The Kobayashi version is one of my favourite movies, so I came in expecting a decent but ultimately not-as-great remake. I was blown away. I cried at several points. It focuses even more on the raw human drama and overall the story is more detailed. The actors are excellent and the cinematography is beautiful.
The build is slow but keeps up tension, and the three duels are condensed (compared to the old movie), but the final battle more than makes up for that.
I'd say both versions are masterpieces, and watching them back-to-back would be worth it.
The build is slow but keeps up tension, and the three duels are condensed (compared to the old movie), but the final battle more than makes up for that.
I'd say both versions are masterpieces, and watching them back-to-back would be worth it.