Samurai Films (18 page)

Zatoichi is back, and you’ve never seen him like this before. Director Takeshi Kitano, famous for his popular Japanese crime films, tried his hand at the character in 2003, and created a refreshingly different film, clearly distinct from the original series.

Kitano’s Zatoichi is very different to the series produced throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, which may prove unsettling to fans of those films. Kitano, who not only directs but also stars as the blind swordsman, presents a Zatoichi that is in many ways the opposite of Shintaro Katsu’s. Zatoichi has very few lines in this film, and often communicates with grunts and mumbled words, a far cry from Katsu’s very vocal hero.

Katsu’s Zatoichi was a product of his unique talent, and anyone trying to imitate his performance would only end up the victim of unfavourable comparisons. Kitano’s Zatoichi makes a very interesting hero; he’s utterly inscrutable, which leaves the audience constantly wondering what his plans are.

There is a very amusing thread of comedy running through
Zatoichi
. Shinkichi, a clumsy gambler, features in some highly comedic scenes, in particular when he tries to teach some farmers how to wield a sword, and then attempts to master Zatoichi’s gambling technique.

Kitano uses rhythm very effectively in
Zatoichi
: the sounds of farmers working in a field, carpenters building a house and rain drops falling into a bucket create catchy tunes which synthesise with the images they accompany. The extended festival dance towards the end of the film is bizarre and unexpected, but visually lush and thrilling.

Zatoichi
contains a great deal of graphic violence, even for a samurai film. Hattori, Zatoichi’s strongest enemy in the film, is a highly effective ronin character, as sinister as he is skilled, and both he and the blind swordsman feature in some highly creative fight sequences. Kitano uses digital effects to take the violence to a new level, showing severed body parts and blood sprays with more realism than ever before. The fight scenes are well executed; Kitano clearly has a talent for frenetic, visceral battles. Particularly worthy of mention is the scene where Hattori hacks his way through the entire Funamachi gang, and the scene where Zatoichi fights a large group of yakuza in the heavy rain. Thanks to Kitano’s modern style of directing and use of digital effects, all the battles in
Zatoichi
are extremely slick.

Rather than follow the pattern established by Shintaro Katsu, Takeshi Kitano creates his own version of the Zatoichi character, different yet no less entertaining. Taking a fresh approach, Kitano’s
Zatoichi
shows that the samurai film genre is still ripe for exploitation in the current cinema landscape.

Two wounded samurai fleeing a battle arrive at an old temple in the mountains, where they both collapse in exhaustion. One of the samurai awakens and begins to talk to the master of the temple, a strange man who has travelled far and wide, collecting a variety of objects from around the world. A woman sits and watches them talk, never speaking herself. Through conversation, the samurai discovers he was fed the specially prepared liver of his companion, which is why he was able to survive his fatal wounds. Enraged, he attacks his host, who stabs him through the chest. The samurai isn’t even wounded; as the temple master explains, only a sword through his heart or head can kill him now. The temple master goes on to explain that he is in fact Miyamoto Musashi, and has never been defeated in battle. He is a near immortal super human, and can only be killed in the same way as the samurai. Musashi is tired of living, and wants to die in a duel. The samurai agrees to fight him, and chooses an unusual sword. In the battle that follows, the samurai seems to lose, but discovers a hidden power within himself. The samurai is victorious, and Musashi can finally rest and dream as he has been craving. The samurai discovers that the woman is Aragami, a goddess of war, and he agrees to stay with her in the temple, continuing to fight challengers just as Musashi did.

Aragami
is another fine example of a recent samurai film, the work of action/horror director Ryuehi Kitamura. Kitamura is famous for fast-paced and stylistic fight scenes, and
Aragami
is no exception, featuring beautiful battles that are a feast for the senses.

The overall style of
Aragami
is even more overblown than that of the manga-inspired samurai films of the 1970s, such as the
Lone Wolf and
Cub
series.
Aragami
seems to have a lot in common with the loud, over-the-top style of Japanese anime and video games, and this is especially true in the highly stylised fight sequences. Kitamura has a good understanding of tone, and uses it to craft some highly atmospheric moments. While action is the main focus of
Aragami
, Kitamura and co-writer Ryuichi Takatsu create an intriguing, though not overly complex, plot.

Taking place entirely in the confines of a creepy temple,
Aragami
gradually builds to a climactic duel between the film’s two main characters. These scenes are composed mainly of the samurai and his host talking, and slowly reveal the disturbing situation the samurai finds himself in. Despite its simple structure, the viewer’s interest is constantly piqued by mysteries and revelations.

Kitamura creates an unsettling atmosphere; inside the temple are rusty chains, weathered rafters and a large, solemn, stone statue (whose expression changes throughout the film), all lit to cast long shadows. The setting matches some of the more horrific revelations in the film, and creates the right level of menace when the fierce battle rages at the conclusion.

The battles present some of the most stylised violence ever shown in a samurai film. The scene where the samurai and his host fight in complete darkness, with only the sparks coming off their swords for illumination, is utterly stunning. The thrash rock soundtrack by Nobuhiko Morino exhilarates, complementing the modern anime feel of the film.

An atmospheric film with an intriguing plot and a grand duel at its conclusion,
Aragami
is a worthy addition to the samurai film genre. While Yoji Yamada continues the work of the more reflective filmmakers, such as Kurosawa, we can rest assured the action-oriented samurai film is still alive and well in
Aragami
.

Munezo is a samurai of the Unesaka clan, learning to use new European rifles and artillery. Kie, a peasant girl who used to work at Munezo’s house, has married into the Iseya family, who badly mistreat her. Weak from disease and exhaustion, Kie nearly dies, but Munezo takes her away from the Iseya, saving her life with medical treatment from a doctor. Meanwhile, Munezo’s friend, Yoichiro, has been found guilty of ploting against the Shogun in Edo. He is brought back to the Unesaka lands where he is held prisoner. Untrue rumours begin to spread that Kie is Munezo’s mistress, and when she is recovered, despite loving her, Munezo sends her back to her father. Yoichiro escapes from his prison and holds a peasant family hostage. Hori, the senior retainer of the clan, orders Munezo to kill him. Munezo visits his old teacher, Toda, who teaches him a new technique to defeat Yoichiro, who is considered one of the finest swordsmen in the Unesaka clan. Yoichiro’s wife attempts to convince Munezo to spare him, even offering to sleep with him, but Munezo refuses. She also visits Hori. Munezo and Yoichiro fight, and Munezo wins, but is disappointed to see Yoichiro gunned down by Unesaka riflemen. He discovers that Hori slept with Yoichiro’s wife, promising to spare Yoichiro, a promise he never had any intention of keeping. Enraged, Munezo uses his hidden blade technique to kill Hori, hoping this will allow Yoichiro and his wife, who has committed suicide, to rest in peace. Munezo renounces his samurai status to become a merchant, and marries Kie.

Along with
The Twilight Samurai
,
The Hidden Blade
cements Yoji Yamada’s reputation as one of the finest directors of samurai films working in the current cinema landscape. Both films skilfully combine touching and humorous moments with moving personal drama and conflict.

There are certain thematic similarities between this film and
The Twilight Samurai
. Both feature a main character whose compassion alienates him from his peers, who is forced by his superiors to kill a man he respects and admires. However,
The Hidden Blade
is clearly distinct from Yamada’s previous film, and is not simply a re-working of previous thematic content. Unlike Seibei in
The Twilight Samurai
, Munezo, the protagonist in
The Hidden Blade
, has the respect of his peers, and actually makes an effort to keep it, causing considerable dramatic tension. The film begins with Munezo saving Kie, a young peasant girl who used to be a servant at his mother’s house, from the cruel merchant family she has married into. People begin to gossip that she is Munezo’s mistress, and although he loves her, he sends her away, for the sake of both their reputations. Seibei, by comparison, puts the happiness of his loved ones before his reputation.
The Hidden Blade
also has added drama in Munezo’s struggle against Hori, his corrupt superior. Hori is a cruel man, and makes an interesting counterpoint to Munezo’s compassion. Unseen for much of the film, he drives the plot, his corruption forcing Munezo and Yoichiro into conflict, and ultimately leading Munezo in a completely new direction.

Like
The Twilight Samurai
the major strength of this film is Yamada’s grasp of characterisation. Through a series of candid domestic scenes, he brings us into the midst of Munezo and Kie’s lives, and this closeness adds weight to later scenes. We cannot help but feel empathy with these characters, something helped greatly by the strong performances of Masatoshi Nagase and Takako Matsu. As in Yamada’s earlier work, there’s a warm feeling in aspects of the film, generated mainly by the tender family moments shared by the characters.

One of the most interesting aspects of
The Hidden Blade
is its exploration of the modernisation of the samurai armies. Munezo’s clan, the Unesaka, are in the process of training their men in the use of modern European rifles and artillery. Rather than take the predictable route and show these weapons in action on the battlefield, Yamada shows us the problems encountered by the samurai as they learn how to use them. Humorous scenes have the instructor from Edo, wearing his European suit, collar and neck-tie, growing increasingly frustrated with the Unesaka samurai, who do not understand the relevance of European traditions such as drills and synchronised marching. Yamada does briefly show the devastating effects of the new cartridge-loading rifles – they completely destroy a human arm in one scene – but for the most part uses much more subtle means to convey the effects of modern weapons on the samurai traditions. This theme is handled much more intelligently and effectively than in the rather obvious ending of Hollywood’s attempt at the samurai film,
The
Last Samurai
.

Another great film by Yamada, born from his firm grasp of characterisation, realism and compelling material.

Shinnojo works as a food taster for his daimyo, ensuring that none of his meals are poisoned. Not enjoying this boring work, he hopes to one day open his own fencing school. While performing his duty, Shinnojo eats shellfish that wasn’t prepared properly, making it toxic. He prevents his daimyo from eating the same food but grows ill from its effects and loses his sight completely. His loving wife, Kayo, does her best to care for him, but Shinnojo becomes increasingly depressed. His family insist that Kayo visit Shimada, a high-ranking samurai she knows, to ask him to make sure that they’ll continue to be supported by the clan. This seems to work, and Shinnojo is happy for a time, no longer needing to worry about his livelihood. But he begins to suspect Kayo of having an affair and sends his servant, Tokuhei, to follow her. Kayo has been sleeping with Shimada, in exchange for his help. When Shinnojo discovers this, he divorces Kayo. He later realises Shimada tricked her; he actually had nothing to do with the daimyo’s decision to continue supporting Shinnojo. He is enraged, and determines to kill Shimada. Adapting his swordsmanship to his blindness, Shinnojo challenges Shimada, and defeats him. Tokuhei brings Kayo back to him, and Shinnojo realises he treated her badly, but she still loves him.