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Kessen no ôzora e (1943)
Imperial Japan as Family State
"Bow to the Imperial Palace
Imperial Regulations!
First, loyalty is the Sailor's Main duty!
Second, the sailor behaves himself!
Third, the sailor strives for valor!
Fourth, the sailor maintains Fairness!
Fifth, the sailor lives simply!"
Blatant propaganda that preaches unity in duty carried out in total devotion to japan and the Tenno. Sacrifice is stressed. Role model citizens and virtuous soldiers work hand in hand to ensure japanese dominion over asia. The film features a group of young cadets of the Imperial Japanese Navy and their deep bond to the paradigm of the japanese family whose oldest son died for the emperor. The japanese people are but one big family with the Tenno at its head thus the biological father is notably absent. Ever beautiful Setsuko Hara who came to prominence by starring in the (first?) german/japanese co-production "Die Tochter des Samurai" (1937) portrays the daughter.
War is always looming under the serene veil of wholesome military-family interaction, comraderie and serious training sessions on the field and in class. In a particular scene all the cadets are using morse code in unison during communication class emphasising the content of a memorable speech in honor of the fallen in which the individual is proclaimed to have merged with the totality of traditional japanese society through transcendental action:
"It is sad when graduates die.
But a pilot may only have one battle. It's all or nothing. All your energy has to be put into one decisive Blow. There is no life and no death, no pain, no youth and no self. When you are focused on the edge of your sword pain ceases to exist. When you become sailors your body stops belonging to you and the "you" does not exist anymore. One who is ready to die for Japan shows his utmost vigor and fighting spirit.
In order to win a battle you need all your fighring spirit and all your vitality.
You need to forget everything and sacrifice yourself for your goal."
The well-mannered sailors, reminiscend of the similiar german trope of the brave but homely soldier, are accompanied by the family doing their part. The daughter fulfills her obligation to the war effort by quitting her studies and becoming a kindergartner. The mother entertains the soldiers when they are on leave. Her oldest son has already fulfilled his duty when he sacrificied himself in a kamikaze attack ("If one does something great it's okay to die young") while the surviving brother is a sickly kid who dedicates himself to overcome his physical leeway by training twice as hard.
"Toward the Decisive Battle in the Sky" ends with the sailors getting send to the front, marching off being cheered on by proud citizens and the weakest but striving young offspring of the family tree asks: "Mom? We'll have new brothers soon?
Hisshôka (1945)
Self Sacrifice and Unity
"My patriotic sentiment won't allow me to experience joy."
Late World War 2 propaganda by Imperial Japan, directed by no more than 8 directors, including the great Kenji Mizoguchi and Hiroshi Shimizu. This movie consists of a bunch of patritotic anecdotes from various social strata of japanese society rather than a coherent linear story which was probably the result of having too many director working together. These anecdotes all circle around the themes of self sacrifice of the individual for motherland Japan and the emperor which is all one and the same thing. The japanese believed the emperor to be the direct descendant of Amaterasu, the sun goddess who sent her grandson to earth, who spawned the first Tenno who is one with the japanese people, meaning they are also of divine origin since they make up one single entity. Thus betraying emperor Hirohito (who was believed to be part of an unbroken chain of god-emperors) by not fulfilling your duty, be it as a soldier, a nurse, a wife or a student, would be the same as betraying your true self because the one is connected to the many, devaluing the "free individual" in favor of unity, homeland and duty. This film replaces "freedom" solely understood as the abscence of restrictions (a purely modern concept) with the freedom to fulfill ones duty according to ones own nature, imbedded in a hierarchy of a higher order (a primordial concept).
The difference of these two perceptions of what "freedom" constitutes is the difference between a liberal-democratic, secular and "enlightened" society and a primordial, traditional one.
The aforementioned anecdotes range from soldiers on the front reminiscing about their home, factory workers, a young boy applying for flying school behind his father's back, a police officer wandering his district, pupil marching through the japanese forests, a woman marrying a soldier before he is drafted, the civilian defense force quenching fires that were caused by air raids, a woman telling about an incident in which the americans sunk a ship full of wounded soldiers and fathers of kamikaze pilots drinking with their late sons army superiors.
The reason for this long introduction was meant to put the tone of this movie into context. It's pretty light hearted and optimistic considering the topics it dealt with. Not once is a character weeping for a lost son or husband, despairing over the hardships of the great war, then going on for 8 years. Especially the episode of the police man and the marching pupils reminded me of a japanese Heimatfilm, showing everyday life of japanese civilians during the war, a couple of humoristic scenes. There also is alot of singing. Even during the second to last scene, the fathers of the dead kamikaze pilots are cheerful and full of pride for their heroic sons, not once selfishly sheding tears for a kid lost, since they died for a higher order, fulfilling their duty to the Tenno. When mundane life is understood as merely one stage of human existence and individual life being inseperately connected to your people and the emperor, flying headfirst into the enemy is not as tragic as it sounds.
To wrap it all up, this movie is a bit all over the place, the narrative just being an excuse to shed light on the theme of self sacrifice, always from the same angle, concluding that determination and disregard for the detached, atomized individual is the only way worth living. With a runtime of only 80 minutes it is a moderately interesting display of the self-conception of Imperial Japan.
Morgenrot (1933)
Debut of the Third Reich
"Morgenrot" was the first film released in the Third Reich and is generally perceived to be a concession to the new regime by director Gustav Ucicky. The debut film of the new germany retells the heroic submarine struggle against the adversaries of former German Empire in austere but nevertheless deep cutting fashion.
Ever since the real war documentary "With Our Heroes on the Somme" which was shot in 1917 on the western front during World War 2 german filmmakers have been more interested in the technical aspect of warfare then petty personal dramatizations. In aforementioned front-line-report we see artillery, distant explosions and men at work, whose faces can't be seen, making sure the mechanical beasts keep breathing fire. Contrast this with the british counterpart "Battle of the Somme" which limits its eyes to human form. "Morgenrot" manages to combine both man and machine into a compelling war tale.
In germanic spirit routine work is shown carried out inside a claustrophobic, mechanized war machine deep under the sea. Every crew member functions like clockwork. The lack of agitation is not to be mistaken for a lack of concern or courage. Survival requires diligence and not effeminate hysteria. We see a crew that primarily fights to execute orders efficiently and make sure everyone sees their home again. More abstract ideals like love for ones nation and volk and perennial justice are rarely mentioned but are nevertheless there. They are unseperably fused with the warrior not needing constant explicit mention. Concern for ones brothers in arms, united in a common ideal constitute a real Männerbund.
The climax encapsulates "Morgenrot" perfectly. While the mechanized war machine is obviously superior to man on the mere physical plane, the lesser war, man can strive for something higher than the mere material, including ones mundane life, which constitutes the higher war. The submarine is hit. The mechanic beast is now an iron prison. There are only eight diving suites for ten men. Fear sets in and is quickly overcome. The crew mellowly decides to perish rather than leave a comerade behind. Two men make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the units survival so they may fight on and (at least) the higher war is won.
Yûkoku (1966)
Yukio Mishima's fate
After the February 26 Incident an ill-fated coup d'état comitted by the Kodoha (Imperial Way Faction), a group of young radicals inside the imperial japanese army, a surviving lieutenant decides to commit Hara-Kiri out of shame for not having stood by his brothers in arms. He was excluded from the uprising because his fellow soldiers did not want him to leave his graceful, young bride a widow.
What follows is Yukio Mishima's clearest and most honest vision of his desired synthesis of eroticism and purity, discipline and beauty in death. He indulges in his ever present fascination with the physical and opens up, literally spills his guts in front of the audience. It all colludes into a fatalistic Todesromantik of brilliant intensity. The decision to love his wife one last time before he follows his path of a warrior aristocrat. Scenes of intimate and sincere erotic love. Then the slow and painful, yet endearing shots of his ritual suicide, conducted as calmly as circumstances permit it, displaying the highest level of discipline and manliness. The young bride following her lover into his death. In the background a paiting is hanging declaring "Wholesome sincerity".
Actions speak louder than word thus "Yukoku", based on a short story by Mishima, became his self-fulfilled prophecy when he actualized his art in a final act of pure devotion like his protagonist whom he portrayed. Life didn't imitate art, life became art for Mishima. In a final act of rebellion against the path japan (and the whole world) had taken Yukio Mishima chose his fate and ended his life through seppuku after trying to start a coup d'etat that he knew wasn't gonna happen.
Like the Kodo-ha who held japanese culture and spiritual purity supreme to the materialism of modernity, Mishima rose up to the currents of time and lost his life as a result upholding ideals he deemed higher than himself to his last breath. Did he die in vain?
Death Wish (2018)
Don't believe the Ideologues
First of all, don't be surprised by the low score on Rotten Tomatoes and other sides. Most of these so-called "movie critics" are just anti-gun advocates pushing their agenda under the guise of a movie review.
This is a well directed remake of a vigilante movie from the 70s starring Charles Bronson. The director Elit Roth strikes the right chord by setting this simple but powerful story in modern day Chicago. The tone and message remain largely the same which I consider a big plus because it's a sign of respect to the original.
This is an above average r-rated action movie with decent performances, nice cinematography, good pacing and a fitting soundtrack. If you like Bruce Willis or the original "Death Wish" go check it out.
Don't be scared off by negative reviews.
The Last Stand (2013)
Below average action flick with goofy comedy scenes - Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
"The Last Stand" by Jee-woon Kim, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Knoxville and Forest Whittaker (both of the latter get rather little screen time) is a standard action movie which suffers from a weak screenplay, bad dialogues, bad choreographies, a forgettable soundtrack and way too cheesy one liners.
There is no suspense but I didn't expect any watching an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie which was obviously only meant to entertain and give the audience a few chuckles and over the top action. Sadly the movie fails to deliver both of these things. While the action might be over the top it doesn't excite the audience because the filming of these scenes was handled too standard and the fact that we don't really feel that the important characters, who are rather uninteresting anyway, cannot be touched or even really get hurt. So how are these scenes supposed to excite us if there is no real danger? There is a scene near the end of the movie which sums that up perfectly. Arnie gets a knife rammed deep into his leg but still manages to beat the bad guy and then walks like nothing has happened. No limping or anything.
The movie feels like a corny eighties action flick, without its charm, mixed with weird and out of place "comedic" south korean cinema moments who fail to make one laugh but weaken an already below mediocre film. The only thing that this movie really got going is that it has got a few names in the cast you might recognize and Arnold Schwarzeneggers charm. This could have been much better, especially with a director like Jee-woon Kim who made some outstanding movies in the past (I Saw the Devil, A Bittersweet Life). I give this a 3/10.
The Bling Ring (2013)
The Bling Ring - Shallow, repetitious, boring
"Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes."
That's the plot summary on IMDb and that's all there is to this movie. The teenagers rob a celebrity's house, steal stuff, go to parties with the stolen money and boast about it on social media.
"The Bling Ring" fails on almost every Level. It tries to criticize the shallow glamour life of Hollywood and its fandom by merely observing it. There is no deeper message found in this film than that the celebrity cult is as morally empty, vain and stupid as the movie that is jeopardizing it.
The characters are uninteresting and one- dimensional. Acting is uninspired but the actors couldn't really make their characters any more interesting because of the boring script. The plot does nothing but to repeat itself for over an hour until it ends exactly how you would think it would end. "The Bling Ring" concludes itself with a lame pun at the end. Nothing to be proud of but at least it fits the overall superficiality of the rest of the film. The soundtrack consists mainly of main stream rap usually heard in clubs. A bit annoying but it goes well with "The Bling Ring"'s theme. The only good aspect is the camera work.
2/10 - not recommended
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
A revolutionary film that was ahead of its time - with a hateful and wrong message.
Beforehand, I highly condemn the message this movie has. The high rating is solely based on the qualities of the film in regard to the craft involved in its making which is, objectively, just phenomenal for its time.
What makes this silent historical epic revolutionary are the enormous battle scenes, involving hundreds of extras and a director directing from a big tower via light signals, its use of music and camera, filming at night (which wasn't common back then), coloring of specific scenes (mostly battle scenes) in one color and a battle in the films' climax used as a tool of dramatization and storytelling. The film paved the way for big epic movies which would mark Hollywood forever since then. At a running-time of over three hours it was the longest film to ever be released back in 1915.
Obviously, due to its racist portrayal of black people this movie is not for everyone but if you are interested in the history of Hollywood you've got to check it out, while ignoring the historical inaccuracies and racist bull crap Without this movie Hollywood wouldn't be what it is today. It would not have impacted America and its film industry that much if it wasn't done so well.
Even when ignoring the racist viewpoint this was made from you don't get around to notice the historical inaccuracies and at over three hours this movie seems a bit too long for me even though its an epic. Plus several characters weren't fleshed out enough. Of course, this is due to the fact that this is a silent film and it was made over 80 years ago with different narrative standards at the time but from my viewpoint, which is currently set in the year 2016, I simple cannot ignore it and it bothers me. And again, the racism in this film simply feels overbearing sometimes, the director even went so far to cast mainly white actors for the most vicious black characters, simply painting their faces black. But as I said, I tried to not let the racist overtones of this film affect my rating. Overall I give this movie a strong 8/10. I only give higher ratings to films which really touch me on an emotional level and the pure viciousness in its portrayal of an entire group of people makes this impossible for me.
Rio Bravo (1959)
Howard Hawks' Masterpiece
The Howard Hawks' answer to "High Noon" (also great, go check it out!). Its a great tale about male comradeship, professionalism and standing your ground against injustice, even when the odds are against you.
The plot is fairly simple: The local sheriff (portrayed by John Wayne) locks up the criminal Joe Burdette whose brother Nathan Burdette, a rich and ruthless rancher, promises everyone who is willing to get his brother out of jail a good prize, resulting in the local sheriff department practically being under siege by the local thugs. Sheriff John T. Chance's job is then to hold out with his two deputies, a recovering alcoholic (brilliantly portrayed by Dean Martin) and an old man talkative man with a limp (portrayed by Walter Brennan, he adds a lot of comic relief into the story) until the Marshall arrives to take Joe Burdette with him. Later they get help from another young gun man (portrayed by Ricky Nelson, who's a good addition to the trio). Chance has to enforce law and order all while dealing with his deputies alcoholism, with non professionals offering their help and with a mysterious woman who later becomes his love interest (portrayed by Angie Dickinson, in a typical hawksian woman role).
What makes this movie is so great is the great dialogue, strong performances (especially Dean Martin and John Wayne), likable characters and the great portrayal of their interactions and relationships with each other. You end up really caring about them and see them deal with their personal struggles, like you would with characters in a long running TV show, the only difference being that it happens in 2 and a half hours without feeling rushed. There are several small subplots that all add up in the end in a satisfying way, feel relevant and bring more depth into the characters.
In my opinion Howard Hawks' masterpiece with a strong message. Stand your ground and do what you believe is right, even if it seems impossible. And if no one is fit to help, then do it yourself. No one is responsible for your actions, except for yourself. Good can overcome evil.
One of my all time favorites and in my opinion the best western of all time. Highly recommended. A must see for people who are interested in westerns, movies from the 50's, Howard Hawks and/or John Wayne.
10/10