The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) [Film Review]

The Tale of Zatoichi; or, Inconspicuous Masseur This Way Comes
     What I do is no different than the tricks street vendors use to attract customers. Enough about me...
The Tale of Zatoichi from 1962 marks the first movie in the long-running series about a blind swordsman who wanders through Japan and experiences numerous adventures. Produced by the studio Daiei and directed by Kenji Musumi (best known for Lone Wolf and a Cub series), this adaptation of Kan Shimozawa’s novel presents Zatoichi not as a larger-than-life hero, but as a compassionate, Sherlock Holmes-like keeper of justice. 

Release Info

Directed by: Kenji Misumi Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Shigeru Amachi, Eijiro Yanagi

Language: Japanese Original Title: 座頭市物語 Runtime: 95 min

Synopsis
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) reaches a yakuza den in Iioka. He is provided shelter and care by the gang-leader Sukegoro (Eijiro Yanagi) who knows about Zatoichi’s extraordinary fight skills and wants to use them for his own advantage. It turns out that Sukegoro is preparing to attack a rival yakuza boss Shigezo (Ryuzo Shimada). In consequence, Shigezo hires a renowned ronin, Miki Hirate (Shigeru Amachi). Due to a coincidence, Zatoichi and Hirate befriend each other. The two warriors are not keen on fighting each other in some petty gang war, especially in view of the fact that Zatoichi is blind and Hirata suffers from tuberculosis. Nevertheless, both gangs press for a conflict.

Where the Devil Says Goodnight
I have to admit that I did not expect much from The Tale of Zatoichi, but now I understand why it kick-started the popular movie series. Unlike other samurai epics of that time, such as Yojimbo (1961) or Harakiri (1962), The Tale of Zatoichi is a radically different film. With slow-pace, Buddhist undertones, and innovative (for that time) cinematography, it is more similar to Woman in the Dunes (1964), a perfect example of Japanese New Wave, rather than standard chanbara motion pictures. Also, the sombre music score by the legendary Akira Ifukube increases the viewing experience.

The movie about people whose activity is mostly talking in enclosed spaces does not seem to be encouraging, but the character of Zatoichi glues everything together. He is the symbolic fool who is frowned upon by almost everybody, but he presents extraordinary skills, not only in fighting, but also in gambling, and solving mysteries. My all-time favourite scenes are 1) touching the face of Otane (Masayo Banri) in the moonlight and 2) Zatoichi giving Hirata a massage. The conversation between the two protagonists is so soothing and tranquil, which only increases the bromance level between them.

There are some scenes in which too many random characters plot against each other, which, in my opinion, is the only disadvantage of the film. Yet. the story is straightforward enough to follow without the necessity of having a repeated viewing.

With regard to performances, I have to say that I like Shintaro Katsu’s interpretation of Zaotichi more than Takeshi Kitano’s. This classic Zatoichi can be funny, cheerful, but also incredibly humble and sorrowful (Kitano’s Zatoichi’s seems to be a bit too angry in the 2003 remake). I also enjoyed the performance of Shigeru Amachi as Harata. The two actors had amazing chemistry on the screen. There is also some nice acting done by Masayo Banri, a woman who falls hopelessly in love with Zatoichi.

Recommendations
If you want to see a classic Japanese production which does not necessarily follow the chanbara formula, then I recommend The Tale of Zatoichi. This movie is definitely classic and it encouraged me to check out the remaining sequels. Hopefully, I will be able to review all of them soon.

Overall score: 8/10

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A Class to Remember 2: The Learning Cycle (1996) [Film Review]

A Class to Remember 2: The Learning Cycle; or, On the Road to Nowhere
      That's your duty as a teacher, Kobayashi, to help them out.
Similarly to many of his other successful movies, director Yoji Yamada revisits the world of Japanese schooling with A Class to Remember 2: The Learning Cycle, a sequel to the original film from 1993. Although Toshiyuki Nishida returns in the leading role, the film presents a stand-alone story, unrelated to the previous film.

Release Info

Directed by: Yoji Yamada Starring: Toshiyuki Nishida, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Ayumi Ishida

Language: Japanese Original Title: 学校ＩＩ Runtime: 122 min

Synopsis
Aoyama Ryuhei (Toshiyuki Nishida) is a teacher at a special school for handicapped children. Apart from dealing with the problems of his teenage daughter, Aoyama’s free Sunday is completely spoiled because two students, Takashi (Hidetaka Yoshioka) and Yuya (Hiroshi Kobe), left the dorm and did not come back. Aoyama sets out on a search for missing students together with a fellow teacher Kobayashi (Masatoshi Nagase). While riding in a car, Aoyama recalls the tough beginnings of the missing students and the hard way they have come to reach independence.

The Moon’s Balloon
I was pretty excited when I finally tracked down A Class to Remember 2 and sat down to watch this, but I was completely unprepared for such a gut-wrenching story. Instead of focusing on night schools, Yamada chose to bring to the spotlight the taboo topic of education for the handicapped. Indeed, it is a very difficult issue, especially in the context of Japan where you do not hear much about students whose learning capabilities are impaired.

The movie is composed of two huge flashbacks about the missing students. They show how difficult it is for teachers to properly handle such children. In addition, the children are presented as soulful individuals who seek not only compassion but also acceptance in modern-day society. I have to admit that I found it pretty hard to watch the stories of Takashi and Yuya. They strongly reminded me about such movies as The Boys Next Door (1996) and Girl, Interrupted (1999).

Nevertheless, the tragedy reaches a wonderful catharsis in the movie’s finale when the students end up having “a ride” of their lifetime. I think that with this movie Yoji Yamada tried to say that no matter who bad things are, every cloud has a silver lining.

With regard to performances, evidently Toshiyuki Nishida dominates the picture with his presence, but I also liked the appearances of the great Ayumi Ishida and Hidetaka Yoshioyoka (he is basically Yamada’s regular, having appeared in about 20 movies of his).

Recommendations
If you like movies that are not afraid of difficult subjects, then A Class to Remember 2: The Learning Cycle is for you. It was not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the message which the director wanted to communicate. Hopefully, I will be able to review A Class to Remember 3: The New Voyage.
Overall score: 7/10

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Sansho the Bailiff (1954) [Film Review]

Sansho the Bailiff; or, The Measure of a Man
     I found that humans have little sympathy for things that don't directly concern them. They're ruthless. Unless those hearts can be changed, the world you dream of cannot come true. If you wish to live honestly with your conscience... keep close to the Buddha.
Rarely one encounters deeply depressing and gut-wrenching movies which do not resort to showing explicit violence. Without a doubt, Kenji Mizoguchi’s Sansho the Bailiff is such a film. I heard about it years ago, but it was this month when I finally gave it a go because of my research into the career of actress Kyoko Kagawa. Well, the movie made such an impression on me that I started writing this review immediately after having watched it.

Release Info

Directed by: Kenji Mizoguchi Starring: Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyoko Kagawa, Kinuyo Tanaka

Language: Japanese Original Title: 山椒大夫 Runtime: 125 min

Synopsis
Inspired by an ancient folk tale, the movie tells the story of Zushio (Yoshiaki Hanayagi) and Anju (Kyoko Kagawa). Their father, a merciful governor, is banished by a feudal lord to a distant province. The governor orders his wife, Tamaki (Kinuyo Tanaka), to take their children to her brother. Several years later, the mother and two children journey back to the father’s province. However, they are attacked by bandits and separated. Tamaki ends up as a courtesan on  Sado Island, whereas Zushio and Anju are sold as slaves to Sansho the Bailiff, a ruthless government official who runs his private mansion. Children wait till adulthood in order to attempt escape…

Eternal Suffering
Interestingly, the movie’s title does not refer to the main protagonists, but to the main villain. In Sansho the Bailiff, Kenji Mizoguchi explores the shortcomings of human nature. The world is not inherently evil but, indeed, it is a dark and dangerous place. However, every kind of darkness is defeated by the light coming from one righteous individual, as Zushio’s father states: “Without mercy, man is like a beast. Even if you are hard on yourself, be merciful to others.”

To be honest, Sansho the Bailiff is a tough movie to watch. Even though there is no black magic as in Mizoguchi’s previous film Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), I was really scared when watching the journey of young Zushio and Anju. Their arduous stay at Sansho’s mansion was scary for completely other reasons. Nevertheless, long takes and wonderful forest setting really enhance the aesthetic level of the movie.

Out of all the great pictures directed by Mizoguchi, including The Life of Oharu (1952) and The Crucified Lovers (1954), I place Sansho the Bailiff at the very top of the director’s achievements. Heart-warming characters and their tragedy invest you emotionally into the story. It is all the more rewarding seeing Sansho getting his comeuppance (no spoilers), but the price of justice is just too high.

With regard to performances, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyoko Kagawa, and Kinuyo Tanaka are just marvellous in their roles. I appreciate the degree of theatricality the actors brought to their characters. Consequently, the film feels like a top notch stage play.

Interestingly, there was an American stage adaptation on the basis of Sansho the Bailiff in the 1990s, starring the famous Bai Ling. Another fact which has to be mentioned is that the movie was hard to come by in the West until 2007 when Criterion released their DVD version.

Recommendations
All things considered, I highly recommend Sansho the Bailiff to any fan of Japanese movies. Watching this film is quite an experience, and it is an excellent insight into the darkness of human nature. The message of the film lives on and resonates even today.
Overall score: 9/10

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Taipei Story (1985) [Film Review]

Taipei Story; or, The Journey of Souls
     Look at these buildings. It's getting harder for me to tell... which ones I designed and which ones I didn't. They all look the same. Whether I'm involved or not seems less and less important.
The late director Edward Yang is, arguably, best known for his final motion picture Yi Yi (2000) but his older works also deserve attention. In 1985, he made his third feature film Taipei Story which is hailed by critics as the paragon of New Wave cinema. Starring a fellow director Hou Hsiao Hsien and a popular singer Tsai Chin in the leading roles, the movie presents a slice-of-life story about two people searching for happiness in a big city.

Release Info

Directed by: Edward Yang Starring: Tsai Chin, Hou Hsiao Hsien

Language: Mandarin, Hokkien Original Title: 青梅竹馬 Runtime: 120 min

Synopsis
Chin (Tsai Chin) is a manager’s assistant at a construction company. Due to the takeover of the business by another corporation, she loses the job. She lives at an apartment complex together with her sister and childhood love, Lung (Hou Hsiao Hsien). He is a former baseball player who remembers the good old days. Lung intends to move to the United States and start a business there, but he still has feelings for his former girlfriend who lives in Japan. On top of that, Chin and Lung are plagued by family problems as Chin’s father falls in debt. Will the two ever form a long-term relationship?

Quiet and Restless
In Taipei Story, Edward Yang masterfully paints an image of westernized Taiwan from the 1980s. This is no longer a world of traditional values and hierarchical society. Americanization creeps into every aspect of life. At one moment you can find yourself watching aesthetically-pleasing Japanese commercials, and soon after, you suddenly dance at a nightclub to the beats of Footloose song.

Indeed, Yang positions the protagonists against the backdrop of a metropolis full of neons. How they can move on with their lives, when there’s always something holding them back? I think that the most striking scene of the film is the one in which Chin and some random guy play with a pencil on the top floor of an abandoned building. Even Haruki Murakami would not have been able to come up with such an image of two people killing time.

Although Chin tries to find her way in the abyss of urban cityscape, her boyfriend, Lung, is literally stuck in the past. He does not give a damn about the present or future consequences of his actions, he just acts, because (in view of what he experienced) it is a right thing to do (for instance, helping out Chin’s father or his baseball friend in need). Nevertheless, Yang condemns such longing for things long gone, and, as a result, Lung drifts further away from Chin.

The movie’s purpose is not to tell a story, but rather to make the viewer experience a feeling of spiritual emptiness. To be honest, I am amazed that the movie has yet been dissected into retrowave memes. It contains all the right tropes: VHS, Japan vibes, long shots of driving through a city, etc…

Recommendations
If you are in the mood for a poetic feast from Edward Yang himself, then I recommend Taipei Story. Personally, I think that it is best to watch this film back to back with Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express. Both movies complement each other stylistically.
Overall score: 8/10

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A Scene at the Sea (1991) [Film Review]

A Scene at the Sea; or, The Calmest Ocean
     He comes every day. He's getting much better.
A Scene at the Sea is the third feature film directed by the great Takeshi Kitano. Interestingly, it is also one of the few director’s filmmaking endeavors which do not contain overt violence or yakuza references. Instead, the movie tells the simple story of love between people and love for the ocean.

Release Info

Directed by: Takeshi Kitano Starring: Claude Maki, Hiroko Ooshima

Language: Japanese Original Title: あの夏、いちばん静かな海。Runtime: 100 min

Synopsis
Shigeru (Claude Maki) is a young man who is a deaf-mute. He works as a helper at a company which deals with garbage collection. One day, while collecting garbage, Shigeru spots a broken surfboard. He takes the board with him and fixes it. With the help of his girlfriend Takako (Hiroko Ooshima), who is also a deaf-mute, Shigeru takes the surfboard to the seaside and starts practicing. He is determined to learn how to surf.

Kitano Blue
Similarly to Boiling Point (1990) and Getting Any (1994), A Scene at the Sea remained a rare Kitano film which was hard to track down in the West. Nevertheless, thanks to the power of the internet, I finally managed to watch it.

Think of this movie as it were a crossover between Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights (1931) and Luc Besson’s Le Grand Bleu (1988).Takeshi Kitano himself expressed in an interview that a painter needs only one image in order to tell a story, whereas a film requires 24 images per second in order to get anywhere. So, it was his intention to make a film in which the story is told not through dialogues but visuals. If it had not been for occasional remarks of the supporting characters, A Scene at the Sea could very well be classified as a silent film.

Nevertheless, it is so gorgeous looking! Every aspect of the production, from the performances through shooting locations to cinematography, is just outstanding. I can’t get enough of the seaside locations featured in the film. Additionally, whenever Joe Hisashi’s music score kicks in, I get super elated.

Kitano admits that if it had not been for Hisashi’s music, the movie would not have been such a powerful viewing experience. Indeed, the score really enhances many scenes, such as the bus stop sequence, Shigeru’s training, or the tear-jerking ending.

In addition, I have to praise the performances of Claude Maki and Hiroko Ooshima who played just with their expressions. Maki would go on to appear in Kitano’s later film, Brother (2000), whereas Ooshima did not continue her movie career. A Scene at the Sea remains her only acting credit to date. Interestingly, the movie marks the first appearance of Susumu Terajima as Kitano’s regular.

Recommendations
If you want to see the poetic side of Takeshi Kitano, then A Scene at the Sea is a must see! It is a quiet story about an (extra)ordinary couple and their passion set amidst the calming blue. Highly recommend it.
Overall score: 9/10

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