For Narukami...

[Magnus]

...looks pretty good!

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/indep...assassins/

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Interesting indeed !!!

M.VIB.M.

[Magnus]

Looks decent eh Henk? I hope it's well done...the last modern samurai flick I enjoyed I think was "Hidden Blade".

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

This one is kind of hard to find:Nichiren and the Great Mongol Invasion. 1959. You would think there would be a few more out there for this important historic event. Most of the armor is cool, but they skimped on the kabutos. THe smashing up of the Mongol fleet is nicly done.

The great scenes from the Mongol Invasion Scrolls, commissioned by Takezaki Suennaga, were in fact an elaborate invoice. THe govertment played the universal trick all govermens do when the bill id due for the promises made to vets: they don't pay them. Since the Nichiren sect pray for a storm, and that er- ah- wrecked the fleet, you know, we sorta don't feel like you guys did all that much, but we will look into it. We will get back to you. Don't call us, we'll call you. (Hey all you court guys, it is cheaper to build a temple to those Nichiren dudes than to pay all those Samurai wo now want commpensation. Wat to expensive.

It is worth buying if you can find it.

Whe I win the BIG lottery next month, and I mean the BIG one, I am goimg to make a historic film about the Tales of the Hike. It will focus on the events arounfd Kiso Yoshinaka and his mistress, Tomeo Gozen. Why the have never made a film about that period is somthing I wonder about. Yoshitsune and his gang get a lot of coverage , but few others. Anyway, since it is my money I get to pick Tome Gozen. Those of you who are not on my irritation list can come and be "advisors".


Ralph

[Narukami]

Thanks for the link Magnus -- this film does look interesting. I wonder (meaning I have my doubts) how wide a release this film will receive. Even here in LA (the so called 'Film Capital of the World') it can sometimes be a challenge finding a particular film.

The last "modern" chambara film I saw was Sukiyaki Western Django, a retelling of the Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike) with a large dose of Kurosawa's Yojimbo all transplanted to the American Wild West (without the Americans, native or otherwise).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0906665/

To say that film was a mess is too simple a response, but at the moment I can not think of anything with more wit than that.

In some ways 13 Assassins reminds me of the first Shogun's Ninja or Shogun's Assassins films. Those are from the late 70's early 80's during the high point of the Shochiku blood thriller films. They did a version of the 47 Ronin story that was interesting, but no where near as good as the 1962 Inagaki film, Chushingura, still the best film about the 47 Ronin.

All that aside -- thanks again for posting this link. I will look for this film and hope for the best.



Narukami

[Narukami]

Tomoe Gozen -- what a great character. She has appeared in a Kabuki play, but it would be fun to see her on the BIG Screen.


:wink:

Narukami

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Last three films i saw which were BEAUTIFUL.

Twilight Samurai

Hidden Blade

Bushi no Ichibun.

Also up there:

Harakiri

Gonza the spearman

The assassin

Shogun's samurai.

M.VIB.M.

[Magnus]

I like your plan Ralph.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

I am wondering what this new Chushingura rip off will be with Keanu....

The film Narukami Dono mentiones is indeed one of the most beautiful i have ever seen.

M.VIB.M.

[Narukami]

I've read an early draft of the script for the new 47 Ronin film being released by Universal, and to call it a travesty is too kind. In fact, I have fewer objections to Keanu being cast than I have to what they have done to the story itself. Not surprisingly, the writers of the new film have missed the point completely. (I believe I saved the link to the script on my Mac and if so I will post it later for those who might be interested.)

It reminds me of the film Black Rain as compared to the film The Yakuza. Scott's film, Black Rain, was very slick, with excellent production values that made Tokyo look, for all the world, like his sets from Blade Runner. And yet the writers clearly had only a surface understanding of Japan and the Japanese. (Or felt that US audiences would not understand or appreciate the subtleties of Japanese culture.)

On the other hand, The Yakuza, written by the Schrader brothers and Robert Towne, shows a very deep understanding and an abiding respect for Japanese culture. Indeed, even the pacing of the film is very deliberate in that particularly Japanese way (as is Inagaki's film, Chushingura). This may be why the film was not a box office success -- audiences had to pay attention to what was happening. The heart of the story is the conflict between giri and ninjo, the very conflict that informs most kabuki plays and many Japanese films (and indeed much of Japanese life).

If nothing else, the new Keanu film of the 47 may inspire a renewed interest in the Inagaki classic. I remember that last time I saw that film in an actual theatre. It was in the mid 1980's at a small cinema in Santa Monica. It was playing for two days only and I figures no one would be there, but, just in case, I went early. Good thing I did. The line for tickets stretched around the block and the house was packed. In fact all four screenings over the two days ended up Sold Out. In our screening, the audience applauded at the end. Yes, it is that good of a film, and having seen several film versions of this story, Inagaki's is still the best.

:wink:

Narukami