jpfratkin Reviews

Samurai Rebellion (1967)

Kobayashi is Japan's Other Master Director

[10/10 · 14 February 2006]

Masaki Kobayashi is certainly the second greatest period director following Akira Kurosawa. Samurai Rebellion, along with Harakiri, are two of the best samurai films ever made, belonging to the small group that includes the masterpiece Seven Samurai. Why are they excellent? I think one could point to many things: the timing, the sets, the black and white photography, character and plot development. Each frame is a masterpiece of black and white composition, like a perfect example of Japanese calligraphy. A haiku, a flower arrangement - Kobayashi's films firmly belong to an ancient Japanese tradition of refinement in the arts. In both of these films, he takes a moral dilemma, and allows it to unfold, slowly and deliberately. The action sequences that Samurai film buffs expect do come to fruition, but as a part of the story, not its entire reason for being. The only tragedy is the English choice of names here. It is appropriate, but does not convey the depth of the story or its execution, and leads one to expect a chop-sake Grade B film. Followers of black and white masterpieces should examine and embrace all of the films of Masaki Kobayashi.

Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle (2000)

Brilliant photography

[8/10 · 10 February 2005]

Gojoe is part of a new wave of Japanese cinema, taking very creative directors, editors and photographers and working on historic themes, what the Japanese call "period pieces". Gojoe is extremely creative in terms of color, photography, and editing. Brilliant, even. The new wave of Japanese samurai films allows a peek at traditional beliefs in shamanism, demons and occult powers that were certainly a part of their ancient culture, but not really explored in Kurosawa's samurai epics, or the Zaitochi series. Another fine example of this genre is Onmyoji (2001). I would place director Sogo Ichii as one of the most interesting and creative of the new wave Japanese directors. Other recent Japanese period pieces I would highly recommend include Yomada's Twilight Samurai (2002) and Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (2003).