrockwell
This is the only film I've seen that is actually perfect. There's no bullshit. No fluff. You're engaged within minutes and will be for the next two and a half hours.OMERFT
This is how you make a film.Excellent story & Unique quality.I do not think it is easy to find a film like this nowadays.armyofshadows
This movie is so awesomejgarate
amazingdchauvin
Beautiful and intense, I did however think the ineptitude of the bad guys' swordsmanship in the final scene served to discredit the film slightly..camilocabrera22
One of the greatest japanese movies I've ever seen in my life.satyrvs
"(...) The suspicious mind conjures its own demons. (...)"johnnyg
This is really an anti-samurai samurai film. Maybe that's why I like it so much.ozgungenc
Masterpiece. A film without a single flaw.Showing items 1 – 15 of 24